Since The Boys Season 4 Episode 6 premiered, viewers have been wondering what the meaning behind Tek Knight’s Santorum reference is. After Hughie (Jack Quaid) breaks into Tek Knight’s mansion wearing Webweaver’s costume, Tek Knight (Derek Wilson) guides him to the Tek Cave, which turns out to be a BDSM sex dungeon. Tek Knight introduces Hughie/Webweaver to Elijah, who raised him since childhood. One moment, Tek Knight almost lovingly refers to Elijah as a father figure in his life, the next he snaps at the man for not cleaning “all the santorum off the gibbet cage.”
Here’s what Tek Knight meant when he said santorum.
What is the meaning of Santorum in The Boys Season 4 Episode 6?
Santorum is an ironic slang term that refers to “a mixture of lube and fecal matter that can result from anal sex,” according to Dictionary.com.
As per ABC News, in an April 2003 interview with Associate Press, Conservative politician and then-US senator Rick Santorum said that in his knowledge, the definition of marriage in every society had not “ever, to my knowledge, included homosexuality.” He added, “That’s not to pick on homosexuality. It’s not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing.”
The comment drew severe criticism, with many claiming that Santorum effectively stated that all these acts were morally comparable. In May 2003, LGBT community activist and columnist Dan Savage launched a contest in which he asked his readers to define Santorum. By May 29, over 3,000 suggestions arrived, and the above-mentioned phrase was ultimately selected. Alternatively, Santorum, a surname of Italian origin, reportedly derives from the word sanctorum, which means holy, as per HouseOfNames.
Given the context that Tek Knight uses santorum in The Boys Season 4 Episode 6, we can safely say that he meant it in an ironic way.
