Clavicular’s rise shows the manosphere is changing. His criminal charges raise new questions

Clavicular, the controversial streamer who rose from the corners of the internet to the mainstream advocating for extreme tactics to achieve physical attractiveness, now finds his internet fame spilling into the courtroom.

Braden Peters, better known for his online moniker, has been charged in Massachusetts court with rape, drugging a person for sex and providing alcohol to an underage person, court records show.

Peters, 20, has become the visible face of the "looksmaxxing" movement. He’s gone to extremes such as hitting himself in the face with a hammer so his bones supposedly grow back sharper and taking small amounts of methamphetamine in an attempt to suppress his appetite. Offshoots of the trend, which are associated with the "manosphere," have ventured into sexist, misogynistic and racist philosophies, while Peters himself has drawn criticism for using racial slurs during his streams.

The viral nature of his controversial soundbites and short-form content helped usher what was once a niche subculture on obscure Reddit forums into the mainstream on TikTok, Instagram and Kik, where he’s collectively amassed more than 2.7 million followers. Now, the turn in his trajectory offers a window into the pitfalls of a movement drawing young men online in droves.

"Looksmaxxing"…

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/life/