Everyone Speaks Incel Now
Wired
by Miles KleeFebruary 25, 2026
AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary
In recent years, terms like “looksmaxxing” and “mogged” have surged into mainstream consciousness, migrating from misogynistic online forums to social media feeds. This shift reflects a broader trend where once-obscure incel jargon is being adopted and recontextualized by wider internet culture. The article explores how these terms, originally used within insular communities like the “incel” subculture or the anti-feminist PSL (Pickup Artist Hate, SlutHate, Lookism) network, have gained traction beyond their origins. This linguistic evolution highlights the viral nature of slang and its ability to mutate across different contexts.
The roots of this trend can be traced back to the 2014 Gamergate movement, which exposed mainstream audiences to toxic online subcultures like 4chan and the manosphere. These spaces gave rise to terms like “looksmaxxing,” borrowed from gaming jargon, which refers to efforts to enhance one’s appearance for romantic or sexual success. Similarly, “mogging” emerged as a way to display physical dominance over rivals, reflecting a Darwinian view of dating as a competitive marketplace. Other terms, such as “Chad” and “Gigachad,” were used to describe idealized masculine figures, while women were disparaged with dehumanizing labels like “femoids.”
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Originally published on Wired on 2/25/2026