What Is The 'Green Line Test,' And What Does It Mean?

No userbase is as addicted to hashing out the rules of sex and gender expression than Twitter dot com, and in the history of the website, perhaps no round of discourse has been as bewildering yet enduring as the green line test.

What Is The Green Line Test?

Conceived by mysterious Rivelino in 2020, the green line test suggests that if a man "leans in" towards his romantic partner, it means he is submissive to the woman. His theory first went viral after he showed Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, aka "The Mountain" from Game of Thrones, leaning towards his wife Kelsey Henson in a press photo, complete with green lines to show the angles of their bodies.

According to Rivelino, this illustrates The Mountain feels "lesser" than Henson on the basis of his theory of "sexual polarity." "Sexual polarity" is the "foundation for sexual attraction." Rivelino believes "The feminine wants to lean into the masculine. She wants to enter his world, feel his strength, feel his protection & submit to his guidance."

The theory went viral thanks to many believing Rivelino was out of his gourd, and that one photograph where a man is leaning towards his romantic partner proves nothing about the health of their relationship. In fact, it was so ridiculous to many that it became an instant meme, and the parodies soon followed.

How Has The Green Line Test Evolved?

Incredibly, the "green line test" wasn't just a one-week meme like so many hot takes that entertain Twitter for a week. Instead, it endured, thanks in no small part to the mystery of Rivelino himself, who struck many as ridiculous to the point of parody. His continued insistence on the veracity of the green line test kept the meme alive because while many thought he was doing a bit, he never dropped character.

His timeline remained a source for similar helpfully illustrated analysis of photographs of celebrities that, in his mind, proved who was the "alpha" in their relationships. He later added to his incredible repertoire of meme-y diagrams with his c*ck confidence/c*ck shame theory, made similarly legendary with yet another green diagram.

In 2022, the green line test found a new home on TikTok, where users began parodying it with analysis of Kim Kardashian and Pete Davidson.

What Are Rivelino's Most Viral Green Line Projects?

One of Rivelino's most viral analyses was conducted after Jonah Hill's relationship with Sarah Brady, his surfer ex-girlfriend, was thrown into controversy. Rivelino drew his green lines not just on Hill and Brady, but also on their pet dog.

Rivelino describes Hill's posture as "off-balanced," alleges that he is portraying "hand shame," and even goes on to say that the dog is the only character in the photo embodying "perfect alpha posture."

As for whether or not the green line test has any merit, many think it's a load of bunk. The popular opinion is that the angles of two people in a single photograph offer little insight into their relationship dynamic, but the fact that someone apparently deeply believes it does makes it ripe for parody.

For more information, check out the Know Your Meme entries for the green line test and Rivelino the artist.