Stop asking Jason Ritter if he can fight! He can!
*Punches the air*
Actor Jason Ritter, husband of Yellowjackets’ own Melanie Lynskey, took to social media on Monday, March 3, to officially respond to fans of his wife asking “if he can fight” upon seeing photos of her stunning at the 2025 Vanity Fair Oscar Party. (That’s what we would write if this were even a little bit serious and not the funniest thing the Matlock star and theme enthusiast could have possibly done, I promise.)
Anyone who has seen his social media knows Ritter is a goofball. If he’s not dancing to the Matlock theme, he’s doing something equally silly. He also loves to hype up his wife.
Of course, Ritter would not only see people posting “Can Jason Ritter fight” above pictures of Lynskey on X but respond without calling out any particular user. Of course, he would take time during his post-Oscar Monday morning to film a video of him fighting the air. And, of course, he set the video to generic but kick*ss music with the caption “‘You can fight, but can you win?’ Why don’t you be the judge.”
Ritter & Lynskey have been a power couple for over a decade. They got engaged in 2017 after dating for a handful of years, married in 2020, and have a daughter together. They also have a small orange cat named Donut who is, and don’t you forget it, Ritter’s son.
On TikTok, Ritter captioned the fighting video with this:
Not ONLY can I fight but I can also make you look at this ROOM and appreciate the MAGIC of a person who is SO kind and wonderful AND does NOT have the bad habit of CAPITALIZING random words in the middle OF a sentence for emPHASis. She doesn’t really watch TikTok but I pass along your messages to her and we both appreciate.
“Melanie would like everyone to know there is no rug in the room yet, but that is a part of her evil master plan to make the world more beautiful in any and every way she can,” Ritter further clarified in a comment on TikTok. Glad they cleared that up.
The “can [insert name/pronoun here] fight” meme is playful!
Ritter’s TikTok is one of the best places on the internet. This is how all celebrities should be on social media, as long as they’re up for it. He’s engaging with thirsty fans and not making it weird. Everyone is in on this joke together. At the end of the day, this meme, unlike many other memes, does not have ill intent.
Allow me to be a little academic about an unserious thing. It’s a way to take ownership of a misogynistic practice (fighting a man for possession of a woman and/or defending her honor) and flip it into something that celebrates women. A cursory search reveals that this trend/meme appears to have started with Swifties asking if Joe Alwyn can fight, but it may have been around earlier—that might just be the most popular example. Don’t quote me on it, but good job, meme!
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
