Keanu Reeves’ latest show of greatness? Not touching women in photos
Is there anything more Keanu Reeves can do to make people think he’s the world’s coolest movie star?
Of course, he’s Keanu.
Over the past day, the handsome and chill “John Wick” star, who has been informally dubbed the “internet’s latest boyfriend,” has again proven his ability to get Twitter aquiver — but this time by something he doesn’t do.
When posing with women, including fans and other celebrities, the 54-year-old actor doesn’t put his arm around them or touch their backs, fans have noted. If anything, his hand hovers near their backs or arms, but doesn’t actually make contact.
To fans, this shows that Reeves is “considerate” and “respectful” of a woman’s “personal space” and “bodily autonomy.”
To the more cynical types, Reeves is just being “smart” in the #MeToo era by not taking any chances. As a rich and famous A-lister, he probably doesn’t want to get accused of being too familiar with a woman he doesn’t know.
The first fan to notice Reeves’ no-touch approach posted a collage of photos of the actor with Dolly Parton and female fans.
Kemoy Lindsay tweeted, “Lol Keanu ain’t taking no chances.”
Lol Keanu ain’t taking no chances. pic.twitter.com/nnfIOZKbT1
— Kemoy Lindsay (@KemziLinzi) June 9, 2019
That tweet went viral had has earned 390,000 likes so far.
Since then, fans have scrutinized other photos of Reeves since he began doing press for his third “John Wick” movie and for his widely adored, self-deprecating cameo in the Netflix rom-com “Always Be My Maybe.”
Reeves, by the way, is having a busy 2010 in other ways. He “captivated” gamers at E3, a popular video game conference in Los Angeles, by revealing his role in the upcoming dystopian game, “Cyberpunk 2077,” according to one report. He also has a featured role in “Toy Story 4,” which comes out June 20.
For the most part, fans are on board with Reeves’ no-touch approach. They appreciate that he’s not one of those men who calls himself a “hugger” and gets overly affectionate with women who may not enjoy the contact.
“I stan a respectful king love you so much Keanu,” tweeted one.
“It’s not about not taking chances, it’s about being considerate and respectful, qualities that Keanu carries in spades,” tweeted another.
Yet another echoed that sentiment: “He’s respectful. This should be how it’s done unless ya know the woman doesn’t mind being touched. Keanu should inspire us all.”
More pragmatic types said that Reeves may be a celebrity who gets tired of having to interact, shake hands and otherwise touch hundreds of people daily while doing press for his movies.
Or, yes, he’s being smart in the #MeToo era.
“Better safe than sorry,” one wrote. Another added: “He’s trying not to catch a sexual assault charge since even a hug can get you to that point these days.”
But after someone wrote, “How sad that we’ve gotten to this point,” someone else responded, “Maybe he is just a good guy people touch me all the time all my life and I have always hated it.”
Another added that Reeves is “a gentleman and (knows) women (are) ready to holler #metoo over the most basic interactions. He knows the boundaries and parameters and (moves) in the space provided with respect to those boundaries and parameters.”
Another person agreed: “Perhaps Keanu recognized that not one of these women gave him their consent to touch him and I don’t know, he respected their bodily autonomy. Keanu showing everyone how to be respectful might be a potential takeaway as well.”
Finally, a female fan concluded that it doesn’t matter whether one is physically touched by Reeves to feel moved and honored by his attention — given his almost other-worldly movie star presence.
She quipped: “Keanu has the amazing power to make you feel hugged without ever having touched you.”
Keanu has the amazing power to make you feel hugged without ever having touched you.
— Polly Karr (@karr_pe) June 9, 2019