Looksmaxxing & The Cycle of Misogyny
Are men dealing with the self-imposed ramifications of the expectations they have placed on women for centuries?
Dipping my toes into the infamous “manosphere” was not on my to-do list, but I watched this video on looksmaxxing by Nikki Carreon… So, I obviously went down the rancid rabbit hole where the incels live.
Urban Dictionary defines looksmaxxing as “The process of making yourself better commonly used by incels.” It turns out that looksmaxxing is a more complex topic than I initially thought. Let’s get into it!
The Origins:
If you’ve scrolled through Tiktok, you have probably seen a video about, or critiquing, looksmaxxing. This “trend” on the surface seems innocent enough, right? Just basic hygiene and routines women have followed for their entire lives. Unfortunately, looksmaxxing has pretty sinister beginnings.
The term “looksmaxxing” originated on incel message boards (lookism.net, incels.me, omega virgin revolt) by men who felt they weren’t in relationships because they were too unattractive for women to be interested in them. It couldn’t be their general hatred for women, could it? Of course not!
A lot of these discussions derive from black pillers (red pillers but worse) who feel the system has failed them. They use the term “lookism” to discriminate against people they deem too beautiful or too ugly. The men in these forums hate conventionally attractive men, yet they strive to be like them. The standards they are setting for themselves are to seem attractive to their male counterparts… not women.
Types of Looksmaxxing:
Surprising to no one… Incels took looksmaxxing to the extreme. So now we need to break down the categories.
This is the beauty hierarchy of needs. I can’t find who created this, but it is modeled after Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.
*Quick disclaimer* I do not believe that every man who participates in these practices is an incel. I think some of the aspects of softmaxxing are generally good for men. But maybe come up with a new name? Not everything has to be maxxed, fellas!
Softmaxxing:
Softmaxxing is the most common type of looksmaxxing that you will see among young men on social media. It covers the bottom two, and some of the third, sections of the pyramid.
Softmaxxers work out regularly, have a strict diet, and incorporate beauty routines into their daily lives. Online you see men washing their faces and wearing sunscreen calling it softmaxxing.
Another aspect of softmaxxing is mewing. The creator of mewing is a disaster himself, but that’s a topic for another day. Mewing is used in an attempt to define your jaw without cosmetic surgery. Maxxers (I guess?) obsess over the definition of their jawlines.
If it ended here, I’d be fine with it because at least they’re practicing basic hygiene.
Hardmaxxing:
As the name implies, hardmaxxing is the more extreme version of looksmaxxing and covers the entirety of the pyramid. This is where things get… interesting.
Hardmaxxers get surgery, implants, starve themselves, whiten their skin, withhold sexual release in an attempt to increase testosterone, and even break their bones with a hammer to try to reshape their face. Bone-smashing is more of a joke within the community, but some people have taken it that far.
Men in these forums rate people to assess their “sexual market value.” They hyperfocus on specific facial features like 1/3 facial proportions, jaw lines, and hunter eyes. Hunter eyes are eyes with a positive canthal tilt. These features are seen as a status symbol within the incel community, and anyone who doesn’t fit the criteria is deemed inferior.
If a man is not seen as attractive enough, they will be harassed and encouraged to commit suicide. A lot of these men are in these forums because they have very little self-esteem. They’re easily persuaded and increasingly vulnerable to falling down the alt-right pipeline.
Social media:
Looksmaxxing has become mainstream because of social media. Men looking for ways to improve their appearance usually start by looking up things like diets, workouts, or skincare routines. And it’s pretty easy for them to stumble across videos like this. You have an attractive man telling you that if you follow the steps in the video it will take you from a 4/10 to an 8/10. This video is relatively innocent in the sense that it is pretty much proposing basic hygiene and exercise… Except for that comment about bald men going to Turkey for hair implants.
There are thousands of videos teaching men how to mew, how to style their hair, and the ideal skincare routine. They have all mapped out the optimal diet and exercise programs for themselves. But what happens when average men take things a little further than just basic care for one’s self?
Alt-right pipeline:
With the rise of the manosphere, it is easier for men to fall into the alt-right pipeline than ever before. It can truly start with something as innocent as looking up a workout routine. A lot of these “gym bros” preach about masculinity, and unfortunately, that sends them to the anti-feminist content. Next thing we know they’re starting to believe in white supremacist ideologies.
They position themselves in an echo chamber of men who boast these toxic beliefs. The loneliness epidemic has driven men to find community among people desperate to belong to something bigger than themselves. Once you are in the pipeline, it is virtually impossible to escape.
This is a topic I will probably cover more in-depth soon. This is a very condensed summary.
Misogyny:
Is looksmaxxing a symptom of misogyny? Well, yes.
Women have spent forever appeasing men and following beauty trends. These trends change so often that it’s hard to keep up. But one thing is for sure… skinny is in! With the early 2000s renaissance, we’ve seen juicy tracksuits and heroin chic coming back in style. We’re also seeing women have their BBLs removed. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that these two things are happening simultaneously.
Women have been “looksmaxxing” for centuries because it is expected of them. Men expect women to always be clean and put together. They want them thin and submissive so they can control them. This could explain why we are seeing a rise in tradwife content.
Conclusion:
If you know a man who is into looksmaxxing, please pay attention to make sure they don’t go the extreme route. Most people consuming this content are young and easily influenced. The perpetuation of misogyny within this “trend” can only get worse if the general public is unaware of where this originated.
Also, men please take care of yourselves. I encourage you to find a beauty and fitness routine that works for you. You deserve to feel good about yourself.
Thank you for reading my first real blog post!! I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. If there is anything you would like me to dive deeper on, please let me know!
