Subhuman or Chad: the Plight of Young Men
- 7 hours ago
- 4 min read
A thought on the online echo chamber of men who compete to out-bully each other.
Written by Kylee Herrick
Beauty standards are one of many man-made concerns that have tormented the self-esteem of humanity, with the increasing influence of online spaces further fueling the intensity of bullying and exclusion.
Cisgender men have remained relatively safe from the crushing pressure of weight loss, plastic surgery and fashion advertising that deliberately target female-presenting and nonwhite persons. They have been protected by their own determined privilege.
Perhaps the lack of oppression has gotten to their heads.
A multitude of these men, armed with an undeterred confidence and a garish podcast studio, have begun to rapidly spread harmful rhetoric about how a man should look and act – unsurprisingly taken from Western, heteronormative principles.
The online circle formed by these online personas has coined the term “looksmaxxing” to refer to the intense routines required to achieve the hypermasculine, chiseled appearance they desperately chase like dogs. It spawned from early internet incel (involuntarily celibate) forums that thrived on misogyny and homophobia in an unrestricted cyberspace.
Looksmaxxing has recently seen a resurgence on mainstream social media platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram, targeting teenage boys and their insecurities. Rather than harmless self-care, the steps taken to achieve a proper “transformation” lean into dangerous pseudoscience.
Mewing is a looksmaxxing practice in which the jaw muscles are engaged through a tongue exercise. It is believed that repeating the exercise will create a sharp jawline, though it is widely considered a myth by healthcare professionals.
“The public needs to be made aware that it is not based on sound scientific evidence that would make it a viable alternative treatment to orthognathic surgery,” said Urie K. Lee (DDS), Lindsay L. Graves (DDS) and Arthur H. Friedlander (DMD) in the Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.
Mewing devolves into bonesmashing, with men convinced that blunt force applied to the jaw and cheekbones will heal the face in positions that align with their standard of beauty.
It is a strange time to be a man. In the 21st century, it is distressingly easy for some to fall into the pipeline of looksmaxxing chauvinists. This can be seen in many young men living in the United States – the current political landscape serves as the ideal climate for their hateful ideology.
For Casey Meyers, a Kent State University aeronautics engineering student and gym regular, the line is drawn when mental health is sacrificed for the prospect of a “six-pack and bursting vascularity.”
He notes that many male online influencers encouraging such an unattainable physique fail to admit their use of steroids and additional supplements.
“Most engagement I’ve had was with Liverking [a looksmaxxing content creator] who pushed an ideology of eating completely raw meat and organs from animals, saying it gets you the most nutrients and that it’s manly to do that,” Meyers said. “But he got busted a few months out for being on [steroids], apologizing and saying it was a character to promote masculinity in young men.”
The faults lie in the innate deception of social media. Short-form videos act as a 10-second performance, disguising the ugly behind sirloins and fitness scams.
“The whole purpose of their account is to look perfect, to look objectively attractive,” said David Scott, a sophomore Cleveland State film and media arts student.
An audience cannot recognize the inhuman – and borderline alien – facade that they are comparing themselves to.
Scott and Meyers come from contrasting backgrounds, interacting with the turbulent waters of the looksmaxxing communities at varying depths.
“I grew up on the internet for sure, but there were a lot of different alternative creators like Dan and Phil or Markiplier,” Scott said. “They always advocate for healthy masculinity.”
He views toxic masculine content through a lens of comedic absurdity, not to be taken seriously. Self-expression is encouraged rather than ignored, giving way for gender non-conforming styles of fashion and beauty seen in alternative subcultures that reject traditionalism.
Meyers narrowly avoided the “manosphere” era of the internet – an umbrella term used to describe looksmaxxing and other malignant male subcultures. He reflected on his childhood, noting that frequent bullying from peers produced a negative mindset that, if exposed to looksmaxxing influencers, would be detrimental to his upbringing as a fitness proponent.
Both men agree that self-expression has simultaneously become more and less difficult.
"It’s gotten easier to express yourself,” Scott said. “But it's gotten more confusing.”
Explaining why looksmaxxing has seen a sharp rise in popularity requires taking a step back to analyze patriarchal dogma and how psychological rewiring has shaped the role of cisgender men.
Olivia Pethtel, Ph.D., a CSU assistant psychology lecturer, attributes the recent influx of sexism to a “gender fatigue” that opposes media focusing on issues regarding gender. The term “fatigue” is used to undermine blatant misogyny.
“Some people, particularly young men, are tired of hearing about gender issues,” Pethtel said. “They dismiss efforts of achieving gender equality under the notion that equality has already been achieved, which is just another way of discrediting women.”
Pethtel elaborated further, stating that gender equality is a threat to men who desire to view themselves as victims in modern society, living under a false belief that “gender equality takes away from men’s rights.”
An increase in male loneliness preys on vulnerable minds. Young, self-victimized men are actively turning to the internet for community, falling into the rabbit hole of influencers who take advantage of their insecurities.
Content creators and podcasters like Andrew Tate, who is infamous for his outlandish perspectives on manhood, advance misogynistic and sexist attitudes.
“[They] promote misogyny and the belief that sexism is inherently human,” Pethel said. “[Tate] is basically saying that toxic masculinity is part of human nature, but at the same time, he is nurturing toxic masculinity in his followers.”
According to Pethtel, interaction with “manosphere” content, especially looksmaxxing, can deteriorate a man’s mental state to the point of developing psychological disorders like body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). So-called “flaws” and “defects” are amplified within the mind of the recipient, causing severe anguish and self-consciousness.
Looksmaxxing emerges as the solution, offering the promise of control while destroying the minds of men who chase it. It exploits the fragility of masculinity in developing boys and unconfident men beyond the barrier of return.
Lee, U. K., L. L. Graves and A. H. Friedlander. 2019. “Mewing: Social Media’s Alternative to
Orthognathic Surgery?” Journal of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery 77, no. 9: 1743–1744.