What is looksmaxxing and its history

From mewing to bone smashing to ranking people on something called the “sexual market value scale”, the internet has invented a whole new language around male attractiveness. It’s called looksmaxxing - a movement that started on incel forums and has since gone mainstream on TikTok. The idea is simple: if you can optimise your looks, you can optimise your life.

In this episode Luce and Abby break down the world of looksmaxxing, the bizarre glossary that comes with it, and the rise of one of its most controversial figures: a teenage streamer known as Clavicular, who built an audience teaching other men how to “maxx” their appearance.

We also talk about the strange irony at the heart of the movement - a culture obsessed with competing for women’s attention that has become almost entirely focused on judging other men.

Articles mentioned:

The New York Times article

The New Yorker article

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