Injections, Bone Hammering and the Pursuit of Peak Male Beauty
The Daily
If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve probably come across a video of a young, square-jawed influencer calling himself Clavicular. He has become the face of an internet subculture called looksmaxxing, in which men do almost anything — like taking steroids and hormones or bashing their jaws with a hammer — to try to become more handsome.
In this episode, Natalie Kitroeff talks with reporter Joseph Bernstein about the world of looksmaxxing and how what might seem like a fringe phenomenon is actually the culmination of a digital culture that rewards physical perfection with status and algorithmic power.
On Today’s Episode
Joseph Bernstein covers digital subcultures for the Styles desk at The New York Times.
Background Reading
Young Men Seek Answers to an Age-Old Question: How to Be Hot
The Suffix That Tells Us to Ruthlessly Optimize Everything
Photo Credit: Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?sou.... For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Raw Description
<p>If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve probably come across a video of a young, square-jawed influencer calling himself Clavicular. He has become the face of an internet subculture called looksmaxxing, in which men do almost anything — like taking steroids and hormones or bashing their jaws with a hammer — to try to become more handsome.</p> <p>In this episode, Natalie Kitroeff talks with reporter Joseph Bernstein about the world of looksmaxxing and how what might seem like a fringe phenomenon is actually the culmination of a digital culture that rewards physical perfection with status and algorithmic power.</p> <p><strong>On Today’s Episode</strong></p> <p><strong>Joseph Bernstein</strong> covers digital subcultures for the Styles desk at The New York Times.</p> <p><strong>Background Reading</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/style/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Handsome at Any Cost</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/06/style/looksmaxxing-tik-tok-dillon-latham.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young Men Seek Answers to an Age-Old Question: How to Be Hot</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/magazine/on-language-maxxing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Suffix That Tells Us to Ruthlessly Optimize Everything</a><br><br> Photo Credit: Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>
Show Notes
If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve probably come across a video of a young, square-jawed influencer calling himself Clavicular. He has become the face of an internet subculture called looksmaxxing, in which men do almost anything — like taking steroids and hormones or bashing their jaws with a hammer — to try to become more handsome.
In this episode, Natalie Kitroeff talks with reporter Joseph Bernstein about the world of looksmaxxing and how what might seem like a fringe phenomenon is actually the culmination of a digital culture that rewards physical perfection with status and algorithmic power.
On Today’s Episode
Joseph Bernstein covers digital subcultures for the Styles desk at The New York Times.
Background Reading
Young Men Seek Answers to an Age-Old Question: How to Be Hot
The Suffix That Tells Us to Ruthlessly Optimize Everything
Photo Credit: Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times
Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?sou.... For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Raw Description
<p>If you’ve spent any time on social media recently, you’ve probably come across a video of a young, square-jawed influencer calling himself Clavicular. He has become the face of an internet subculture called looksmaxxing, in which men do almost anything — like taking steroids and hormones or bashing their jaws with a hammer — to try to become more handsome.</p> <p>In this episode, Natalie Kitroeff talks with reporter Joseph Bernstein about the world of looksmaxxing and how what might seem like a fringe phenomenon is actually the culmination of a digital culture that rewards physical perfection with status and algorithmic power.</p> <p><strong>On Today’s Episode</strong></p> <p><strong>Joseph Bernstein</strong> covers digital subcultures for the Styles desk at The New York Times.</p> <p><strong>Background Reading</strong></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/13/style/clavicular-looksmaxxing-braden-peters.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Handsome at Any Cost</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/06/style/looksmaxxing-tik-tok-dillon-latham.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Young Men Seek Answers to an Age-Old Question: How to Be Hot</a></p> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/11/magazine/on-language-maxxing.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Suffix That Tells Us to Ruthlessly Optimize Everything</a><br><br> Photo Credit: Cassidy Araiza for The New York Times</p> <p><p>Subscribe today at <a href="http://nytimes.com/podcasts">nytimes.com/podcasts</a> or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher">https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher</a>. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.</p></p><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>