The daters on 'FBoy Island' must guess who is a nice guy and who is in it for the sex.
The nice guys come in last. Alternatively, do they?
"FBoy Island" (premiering Thursday, July 29 on HBO Max) sends three women to a luxurious villa in the Cayman Islands, where they are joined by 24 men. The twist: twelve are “nice guys” looking for love, while twelve are self-proclaimed “FBoys” — a derogatory term, abbreviated for f–kboy, for men looking to sleep around — out to manipulate the girls in order to win a cash prize if they make it to the end.
Naturally, the ladies are unaware of who is who. And it's not easy to identify the players: Almost every guy has ripped abs and suspiciously endearing smiles.
Should you put your trust in a self-described "accredited investor" who plasters selfies across his Instagram feed? Or a Wall Streeter who goes to the beach wearing a blazer?
Sarah Emig, a 25-year-old social media manager from Chicago, considers herself an authority on all things FBoys.
“I classify [FBoys] into three distinct categories,” Emig explained to The Post. There are two types of narcissists: the narcissist and the pretty boy. That is someone who is only with you because it appears to be beneficial to him, and as soon as you cease to be beneficial to him, he will abandon you.”
Then there's "the bitch boy," she continued. This is someone who will fulfill all of the duties of a boyfriend but will not commit when the time comes.
The final type is the genuine FBoy, who derives power from misbehaving with women and believes it is necessary to lie and manipulate in order to get girls into bed.”
Nakia Renee, 29, a stylist, and CJ Franco, 30, a content creator, both of Los Angeles, join Emig.
They mingle with men at parties on the show, handing out bracelets to indicate which ones they'd like to get to know better.
They then embark on solo dates, much like “The Bachelor” does. Following that, they go through elimination rounds to determine which guys fit into which category of "Nice Guy" or "FBoy."
Franco stated that she is keeping things simple. “I believe the most effective strategy is to expect people to treat me nicely... I avoided anything that deviated from that.”
Renee approached the situation differently. “I wanted to emphasize action over words,” she explained. “Anyone can claim to be a nice person. It is truly how they behave.”
Nikki Glaser, the show's host, admitted that she was occasionally envious of the contestants.
When producers initially approached Glaser, 37, he assumed they wanted him to play one of the girls. "Oh my gosh, I've always wanted to be 'The Bachelorette!'"
When she learned she was being called in to host, she described the experience as "similar to being friend-zoned by a show." “However, I got to witness all the drama unfold in real time. Additionally, I got to speak with the girls, advise them, and mock the guys. It was a dream job of mine.”
Glaser, who frequently discusses dating in her stand-up and on her podcast, believes that being immersed in the comedy club scene has uniquely prepared her to call out con artists.
“When my closest male friends behave strangely toward women they've dated, I say, 'I know you're not a bad person — why do you shut down like a laptop after sex?' Thus, simply knowing a large number of male comics and having these discussions at tables in the Comedy Cellar [has enabled me to] penetrate the psyche of FBoys who are unaware they are FBoys.”
Glaser stated that the show compelled her to examine her own relationships as well.
“Attempting to change someone is a fool's errand. However, an FBoy's kryptonite is a woman who respects herself and will not allow herself to be mistreated... that is so appealing to an FBoy because [deep down] they desire love and material possessions.”
Franco also maintains the hope that even the most despicable FBoys are reformable.
“I believe that a good deal of the FBoys are like unrenovated houses,” she explained. “Excellent bones with a lot going for them, but repairing them will cost a lot of money and time.”