By Ava Umpierre ’27
Clavicular, an internet personality who promotes questionable ways of improving men’s physical appearance, also known as “looksmaxxing,” was brutally frame-mogged by an Arizona State University frat leader. Clavicular getting mogged left a rapture of shock and disdain across the internet. The incident is ironic because Clavicular’s arrogant, vain and narcissistic personality is shattered in just one clip on the internet. Many believe the hate and mocking of Clavicular is necessary, while others believe it is redundant. But while the argument circulates on the internet, it is clear he had it coming, so why not poke fun at his insolent attitude? Though having a good laugh on the internet is great once in a while, this stems from an unhealthy attachment to one’s looks and immense insecurities. “Looksmaxxing” has done irreparable damage to the internet and young teens’ well-being, and it must be resolved sooner or later.
What many do not know is that the term “mog”/“mogging” was introduced in the mid-2010s on bodybuilding forums, where it meant having a better physique than someone else. But in the early 2020s, the term was coined by “looksmaxxers,” meaning more attractive than someone else overall. This is known as a retronym: “A new term created from an existing word in order to distinguish it from the meaning.”
Looksmaxxers were developed by TikTok boys who wanted to find “scientific” ways of beauty (which do not correlate) to look better than others and to put others down. A scale was created using derogatory terms to label how attractive you are, further pushing insecurities onto teens on TikTok. It also doesn’t help that people in the looksmaxxing community, who are mostly teens, look to adults like Clavicular, who promote looksmaxxing with drugs, disordered eating, damaging idealizations, etc. These looksmaxxing pillars, like Clavicular, also promote extreme misogyny carelessly. This is what is being passed on to the new generation, mostly men and some women, today. It is clear that there are many problems with “looksmaxxing” as a whole, but does it have the same negative effects when used in a joking manner?
People on social media turned Clavicular being “frame-mogged” into a big deal simply because it’s not. It’s refreshing to see people starting to wake up to the looksmaxxing standards and realize it isn’t that serious. People on social media turned looksmaxxers’ hateful and critical rhetoric against them by making fun of Clavicular for being “frame-mogged,” which means another’s body looks better than his. As the next generation to be adults and influence younger generations to come, this is one of the most unhealthy cycles and ideals we must get rid of.
The Raider Press 