As Paige Baden and Emily Hosein browsed Bumble and Tinder in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, they saw an influx of “blue collar males” — the workers dispatched to fix downed power lines who wore denim and hard hats.
“Just want any wives or girlfriends to be aware that their lineman husbands or boyfriends, now that they’re out of town helping us in Florida — this is what my Bumble account looks like,” Baden said in a video posted on October 1, before cutting to a slideshow of men with the profession “lineman” listed.
TikToks exhibiting screenshots of guys on dating sites, particularly one by @emilyhosein1, whose bio states she is a 20-year-old Floridian, sparked heated debate on the platform, eliciting amusing responses from wives offering advice for “bucket bunnies” and opposition from angry spouses.
The video that Hosein uploaded on September 26 has been viewed over 9.3 million times. Currently, the hashtags #linemen, #linewife, and #bucketbunny have 381.2 million, 128.3 million, and 11.7 million views, respectively.
Journeyman lineworkers sometimes spend weeks or months on the job site, which can strain many relationships and raise the possibility of an affair.
Posts from so-called “bucket bunnies” — women actively pursuing these lineworkers — outraged some of the men’s wives and prompted an uproar on the forum.
Line ladies claimed to have recognized their spouses or men with families, and Floridians were urged to continue posting.
User @cassiehouse noted that her husband, a journeyman lineworker, was not in Florida at the moment, but encouraged “bucket bunnies” to continue tweeting about the men they were seeing on dating apps.
On October 1st, she remarked, “Wait, if you’ve found your boyfriend in this piece,” in a stitch. “Pretend ignorance over the upcoming months. You cash out these unwanted items. Then you will enjoy the best possible lifestyle on his dime.”
Several lineworker wives attempted an alternative strategy.
On September 30, Kaitlin Staley (@kaitlin marie) wrote on TikTok, “You should eat a snack.” “However, honey, he is aware that a substantial lunch is waiting for him at home.”
She said, “Just say it if you’re thirsty or desperate.”
A self-described pipeline wife, @ohhmtee, handed the spouses of lineworkers a “Hunger Games”-style three-fingered unity salute. She wrote, “We fought Row Hoes prior to Tik Tok.” “I stand with all of the linemen’s wives as they prepare to combat Florida’s bucket rabbits. Blue collar is not a trend but a lifestyle.”
While some wives have focused their ire on “bucket bunnies,” others have emphasized the “hell” linemen may suffer from partners who have discovered their adultery via TikTok.
In a video posted on October 1, TikToker @alabama.sisi remarked that men fear their grandparents’ wrath far more than the current threat posed by Hurricane Ian. “I understand that this is a natural disaster, but dear, this will be hell delivered to you in a motherf—ing handbasket if my children and, I’m sure, the children of others are ever caught on those TikToks.”
Self-proclaimed “bucket bunnies” videos, especially those showing admiration for linemen, have outraged linemen’s wives, although they appear to have largely prompted laughter.
Spouses have braided dating profile slideshows with descriptions of their partner and care comments such as “he prefers the additional rinse cycle on his laundry” and “do his laundry separately owing to the stink and grime” into misleading posters regarding the desirability of “linemen marital life.”
In a video released on 1 October, Stephanie Hamelink (@effaniehams) said, “Let me know when you want to return him to sender so I can clean my house and hide the Amazon packages.”
Brit Hunter (@mrs.britthunter), another TikToker, stated in a video posted on 1 October that being a lineman’s wife is not for the faint of heart.
“You intend to purchase and remodel a farmhouse from the 1950s?” She continued “Too bad. Since your husband will not be around to assist you, you must either pay someone to complete the task or complete it alone. In addition, he arrives home fatigued and famished.”
As the screenshots of the dating app became viral, so did the app’s amateur investigative work. At least one man in the videos has been misidentified by TikTokers as another man with the same first name who has a similar appearance.
On September 30, Blake DeMelo (blakeedemelo) published a video regarding the mix-up. “I’m in Florida and using Tinder, but I have no idea what’s going on,” he said.
The true owner of the Tinder account, @tha balakay, replied to the issue on October 1 with a video labeled “I’ve been banned from Tinder.”
Finally cleared my name hahahaha, remarked DeMelo.
Jake Tanner (@thatguyjay21) reported he recognized his photo under the name “Landon” in one of the viral Tinder profiles, despite the fact that it was taken in Iowa years ago.
“I’m unable to work in Florida since I don’t have Tinder and our electricity company hasn’t released us from our contract. Additionally, be wary, as there are likely some impostors down there.”
