What is the ‘green line’ relationship test on TikTok, and how does it work?
TikTokers are voicing their skepticism about the so-called green line test — aka the green line theory, which is supposed to give people insights on relationships.
The green line theory, which claims that body language determines who is in charge in a relationship, was originated by Twitter user Rivelino (@alpharivelino). According to the theory, the partner who leans into the other one in a photo is the submissive person in the relationship. This is illustrated by drawing green lines on the image, with a slanted line showing which partner is leaning on the other.
TikTok creator Jack Mac (@jackmacbarstool), who covers sports and pop culture and has more than 600,000 followers, explains what passing the green line test means for couples.
“This is what it’s all about,” Mac said, while explaining what a passed test looks like. “A happy couple. He’s straight. She’s leaning in.”
In his videos, Mac shows pictures of celebrity couples, with varying results of “passing” the green line test. According to Mac, If a couple passes the green line test, then they should be a successful couple moving forward. Yet, he asserts, if the man is leaning in during the picture, then Mac believes the relationship is doomed. There can also be issues if both partners lean into each other, or if a girlfriend leans away from her boyfriend. The idea is that if the man is not standing straight up, then he is weak and therefore unattractive to women.
There appears to be a double standard when it comes to Rivelino’s green line theory and Mac’s interpretation. Women are supposedly allowed to lean into their partner, but men are not. TikToker Jack Mac (@jackmacbarstool) has a playlist on his page with several videos explaining why this is the case.
“This goes back to the fact that women find strong men attractive,” he said. “This guy leaning in…does he look strong? He may be in really great shape, but does he look strong? No. Weak.”
Upon finding out what the green line test means, many TikTokers began to classify it as nonsense.
“Yeah all of a sudden this turned to Andrew tate real quick,” replied @seok.matthew.fan to Mac’s explainer video.
“Lol. This is about as accurate as a zodiac sign,” commented @laughinmagician in the comments section of the same video.
In fact, one couple took their own satire to the next level in their own post about the green line theory.
“This is a masterclass on how to own a joke and make it so much better,” replied @sirgrahamofficial.
The green line test, whose creator has “alpha” in his Twitter handle, has been debunked by experts and critics of the alpha/beta/sigma man ideology commonly found on TikTok. Some users have pushed back on Mac, saying that his beliefs are similar to self-proclaimed alpha Andrew Tate’s.
Right now, the hashtag #alphamale has over 2.6 billion views on TikTok. The green line test is also popular on the app, with over 27 million views under the hashtag #greenlinetheory.
Nevertheless, many TikTokers are having fun with the so-called theory without taking it too seriously.
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