“white knighting” is a stupid phrase that suggests the only reason to ever care about someone is in the hopes of bedding em

also “white knighting” a blanket excuse to ignore whatever a particular person says, whereas smarm is about rising above the discourse wholesale and objecting to its very existence, because it doesn’t look nice.  smarm seems to most often come from people with nothing to gain from the conversation (but possibly something to gain from silencing it).