The Digital Dehumanization: Unpacking Clavicular’s ‘Looksmaxxing’ Culture and Online Misogyny

The Digital Dehumanization: Unpacking Clavicular’s ‘Looksmaxxing’ Culture and Online Misogyny

In the sprawling, often unregulated landscape of online content, certain figures rise to prominence by pushing boundaries, sometimes with alarming consequences. One such figure is Braden Peters, better known as Clavicular, a 20-year-old influencer whose content, initially centered on physical self-improvement, has increasingly veered into the realm of misogyny and the public humiliation of women.

Viewers might first encounter Clavicular through clips showcasing his sculpted jawline or his numerous cosmetic procedures. However, delve deeper, and you’re likely to find him dissecting women’s appearances, speculating on their sexual availability, and reducing both men and women to simplistic categories within a self-devised online hierarchy of attractiveness. This content, presented as entertainment, often carries significant and lasting repercussions for the women featured.

The Rise of a Controversial Figure

Peters gained notoriety through his “looksmaxxing” content, an online trend focused on optimizing one’s physical attractiveness. His livestreams, primarily on Kick, frequently feature him comparing his own appearance to other men’s and, more controversially, rating women’s looks. Despite his original YouTube channel being banned in November 2025, and two subsequent replacement channels also removed, Clavicular remains a highly recognizable figure in an internet subculture where physical appearance dictates status and worth.

Allegations and Legal Ramifications

The controversy surrounding Peters has escalated beyond his online rhetoric. He currently faces serious criminal charges in Massachusetts, stemming from an alleged assault involving a 17-year-old girl in May 2025. These charges include rape, administering a substance for sexual intercourse, and procuring alcohol for a minor. Peters, through his lawyer Jeff Neiman, maintains his innocence, with his arraignment scheduled for October 14.

A Culture of Dehumanization

Even as legal proceedings unfold, Peters’s public discourse regarding women remains a stark display for all to see. He is a prominent example within a broader online culture where the denigration of women can paradoxically fuel audience growth. Before the criminal charges made headlines, Peters had already drawn considerable criticism for his interactions with his nearly 3 million followers across various platforms.

He frequently employs dehumanizing terms like “foids” (short for “femoid” or “female android”) and champions “blackpill” ideology, which posits that women exclusively choose partners based on physical attractiveness. In his online academy, women are referred to as “targets” and “slayables,” transforming dating into a game of conquest where women are objects to be won, rather than individuals with their own preferences and boundaries.

Contentious Interactions and Public Scrutiny

Much of Peters’s streaming content originates from parties and clubs, where his interactions with young women become part of the “entertainment.” Clips show him taking women’s faces in his hands for analysis, even telling one girl, “I’m not done looking at you!” as she attempted to turn away. During a summer trip to Israel, another incident sparked outrage when he refused to speak to a girl unless she was interested in sexual activity, stating, “Just tell the girls I’m looking to have sex in a bathroom.”

His practice of “face rating” extends to appearances on other creators’ shows. In a livestream with Adin Ross, Peters rated Adam22’s wife a 5.5 on his attractiveness scale. When pressed on celebrity examples, he dismissed Sydney Sweeney as “ugly” due to her facial features, attributing her appeal primarily to her breasts, and described Victoria’s Secret models as the “highest echelon of women” for a 9.5 rating.

Defiance and Broader Implications

Peters has consistently defended his rhetoric. In a February interview with Piers Morgan, he countered accusations of misogyny by arguing that women are “the most f***ing brutal gender,” citing their alleged refusal to acknowledge men under six feet tall as fully human.

Liz Roberts, CEO of victim services organization Safe Horizon, underscores the gravity of this trend: “Clavicular and many other streamers have built an audience by demeaning and humiliating women, including using dehumanizing language to talk about them. Misogyny is finding new audiences online, where old ideas about women, gender, and power are being repackaged as entertainment for a new generation.”

Peters is not an isolated case. Other creators like Fresh & Fit co-host Myron Gaines, who advocates for men to be “dictators” in relationships, and Andrew Tate, facing rape and human trafficking charges, who claims a woman’s body “belongs” to her male partner, exemplify this disturbing pattern. Even far-right livestreamer Nick Fuentes’s post “Your body, my choice. Forever” after the 2024 election highlights the pervasive nature of such sentiments. These concerns extend far beyond prominent figures, permeating less visible corners of the streaming world, signaling a troubling normalization of misogyny in digital spaces.

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