Turning Myself Into a Ten Trend Sparks Joy

Quick Smiles:

• Creators use style and humor to celebrate regional identity.
• Many videos turn ranking into a playful performance.
• The trend shows confidence and creativity can redefine beauty.

TikTok’s playful new makeover moment has creators turning themselves into their idea of a city or region’s perfect “10,” posting before-and-after videos set to Foxy Brown’s “Candy.” From Atlanta and Utah to Colorado, New York and LA, people are riffing on regional beauty rules with cheeky, confident transformations — some sincere, some spoof, and many delightfully unexpected (yes, there’s even a Pitbull-inspired worldwide 10 and a Buc-ees Beaver Texas 10).

The trend has sparked warm conversations about how beauty is tied to place and performance: some users embrace stylings that show confidence and craft, while scholars and strategists note it can both critique and perpetuate ranking people by looks — often with a wink. The viral moment highlights regional differences, invites humor, and reminds us that style, charm and self-assurance can make anyone feel like a 10.

“Thinking about that element of how beauty is attached to a particular place is not new,” Katherine Phelps, a gender and women’s studies professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, tells TODAY.com.

“It’s so gendered. When we are talking about someone being a ’10,’ we’re speaking from a place of that woman is deemed attractive by a man,” Phelps adds.

“The beauty standard in Utah and its culture is very high, especially compared to other states,” Tilley tells TODAY.com.

“It brings up really interesting questions about, when it comes to beauty: What’s innate? What’s performative?” Dettmann says.

“It’s always sort of a dangerous thing when we’re ranking humans, and when we are creating hierarchies around bodies,” Phelps said.

“It’s less about how people embody a particular beauty standard and more so how they construct it, how they make it happen,” Phelps adds.

“Even in the age of people being chronically online, regional culture and differences still matter,” Dettmann says.

“why do you even want to be a 10?”

“You can make anything or anyone a 10 if you fully commit and have the confidence,” Puckett tells TODAY.com.

“My 10 for the trend is the Buc-ees Beaver and let me tell you he is getting hyped up in the comments.”

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