PINK TO MAKE THE BOYS SICK

The Rise of Sigma Masculinity

The word “sigma” has amassed over 13 billion views on TikTok — a staggering number that highlights the increasing traction of online male identity subcultures. But what is sigma masculinity, and why has it become a cornerstone of the modern “manosphere”?

The term “sigma male” refers to a supposed lone-wolf archetype — a man who operates outside the traditional “alpha” hierarchy. Positioned as self-sufficient, stoic, and disinterested in social validation, the sigma male presents as the antithesis of the “simp” or emotionally open man. But in reality, sigma culture is more often a reactionary product of confusion, disillusionment, and in some cases, internalised misogyny.

In an era where gender roles are being renegotiated, many young men are clinging to the illusion of masculine clarity offered by influencers, podcasts, and viral memes — many of which are deeply nihilistic. The sigma archetype exists not in a vacuum but as a response to a cultural shift — one where traditional male authority is increasingly questioned.

The Feminine Reawakening: Barbie, Bimboism and the Bad-Bitch Breakthrough

This cultural rebalancing is being led, in many ways, by women. Fuelled by the explosive success of the Barbie movie and a bold reclamation of bimbo culture, hyper-femininity has transformed from a sign of submission into a symbol of power. What I call the “Bad-Bitch Breakthrough” is about women refusing to sacrifice beauty, softness, or sexuality in the name of feminism — and instead wielding those very traits as tools of self-respect, identity, and economic agency.

Gone are the days of crying over boys who rated our attractiveness on Vine or demanded we shave our upper lips to be seen as “cute.” Women today are self-aware, self-reliant, and less vulnerable to male approval than ever before. In fact, we’re not disowning our femininity to be feminists — we’re embracing it.

The Babygirl Effect: Feminine Masculinity on the Rise

Interestingly, women aren’t the only ones reimagining femininity. Across pop culture, there’s a new kind of heartthrob — soft, styled, and unthreatening. Enter the “babygirl”: a term that captures a more tender, feminine kind of male allure.

Think Timothée Chalamet in a velvet suit, Harry Styles in a feather boa, Jacob Elordi in a pearl earring, or the smouldering eyeliner of a K-pop idol. These men — sensitive, styled, and emotionally expressive — are rewriting masculinity in ways that resonate with young women globally.

And herein lies the friction: if these are the men women are fawning over, where does that leave traditional masculinity?

The Male Identity Crisis and the Appeal of Andrew Tate

The answer lies in the meteoric rise of figures like Andrew Tate — men who capitalise on young male vulnerability by selling a hyper-aggressive, pseudo-intellectual brand of masculinity. Tate’s appeal, while disturbing, is telling: he told lost young men that they were strong, needed, and valuable — at a time when many felt uncertain of their place in a changing world.

His message landed because it acknowledged something real: boys are also victims of patriarchy. Taught to suppress emotions, dominate rather than communicate, and define worth through control, many young men today feel isolated and ashamed of their natural emotional responses. They were never equipped with the tools to adapt to a world where women are less dependent on them.

This doesn’t excuse the harm caused by sigma or incel communities — but it does explain it.

From Simps to Psychopaths: The Weaponisation of Meme Culture

At its core, sigma culture is a defensive reaction — and often an immature one. It began with relatively harmless memes about introversion and self-sufficiency. But the internet’s tendency to radicalise humour has transformed sigma culture into something dark and hostile.

What started as jokes about Lego-building loners evolved into content romanticising acts of disrespect: rating beautiful women as “2/10”, refusing to smile back at them, and glorifying emotionally-detached behaviour. Some of this is a performance — a digital swagger — but much of it is a deeply internalised resentment that women no longer need male validation to feel desirable.

This rebellion against women’s autonomy has become sinister, especially in how it elevates dangerous characters: Patrick Bateman, Joker, Tyler Durden, Joe Goldberg. These men are literal psychopaths — yet in certain corners of the internet, they are exalted as masculine icons. One of the most disturbing examples is the frequent use of the American Psycho scene in which Bateman holds a nail gun to a woman’s head.

What these young men seem to miss is that Bateman is not aspirational — he’s a satire of male ego, power, and the brutal capitalism of 1980s Wall Street. As director Mary Harron herself stated, his character was designed to expose the emptiness of toxic masculinity, not celebrate it.

The Sexual Double Standard: Autonomy vs. Control

Much of the sigma rage can be traced back to a deep discomfort with female sexual autonomy. Women are now able to monetise their sexuality through platforms like OnlyFans — not on a man’s terms, but on their own. For some men, this triggers a visceral response.

Consider this: 68% of Pornhub’s users are male, and 90% of sex workers are female. Sex sells — and it always has — but only when it’s on male terms. Women who profit from their own sexual capital — without needing male permission — are suddenly vilified.

Even worse, the most-consumed pornographic content often involves violent, non-consensual dynamics, frequently targeting young, vulnerable subjects. Search terms like “teen” and “youth” dominate. Meanwhile, over 60% of underage victims of human trafficking report being sexually exploited online. The underground sex trafficking industry earns nearly £100 billion annually, highlighting a brutal truth: female sexuality sells better when it is taken, not given.

And so, when women take it back — unapologetically, profitably — many men respond not with admiration, but disgust.

A Path Forward for Men: Redefining Masculinity with Compassion

Here’s the truth: men are not the enemy. But the systems that defined their worth through domination, silence, and control? Those are.

The men who thrive in the modern world are those who adapt, who question the rigid definitions of manhood they were raised with, and who build emotional literacy rather than recoil from it. Masculinity does not need to be fragile. It can be expansive, supportive, and empowering — not just for women, but for men themselves.

Young men need new role models — ones who show that masculinity can coexist with compassion, softness, and respect. We need to talk to boys, not just about toxic masculinity, but about healthy masculinity — one that allows space for feeling, nurturing, and change.

Conclusion: The Future is Pink — and Powerful

In this post-modern moment, women are not rejecting femininity to gain power — they are reclaiming it. We are wearing our pink glitter, our Barbie-blonde hair, our hyper-feminine beauty with pride, knowing full well it doesn’t diminish our intelligence or our strength.

And we’re doing it for ourselves — not to please men, but because we can. For the first time in history, men are the ones who feel the pressure to change, to reconsider their place in a world where women are not dependent on their approval.

The truth is, survival of the fittest has always favoured those who can adapt. And the men who support women, who reject misogyny, and who embrace new versions of manhood? They will thrive.

The others — the sigmas, the incels, the boys still worshipping nail-gun-wielding sociopaths — they will be left behind.

And we, the women, will be so powerful, so precious, and yes, so pink — that it will make them sick.