Classic rom-coms always taught me your twenties are the best time of your life. You’re the hottest you’ll ever be, have a high metabolism and a youthful glow not yet stolen by the atrocities of the world.
When I was younger and imagining my twenties, I pictured revamping my life: I’d become the version of myself I dreamed of, and maybe meet my Matthew McConaughey while working for a magazine.
As I now watch those my age document their twenties, I realize maybe those dreams are more dangerous than I thought.
On Dec. 17, I will turn 21. So will Clavicular.
Braden Peters — known online as Clavicular — rose to fame in 2025 for his edgy humor and controversial methods on improving his appearance, called looksmaxxing. Originating in incel communities in the 2010s, looksmaxxing is the process of “maximizing” one’s physical attractiveness, often with extreme methods.
At 20 years old, Peters became the face of the movement that directly correlates physical attractiveness with social power. Like many with power, he can never have enough.
Some of Peters’ must-haves are a neutral canthal, otherwise known as an eye tilt, hollowed cheeks and a proper maxilla placement, which refers to the upper jaw.
As I watch him inject foreign substances into his crow’s feet and bang a hammer against his cheekbones, known as “bonesmashing,” I can’t help but ask: how did we get here?
Peters began by posting on looksmax.org — an online forum for users to rate each other’s appearances and give advice on how to improve themselves as a college student in 2024. Later that year, Peters was expelled from Sacred Heart University after users of the site reported him for hiding recreational testosterone in his dorm.
He turned to the live streaming site Kick to document his journey. At the end of 2025, Peters created an online academy to teach young men how to maximize their potential and “unlock the ascension method.”
The language he uses requires an obscene amount of screentime to understand, and with guests like Andrew Tate — a viral, controversial podcaster known for his misogynistic claims and alt-right conspiracies — the public can’t look away from Peters’ content.
What’s fascinating about Peters is that he appropriates practices followed by women for centuries. Applying eyeliner to his cheeks and jawline for a sculpted look as rebranded contour. He also endorses GLP-1s as socially acceptable “leanmaxxing.”
Peters didn’t reinvent the wheel. He amplified an ever-growing issue that was once female and is now unisex.
Herostratus syndrome — committing extreme acts for fame, notoriety and immortality — drives his consciousness with each action, aiming for more controversy, clips and views.
Peters claims politics is foolish while aligning himself with alt-right creators and dancing in Miami nightclubs to Kanye West’s “Heil Hitler.”
Last month, Peters began the first leg of his college tour in which he travels to universities to dance on a stage while young men and women fight for a selfie with “Clavicular.”
In a weird, twisted way, Peters is achieving his goal.
He hacked the game of beauty. He doesn’t have to “personality-max” when his looks seemingly get him everything he needs.
Tens of thousands of people tune in to his live streams of rating women. This disseminates incel language into our lexicon in an ironic tone that’s funny, until it’s not. TikTok edits of Clavicular to Lana Del Rey songs go viral as young girls insist they can “fix him” in the comment sections.
As Peters sneaks himself into clubs he’s too young to get into and walks New York Fashion Week in an outfit he can’t truly describe, he puts on a confident front that’s immediately betrayed by the insecurity in his eyes.
Clavicular is hot. Yet somehow, Peters doesn’t seem as happy as he dreamed he’d be.
Peters details how torturous his lifestyle is in podcast interviews, as if it’s some sacrifice he’s making to his community.
The line between laughing with him and laughing at him blurs as Peters becomes a jester for social media audiences to provoke and exploit. Few of his viewers seem to care about his well being, but marvel at the eccentric character he created.
I watch him sit on live streams mourning the version of himself months ago while his revolving chat laughs at his deteriorating form. His body sags, finally coming down from his four-day high of methamphetamine and cocaine.
Luckily, he didn’t overdose this time.
Last year, Peters admitted he was infertile due to substance abuse and accepted he will likely die before age 30. While his mortality will be tested in years to come, Peters’ story will forever be immortalized on the internet.
As I view Calvicular’s life through my phone screen, I can’t help but reflect on my own perception of attractiveness. Am I going to spend the rest of my life chasing the ever-moving finish line of beauty standards, or can I be content in the body I was born in?
I’d love to spend my twenties being hot, but I’d never die for it.
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