Looksmaxxing: When the quest for masculine perfection goes awry
What is it that drives men to extremes in search of physical perfection?
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
Braden Peters, also known as Clavicular, has gained notoriety for the extraordinary lengths to which he goes in pursuit of his idea of physical perfection.
PHOTO: CASSIDY ARAIZA/NYTIMES
What price physical perfection? Would you use a hammer to rap your cheek bones into shape, devour half a kilo of sugar every day, dope yourself with testosterone and a concoction of off-label and illicit drugs just to look good?
While much has been made of the extreme cosmetic measures undertaken by women for beauty’s sake, including rib removal for a slimmer waist, the recent trend of “looksmaxxing” is a male preoccupation. It has emerged from an obscure corner of the internet and has since spilled into mainstream youth culture, going viral across platforms such as TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
