Literally Me(n)
By: Deanza Jayaputri Andriansyah
Edited by: Nadhifah Zahran Laili
‘Literally me’ male characters seem to share certain qualities with each other – none of those being morally positive ones for sure. These characters are usually deemed, such as ‘Sigma males’ – another meme or popular term amongst the internet. Although played out as a joke, it is interesting to see a rise in the phenomenon of boys looking up to characters morally questionable and only have a few redeemable qualities. For instance, the Joker is certainly not known for his virtue and nobility, yet that character is popular in the ‘literally me’ genre of the internet. Why do young boys want to emulate this sort of ‘damaged’ persona that the characters are mostly struggling with mental illness, dissatisfied with life, or even violent?
Men may simply idolize these iconic characters for their interesting storylines, charisma, or possibly, even style. However, how far can this idolization go? These characters, who are struggling with mental problems, could be seen by young men as a way to cope with their issues. Whether that be insecurity, loneliness, or low self-esteem, these characters' often cynical views of life may only be painting a much more gloomy persona for impressionable young boys. Besides this, the ‘literally me’ character steers away from the mainstream while still being ‘cool'. More often than not, these ‘literally me’ or ‘sigma male’ characters are conventionally attractive – Tyler Durden portrayed by Brad Pitt, Batman portrayed by Robert Pattinson or Patrick Bateman portrayed by Brad Pitt. It pushes boys to adopt a persona of being a rebel, an outsider, and a ‘lone wolf’ whilst convincing themselves that it is alright under the guise of aesthetics.
Despite ‘literally me’ characters being praised and admired for a long time, now, the internet has created a space where men can take these negative traits too far and form a breeding ground for hate and misogyny. Some of the most toxic manifestations of this are the ‘incel’ communities. Another popular term coined by the internet, an ‘incel’ refers to ‘involuntary celibate’, or men part of an online community who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually. Thus, it is creating hostile views towards women and those who are sexually active, in particular. These communities have caused much damage even outside of the internet. In New Zealand, authorities described a suspect in the attempted murder of two schoolgirls last month as an incel. At the University of Idaho, Bryan Kohberger was arrested for the stabbing murders of four of the students there – three of whom were young women. A former FBI agent who worked on the case described the killer as one with an ‘incel complex.’ Although ‘literally me’ enthusiasts are most likely not the root of this incel issue, it may be a contribution to the growing number of online hate communities filled with young men. Moreover, the rise in this phenomenon has consequently intensified hate towards men as well, leading to more men coping through ‘literally me’ characters.
Another problem is that young men may misunderstand the intention behind these dysfunctional characters. These characters, although undoubtedly charming and charismatic, were specifically designed to show the flaws within these types of individuals. While dramatized for the screen, these movies often portray these characters as not very nice people to look up to and certainly not role models for young men. Tyler Durden from Fight Club considers himself to be the ‘perfect’ and ‘ideal’ man. But, the movie does not necessarily portray him as such, as he would rather succumb to the violent tendencies - instead of going to therapy. These also play into a certain view of masculinity, one of it in which men have to be powerful or even violent people to be considered an ‘alpha male’.
But at the end of the day, a man or boy depicting their online persona to be identical to that of Pablo Escobar or Patrick Bateman does not indicate that they are future murderers by any means. ‘Literally me’ characters may just be really well-written characters struggling with similar problems to young men, making them appealing. However, it is also important to remember that these characters were written by individuals who designed them to show audiences how damaged a person could be if they were totally radicalizing into being a sort of incel, not to be your top role model.
