New standards for masculinity are stacked against men’s health

The newsletter “Optimizer,” written by Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song, critiques the commercialized “looksmaxxing” culture that pressures men and women to buy expensive products for self-improvement. It references a sketch from *That Mitchell and Webb Look* to illustrate how advertisers exploit insecurities. The piece highlights the broader trend of marketing gendered beauty standards that can negatively impact mental and physical health.