Tom Hanks' Son Chet Hanks Earns the Ire of Social Media After Controversial Post

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's son, Chet Hanks was thoroughly dragged on social media on Saturday [...]

By Michael Hein

Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson's son, Chet Hanks was thoroughly dragged on social media on Saturday after declaring 2021 the year of the "White Boy Summer." Trying to coin a fad like Megan Thee Stallion's "Hot Girl Summer," Chet seems to have missed the mark. The responses range from good-natured ribbing to all-out condemnation.

"I just got this feeling man, that this summer is, it's about to be a white boy summer," Chet said on Instagram on Saturday. "Take it you you want. I'm not talking about Trump, NASCAR type white. I'm talking about, you know, me, Jon B, Jack Harlow type white boy summer. Let me know if you guys can vibe with that and get ready, 'cuz I am."

Chet has come under fire before for cultural appropriation when it comes to his music and social media output. He is a rapper, and has often tried to speak Jamaican patois in public despite his lack of Jamaican ancestry. However, these slip-ups have often been laughed off as self-evidently absurd, and therefore harmless.

In the latest case, the response was not so forgiving. Chet is taking serious heat for his "White Boy Summer" comments on social media — especially because it is not clear if the 31-year-old was joking. Scroll down for a look at social media's response to Chet Hanks' latest antics.

Tom Hanks

As always, many of the comments consisted of incredulity that Chet could be the son of famously reserved actor Tom Hanks. The same goes for Wilson, though she appeared in fewer comments.

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Absurd

Some commenters continue to laugh of Chet's comments, discussing hime like he's a character from an Andy Kaufman sketch. However, this latest backlash was more hostile than before.

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Hot Summer

Many people joked that Chet was missing the point of the "hot" in "Hot Girl Summer." They joked that his complexion would not serve him well for the season.

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Black Girl Summer

Hanks' follow-up comment about having a "Black Girl Summer" was the one that didn't sit right with many readers, and they were quick to let him know. Many did not seem to know that Chet has a daughter with a Black ex-partner.

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Type

While many comments called Chet Hanks some kind of cultural anomaly, others argued that he actually matched a well-established type.

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Auditions

Some people posted satirical auditions to be a part of Chet's hyper-specific "White Boy Summer" — including comedian Andy Milonakis.

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Outcome

Finally, many people joked about how the "white boys" in Chet's audience would take this call to action themselves. Many feared the cringe-worthy confidence that might come out of it all.

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