In recent years, online subcultures have turned from a corner of the Internet to large communities that produce lifestyle-influencing content, shaping how male children and teens view themselves, women, and the world around them. Among this content, black-pill culture has emerged as one of the hottest (and most dangerous) topics, centered around nihilistic views on dating, self-worth, and physical perception. The current figure at the forefront of the black-pill movement? 20-year-old “looksmaxxing” streamer Braden Peters, better known by his internet alias, Clavicular. Clav’s content, which includes extreme advice on improving your body and face, such as abusing anabolic steroids from a young age and creating a more chiseled face by “bone smashing,” has gained him thousands of followers across multiple platforms. Although his persona has been memefied by many across Tiktok, the ideas he promotes have real consequences for his young audiences watching this content.
The “black-pill” philosophy’s main idea states that genetics and looks are the main factors that determine your romantic success. Black-pill followers believe that no amount of self-improvement, personality development, or charisma can ever break this curse, fostering hopelessness, resentment, and even violence towards women and society. Despite some perceiving it as harmless humor, this ideology has been linked to mental health issues among young men, such as social isolation and loneliness. What makes this ideology so dangerous is how easily it can be mistaken for realism. In online forums, black pill rhetoric is often framed as simply recognizing a “hard truth” about attraction, which can make it especially convincing to young, insecure teens in a tumultuous period of life. It doesn’t help you “ascend,” as looksmaxxers are calling it; it offers a fatalistic view on society: you either have the traits for love or you don’t, and if the latter is true, it’s best to quit while you’re ahead. This mindset leaves no room for growth, turning normal rejection into supposed proof that one’s future is already decided.
This is where concepts like “looksmaxxing” and creators like Clavicular come into play. At first glance, looksmaxxing appears to contradict black-pill ideas, encouraging people to improve themselves, but in reality, it is used as a desperate attempt to make up for perceived genetic flaws. In Clav’s streams, his looks and masculinity are described as the only reasons for his social status and excessive female attention, leading young men to think that in order for girls to like them, they need to push themselves to the absolute extreme.
It is also important to note that Clavicular’s content does not necessarily reflect his lived experiences. While his streams often talk about ideas of what it means to be a man, his journey with ascending, and his sexual success as a result of it, the truth is more nuanced. Clavicular began hormone therapy at the age of 14, injecting testosterone supplements into his skin in middle school. Along with admitting to using methamphetamine to stay “lean,” these drugs have rendered him infertile, contrasting sharply with the nature of the persona he projects online.
Ultimately, the rise of Clavicular and the increase in popularity of similar online media personas depict more than a simple interest in improving oneself; they are evidence of an increasing presence of the black-pill ideology among today’s youth. Although Clavicular mixes satire, comedy, and exaggerated acting within his streams, the underlying themes of his content can result in serious negative mental and physical health impacts, as well as extremely skewed perceptions of relationships and women.
As digital influencers wield unprecedented power over many young people’s ideas and actions, confronting the real-world impact of online subcultures is no longer optional—it is necessary.
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