How neoliberal capitalism weaponizes body aesthetics to commodify masculinity and deepen social fragmentation
Original framing: “From gym to jawline: What looksmaxxing says about modern masculinity” — The Conversation - Global
The commodification of male bodies is not new; 19th-century physiognomy linked physical traits to moral character, justifying racial hierarchies and eugenics. Industrial capitalism in the early 20th century turned male bodies into labor machines, while post-WWII consumer culture shifted focus to 'consumer masculinity' (e.g., Marlboro Man). The 1980s fitness boom, fueled by Reaganomics and Thatcherism, tied body aesthetics to neoliberal self-reliance narratives. Social media algorithms in the 2010s amplified this by gamifying self-optimization, turning insecurity into a profitable cycle.
The looksmaxxing phenomenon is a symptom of neoliberal capitalism’s extraction of identity, where men are reduced to marketable assets in a status economy governed by social media algorithms and wellness industries.
Historically, this mirrors the 19th-century rise of physiognomy and eugenics, which tied physical traits to moral worth, but today’s iteration is turbocharged by surveillance capitalism and the gig economy’s precarity. Cross-culturally, it clashes with Indigenous and Global South masculinities that prioritize communal roles over individual aesthetics, revealing the colonial underpinnings of 'modern' masculinity. The solution lies not in individual 'self-improvement' but in dismantling the systems that manufacture insecurity—through decolonized education, algorithmic accountability, economic security, and community hubs. Actors like tech platforms, fitness corporations, and neoliberal policymakers must be held accountable, while marginalized voices (queer men, men of color, disabled men) must lead the redesign of masculinity. The future could see either a dystopian 'aesthetic arms race' or a renaissance of holistic, community-centered masculinities—depending on who controls the narrative and the levers of power.