Looksmaxxing, Clavicular & Mogging, Explained

Looksmaxxing, Clavicular & Mogging, Explained

From Shit You Should Care About by Shit You Should Care About

March 17, 2026 · 28 min

About this episode

This episode explores the looksmaxxing movement and its implications on male attractiveness and social dynamics.

From  mewing  to  bone smashing  to ranking people on something called the “sexual market value scale”, the internet has invented a whole new language around male attractiveness. It’s called  looksmaxxing  - a movement that started on incel forums and has since gone mainstream on TikTok. The idea is simple: if you can optimise your looks, you can optimise your life. In this episode Luce and Abby break down the world of looksmaxxing, the bizarre glossary that comes with it, and the rise of one of its most controversial figures: a teenage streamer known as  Clavicular , who built an audience teaching other men how to “maxx” their appearance. We also talk about the strange irony at the heart of the movement - a culture obsessed with competing for women’s attention that has become almost entirely focused on judging other men. Articles mentioned: The New York Times article The New Yorker article Listen on Spotify here! Listen on Apple here! Watch on YouTube here! Subscribe to the Shit You Should Care About newsletter here! Join our Book Club here! Buy Make It Make Sense here! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Hosts: Luce, Abby

Topics covered

  • looksmaxxing
  • male attractiveness
  • incel forums
  • social media
  • self-improvement

Keywords

  • looksmaxxing
  • Clavicular
  • sexual market value
  • male attractiveness
  • incel forums
  • TikTok
  • self-optimization

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The New York Times, The New Yorker, TikTok

More episodes of Shit You Should Care About

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Shit You Should Care About podcast page.