Woman Goes On A Date With A Looksmaxxer & Accuses Him Of ‘Catfishmaxxing’
New Africa | Shutterstock A woman named Sara was faced with the latter when matching with a looksmaxxer. Her romantic night out turned into a session of criticism and discomfort, which she dubbed "catfishmaxxing."
If this all sounds like a foreign language, you're not wrong. Before diving into the nitty-gritty, looksmaxxing, in its simplest definition, is a term born of social media to describe men who prioritize looking perfect at any cost. Catfishing, on the other hand, has been around for a while. Essentially, it's presenting yourself online as someone you aren't, usually pertaining to looks.
Sara was able to take her looksmaxxing dating nightmare and jokingly accuse her date of "catfishmaxxing," using humor to convey the absurdity of her experience.
A woman said she went on a date with a looksmaxxer and accused him of 'catfishmaxxing.'
Frustrated by the unfortunate progression of the events and looking to find some humor in it, Sara turned to TikTok to share her story. The pair had matched on Tinder's new Double Date feature, which allows people to date with their friends. While her friend did not end up moving forward with any plans with her match, Sara, after six months of chatting, decided to go out with her match.
According to Sara, her date was relatively well-known with a somewhat large following on social media for his "looksmaxxing" tips and "thirst traps." While they had never met in person before the doomed date, she had FaceTimed him and messaged him consistently on Snapchat.
She thought she had a pretty good idea of what he looked like, but when he picked her up, she was completely shocked. He looked absolutely nothing like his videos or other posted media, to which she joked was "catfishmaxxing."
She gave him the benefit of the doubt, but his behavior was worse than his attempt at catfishing.
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Their date led them to a ramen restaurant in Miami that Sara was excited about. Unfortunately, his personality soured the whole experience.
Immediately, she was turned off by his addition of "maxxing" onto words in an attempt to be funny, but it was ultimately hurtful. "I start eating my food, and this guy genuinely goes, 'Wait.. you're bigmaxxing right now,'" Sara recalled. That was him basically insulting her for eating. She expressed her frustration and pointed out that they had gone on a dinner date, and she was hungry. But really, does someone need an excuse for eating dinner? Needless to say, it left a sour taste in her mouth.
This was not the first comment that he made regarding her appearance or habits throughout the night. He also repeatedly pointed out that she has a "recessed maxilla," which is a concern in the looksmaxxing community regarding bone structure.
The date ended in a terrible flourish when he asked if he could join her at her place, and she politely turned him down, using fake roommates as an excuse. It must have really upset him that she turned him down because Sara later got a lengthy text detailing what she could improve about her appearance.
The looksmaxxing trend has spread toxic beauty ideals and body dysmorphia.
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Sara's bad date is only scratching the surface of the negative implications of the looksmaxxing trend. In fact, there are numerous stories that mirror this one, both from those in and out of the community.
The trend gained popularity in the 2010s but exploded in the 2020s, thanks to TikTok, which helped mem find and share tips to improve facial structure. It is best known for promoting habits such as mewing, a technique that uses facial exercises for a more chiseled jawline, cosmetic surgery, and achieving hunter eyes. What started as a way to feel more confident has turned into a beast of its own, introducing dangerous practices like bone smashing. Yeah, you read that right. Men are actually attempting to create tiny fractures in their facial bones with hammers to produce more manly features.
In order to try to attain these unreachable beauty standards, people following the advice of influencers have developed eating disorders that are rooted in muscle dysmorphia, one of the less talked about forms of dysmorphia, but still just as harmful.
The so-called community is also a breeding ground for misogyny and toxic masculinity due to its predominantly male following. In fact, its roots are tied to incel culture and even white supremacy. In the name of beauty, people have found excuses for insulting others simply for existing in their bodies.
This woman's date is just one of many influencers who have infected audiences with harmful thinking about their natural appearance. The dangers of looksmaxxing extend beyond just bad dates, however. It's normal to have insecurities about physical features, but going to extreme lengths to change them can create a mindset where it's never good enough, no matter how much work is done.
If you've encountered looksmaxxing practices either through social media or a bad date, it's best to steer clear. With the amount of body positivity media being represented in the past decade, there is much better content and communities to surround yourself with than those that will tear apart the little things. After all, true beauty comes from within.
Gabrielle Mattes is a writer working towards a Creative Writing degree. Her focus is lifestyle, wellness, human interest, and relationships.
