Hello and welcome to the Nice-ish Ramblings Podcast with me the Nice-ish Psychologist where once more I am flying solo. Hope you don’t mind my singular chats, but I am still experiencing some technical difficulties with this brand-new virtual podcast studio I bought – should have just fucking forked out for Zoom. But here we are. Anyway, today I want to talk about an interesting phenomenon that I've noticed on social media. More specifically a trend on TikTok. At least it is a trend I first became aware of on TikTok and have not seen on any other social media platform – yet.
But before we get into that, a request – normally made at the end, but I thought I might try it at the start and see if it has more impact. If you appreciate the show, please show some love by sharing it or rating it on whatever platform you are listening on. As I have said before, it really helps people know if this show is a pile of shit or worth listening to. Now that that awkwardness is out the way, on with the show.
So, I say this is an interesting topic, but it might only be interesting to me. But unfortunately, because I find it interesting you have to now listen to me talk about it…unless you want to exercise your free will and stop the episode now.
According to one Yahoo! News article (yes, you heard that correctly – Yahoo! News) it’s called the “Sigma Face” trend, which seems to have become such a huge trend that there is now a filter on TikTok that helps people do the trend more accurately. Let me explain (as best I can). The trend is to pull what’s become known as the sigma face, which is a re-enactment of a scene from the film American Psycho, in which Christian Bale, who plays the main character, Patrick Bateman, pulls a series of facial expressions in response to things being said to him by a friend he is having dinner with. First, he pursues his lips and furrows his brow, before giving an affable smile and chuckle. The aim of trend is to pull of these facial expression as seamlessly and as precisely as Christian Bale does in the film. Not sure what I’m talking about? Not to worry, there’s a tutorial video on TiKTok with 1.7 million likes that I will link in the show notes in case you want to go and see for yourself.
So, how popular is the trend? Well, the same Yahoo! News article which was written earlier this month – on the off chance someone is listening to this in the future, that’s 7th of February 2023 – reports that the #patrickbatemen hashtag has received 5.5 billion views on TikTok, the #sigmaface hashtag has over 132 million views, and the #sigmalmale hashtag has nearly 4.5 billion views. It’s fair to say it’s a pretty popular trend at the moment. Not only that, but if you look it on YouTube, there are just loads of videos about the sigma male. With such titles as: “Dark Side of Sigma Males” (released 2 days ago with 11,000 views); “The Sigma Stare” (released 2 weeks ago with 107,000 views), “What is a Sigma Male?” (released 8 days ago with 22,000 views); “How Sigma Males Approach Women” (released a year ago with 214,000 views); “Why Sigma Males Have No Friends” (released two months ago with 568,000 views); and “Why Sigma Males are the Most Dangerous Breed” (released five months ago, with 677,000 views). You get the picture.
So, what’s the fuss, right? It’s just some facial expressions. No big deal.
And on the face of it, I would agree. But there are two things of note – and I will say of note as to say I am concerned about it might seem like I am making a big deal out of nothing. So, the first thing to note is that this trend seems to glorify the sigma male. According to one YouTube video, there has been a rise in poking fun at the sigma male, which might account for the popularity of the trend. But at the same time, it also makes me wonder how many people know what the sigma male is. And the second thing of note is that the poster boy sigma male is the character of Patrick Bateman… the main character in a film called (just in case you didn’t catch it the first time) American Psycho. To articulate why both components of this trend give me some pause, it might be worth looking at each component separately and then together. And again, I might be concerned, but that doesn’t mean that after listening to this you will be concerned. This is just me putting some thoughts out into the world.
So, let’s start with the sigma male. What is one of these very specific kinds of males? Well, it would make complete sense if you have never heard of a sigma male. But at the same time, if you are familiar with either the manosphere, gym bro culture, or the idea of alpha and beta males then you might have heard of the sigma male.
But, for the uninformed a sigma male is one of six male personality types that forms part of what is known as – and please, let’s keep an open mind ok; I expect nothing but complete and utter respect, and mature responses only to this – the “socio-sexual hierarchy”. That’s right, the completely real, not at all made up, completely backed up by years of scientific data and research, socio-sexual hierarchy. This wonderful fabrication of pseudo-scientific bullshit was created by Theodore Robert Beale, who at the time was known as Vox Day. The introduction to Beale’s Wikipedia page has this to say about him: “Vox Day, is an American far-right activist, writer, publisher, and video game designer. He has been described as a white supremacist, a misogynist, and part of the alt-right. The Wall Street Journal described him as ‘the most despised man in science fiction.’” Beale once had a blog, but I have no idea what the blog was about. I will be honest, there is very little about Beale on the internet, and it seems that his blog has since been deleted. However, it seems that in the 2010s one of the things Beale liked to talk about on this now deleted blog was the hierarchies of men based on the Greek alphabet. All of which, I’m going to say, is potentially based on the now debunked theory of the alpha male wolf pack leader myth (which is a story for another day).
And the hierarchy is as follows. And don’t worry – I have linked an article in at this section of the transcript which you can go and read in more depth if you’re so inclined, but I'm going to read verbatim from parts of the article anyway.
Starting from the supposed bottom of this ridiculous hierarchy are the Omegas, who are allegedly the polar opposite of alphas. Omegas are social outcasts. Mostly nerds, they are described as needy, clingy, and avoided by everyone. Being undesirable and damaged, these “social rejects” fail to attract women.
Then we have the Gammas. They are apparently “unattractive, bitter and introspective”. Confused with the hierarchy, they fail to follow social rules. Unsuccessful in attracting women and tend to be obsessive lovers, stalkers and narcissists.
Following this we have Deltas who are classed as the average normal guy. They are hard workers who lack drive and ambition and struggle with attracting women. They are societies worker drones who don’t believe in self-improvement.
Then we have my personal favourite, the Beta males, who are described as followers of the Alpha. Betas play safe and avoid risks. They lack self-esteem and confidence. Betas worship women and blindly obey orders. They are reserved and idealistic.
Then right at the top we have the Alphas who are described as confident, dominant, charismatic, and natural leaders. Highly attractive to women, Alphas are extrovert and highly successful in their careers. They thrive on challenges. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that Beale probably considered himself an Alpha.
And then finally we have what you have all been waiting for: the Sigma male. They are described as the introverted Alphas. Sigmas are confident lone wolves who do not seek social attention. They are immensely confident and highly attractive to women as they are mysterious and charismatic.
So then, apparently sigmas males are almost equal on terms with alphas in this horse-shit socio-sexual hierarchy, but don’t play by the rules of the hierarchy (cos, again, there is no real hierarchy to play by if you really think about it – there is only a hierarchy if you believe there is a hierarchy). Because sigmas sit outside the hierarchy and don’t play by these non-existent rules, Alphas can often find sigmas a threat (I can’t believe I am reading this shit out loud). This article goes on to further say that: “the sigma has a silent, mysterious nature and immense self-confidence. They are very thoughtful and analyse their every move. However, this doesn’t mean that they are shy. They are naturally charismatic, have a positive attitude, and have excellent management skills. The sigma doesn’t settle in life. They strive hard to reach where they aim to be and can be extremely manipulative to get what they want”. And most importantly (and by this I mean what the socio-sexual hierarchy seems to place significant importance on) “women find sigmas as attractive as alphas.” It goes on to say that “the fictional character John Wick, played by actor Keanu Reeves” is a “great” example of a sigma male. That’s right – the guy who goes around killing a billion people because they killed his dog if a prime example of a sigma male.
Now, this is where it gets interesting (and perhaps concerning, again I’ll let you decide). The John Wick character is not the only fictional character that has been used to embody the type of man a sigma male is supposed to be. In one video on TikTok I found, which is called “The Legendary Sigma Stare”, it has such characters as Norman Bates – the serial killer from the film Psycho; Jack Torrance – the father in The Shining who slowly goes insane and tries to kill his family looking after a hotel during the winter; Donnie Darko, lead protagonist in the psychological thriller film of the same name where an emotionally troubled teenager sees visions of a freaky giant rabbit that prophesises the end of the work; Aaron Stamper – a 19 year old kid, played by Edward Norton, accused of killing an Archbishop in the thriller Primal Fear (the ending is too good, so I won’t ruin it here); Walter White – mild mannered chemistry teacher who slowly turns into a cold-hearted drug dealer in Breaking Bad; Tony Montana – better known as Scarface; Hannibal Lecter – I mean, we all know who he is; Tyler Durden – the soap salesman who likes to blow up buildings in his spare time as an extremist anarchist… are we starting to notice a pattern…
Enter Patrick Bateman.
Bateman is the protagonist in the 1991 novel American Psycho, by Bret Easton Ellis. It is a satirical work that critiques the superficiality and materialism of 1980s yuppie culture. The novel has been interpreted in various ways, including as a commentary on the emptiness and moral decay of capitalism and consumer culture. The book’s Wikipedia page highlights a number of themes within the book, with one stating that “American Psycho is largely a critique of the ‘shallow and vicious aspects of capitalism’. The characters are predominantly concerned with material gain and superficial appearances, traits indicative of a postmodern world in which the ‘surface’ reigns supreme.” It has also been viewed as a critique of the patriarchal and misogynistic attitudes of the era, with some viewing it as “a cautionary tale about fragile masculinity.”
The book was also at the centre of much controversy as critics have also suggested that the novel is an exploration of the psyche of a sociopath, or a metaphor for the way in which capitalist society dehumanizes individuals. Because, in case you didn’t realise, as well as being an investment banker, Patrick Bateman is a literal serial killer. He kills a lot of people in the book. And they ways in which he does it are really fucking graphic. I have read a lot of violent books in my time, but there is one scene in the book (which I won’t describe here) that still sticks with me to this day because it was so fucking rough.
The book was then made into a film in 2000, directed by feminist film-maker Mary Harron and staring Christian Bale in the lead role. In it, Bateman is clearly wealthy, living in an immaculate looking flat, wears classy suits, eats out at fancy restaurants, works out every single day and is perfectly preened, dates pretty women, and spends a lot of time obsessing over the perfect business card. So, from a visual and materialistic perspective I can see why he might be used as the poster boy for the sigma male, or why some men might want to embody his success – I guess this is the kind of lifestyle the likes of Andrew Tate try sell the young men of today.
However, as both Mary Harron (the film’s director) and Ellis (the book’s author) have noted, the book is a critique of male values that existed in the 80s – which one might argue still exist today, which, again, is perhaps why Andrew Tate was (and shockingly still is) so popular. What follows is a quote written in an analysis of the book for its 25th anniversary in 2016: “American Psycho is a book about becoming the man you feel you have to be, the man who is cool, slick, handsome, effortlessly moving through the world, modeling suits in Esquire, having babes on his arm. It’s about lifestyle being sold as life, a lifestyle that never seemed to include passion, creativity, curiosity, romance, pain. Everything meaningful wiped away in favour of surfaces, in favour of looking good, having money, having six-pack abs, dating the hottest porn star, going to the hottest clubs… I think Fight Club is about this, too — this idea that men are sold a bill of goods about what they have to be in order to feel good about themselves, or feel important. No one can really live up to these ideals, so there’s an immense amount of dissatisfaction roiling through the collective male psyche. Patrick Bateman is the extreme embodiment of that dissatisfaction. Nothing fulfils him. The more he acquires, the emptier he feels.”
Here's the thing though. While I don’t buy the whole socio-sexual hierarchy (did I mention I think it’s a load of shit?) I get that it’s a way in which men can classify themselves and understand their position in society; and based on this they can try move up the ranks as it were (again, such a ludicrous notion). I mean, this is literally the pick-up artistry industry to a tee; and would explain why there are so many “how to be a sigma male” videos on YouTube. And I this way I can also understand the appeal of romanticising film characters that might embody a certain personality type and lifestyle. I guess it gives you something to aim for and an ideal to live up to in some way, right.
But why, why on earth would you use any of the examples that have been listed so far in this episode. All people who are dark and moody, yes, but also literally kill people or are unemphatic criminals. It speaks to this idea of what Jordan Peterson has stated that men should be capable of being dangerous. He says: “No, you should be capable of it, but that doesn’t mean you should use it. There’s nothing to you otherwise. If you’re not a formidable force, there’s no morality in your self-control. If you are incapable of violence, not being violent isn’t a virtue. People who teach martial arts, know this full well. If you learn a martial art you learn to be dangerous but simultaneously you learn to control it. Both of those come together. And the combination of that capacity for danger and the capacity for control is what brings about the virtue. Otherwise, you confuse weakness with moral virtue. “I’m harmless therefore I’m good”. It’s like no, that isn’t how it works. That isn’t how it work at all. If you’re harmless you’re just weak, and if you’re weak you’re not going to be good. You can’t be. Because it takes strength to be good. It’s very difficult to be good.”
Personally, I don’t think it’s hard to be good. And while I know Jordan Peterson isn’t talking about the sigma male here, but from what I’ve learned about this particular (completely made up) male personality type is that this is what the sigma male needs to be, which is somewhat in contrast to the earlier descriptions, in which the sigma male is posed as an outsider and mysterious, sure, but not necessarily dangerous. But then again, they are allegedly equal to the Alphas, so I guess they must be dangerous… AND moody. But anyway, I think trying to actually conceptualise the psychology behind all of this could make your head spin.
As for now, however, what am I trying to say. Well, for starters, the concept of the sigma male is not based on scientific evidence and is not widely recognised in mainstream psychology or personality theory (as far as I can tell). It is a loosely defined, with many contradictions as to what makes a sigma male. The subjectivity of which can lead to misinterpretation and oversimplification of complex psychological and social dynamics.
Secondly, Patrick Bateman is a fictional character and a serial killer, who is portrayed as a deeply disturbed individual with a lack of empathy and moral compass. Idolizing such a character is not healthy or appropriate, and just so bizarre. For me, it seems to send a harmful message about violence, domination, and the objectification of others. Also, Idolizing Patrick Bateman as a sigma male just seems to reinforce harmful gender stereotypes that promote competition, aggression, and independence at the expense of empathy, cooperation, and connection (some might call this “toxic masculinity” if they were looking for a neat term to sum it all up). This could possibly lead to harmful and isolating behaviour, as well as perpetuate damaging cultural narratives that limit individual and collective growth and development.
Finally, it is important to recognise that the novel American Psycho is a satirical work that critiques the shallowness and greed of 1980s yuppie culture. The character of Patrick Bateman is meant to serve as a warning about the emptiness and moral decay of capitalist and consumerist values, not as a role model to be imitated. In conclusion, idolizing Patrick Bateman as a sigma male is a misguided and dangerous idea that can have negative consequences for individuals and society. It is probably better to seek out healthy and positive role models that promote empathy, compassion, and respect for all people.
So, if you ever see anyone chatting about the sigma male in a way that seems to be celebrating it, you might want to have a word with them – or just avoid them altogether. Anyway, I hope this has been an interesting episode. As always, let me know your thoughts. Come find me on social media and say hello. Until next time. Bye for now.
Music
Opening: “Chilled Ambient Minimal”
Closing: “Seven” - Tobu
26: The Sigma Male and “American Psycho”