A lot of people in the previous thread were saying that they liked Nick Robinson because he seemed like a "soft boy". Unless I'm confused. This is the first time I've heard the term.
It's... complicated? I guess?
There's a decent amount of writing on it as a thing if you do a quick Google search, but essentially it has a lot to do with being a guy who's positioned as not being dangerous, being safe compared to other men. Some of the stuff written on it defines it as being inherently manipulative - always a facade to trick women - but I don't think that's true of how it's being discussed in this context.
The messy bit of this, also. is where it's tied to being more feminine, and what writing off "soft boys" overall can mean for more feminine men. Though now I'm just restating things that were said better elsewhere.
Anyway- there are fans who have referred to him + Griffin + the other McElroys as "soft boys" (or "_ boy" in general) positively, whether in a genuine way or a sort of joking self-deprecating way. Using "boy" a ton in general is a McElroy thing; a common way for fans to refer to them is "those good good boys". It's important to note, though, that "soft boy" is definitely not a thing original to them as some people thought in the previous thread.
EDIT: Oops, hit post too early!
Meanwhile you also have people who use it negatively, particularly as they see it as giving cis white men a pass (that people who do not fit nicely into that label do not get) just because they seem nice and unassuming, because that could just be performative and isn't inherently worth trusting without any actions backing it up. Which... well. Here we are.