You’ve probably seen it in your social feed, a composed and confident expression that appears classy and smug at the same time — the sigma face — a look that has crept up colloquial consciousness through the decades and has risen to viral fame.
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Christian Bale’s portrayal of Patrick Bateman in "American Psycho" left an indelible mark on pop culture, but his influence didn’t stop at the turn of the millennium. The now-viral meme sparked a wave of discussions touching upon universal values of true masculinity. Let’s take a closer look at how the Sigma face meme has ignited a digital firestorm, from where it started to how it evolved over the years.
Highlights
- Christian Bale's 'sigma face' from 'American Psycho' became a viral meme.
- The sigma male concept describes a powerful, independent, introverted man.
- TikToker @argenby sparked the Sigma face trend, amassing millions of views.
- Sigma culture is controversial, seen as empowering or toxic by different groups.
- Sigma face memes have spread widely on TikTok, involving both male and female creators.
Who Is the Sigma Male and Sigma Face?
The Sigma face is inherently a playful jab at the Sigma male, a type of guy who is powerful, successful, and independent. The Sigma male is different from the typical alpha male because the former is more introverted and doesn’t conform to standard societal norms. He’s strong and silent, unassuming and enigmatic. Sigma males stand out and draw people in with their mysterious appeal.
The concept of sigma men took the internet by storm in the 2010s when writer Theodore Robert Beale (aka Vox Day) began using the term on his blog as early as January 2010 (1).
In the post “Sigma Goes Mainstream” on June 3, 2024, on Sigma Game, a dedicated Wikipedia channel for all things Sigma, Beale recalls his description of the Sigma male as the proverbial “lone wolf” who is “more introverted and seeks to dominate themselves", in other words, trying to attain "self-mastery (2).” After Beale’s take in 2010, we later see references to Sigma males in a few other blogs, forums, and posts.
In 2014, author John Alexander immortalized the term in the title of his relationship advice book "The Sigma Male: What Women Really Want (3)." Alexander describes the sigma male in the context of male relationships with women.
On January 25, 2021, YouTuber Lily Simpson pushed the whole sigma concept into mainstream media with a post that went viral on X. Highlighting some typical sigma references, she asked: “What the f**k is going on with men (4)?”
Those who couldn’t quite identify with the usual male mold resonated with the freedom of the sigma male identity. But, there are still others who found the sigma male concept to be offensive or laughable, saying that it is proof of the toxicity of modern masculinity.
In the article published in The Guardian in 2024, writer Steve Rose confirms this duality and says that “describing someone as ‘sigma’ might be a compliment or an insult, depending on the context (5)."
Comment from Dr. Sarah Meehan O’Callaghan
The rise of the sigma face meme speaks to an enigma at the heart of male identity – the question of what defines masculinity. That there is no concrete definition of identity is why the image or appearance of masculinity, or what is imagined to be its image, holds so much allure. But how can a facial expression carry so much influence? How does it go viral?
The reason is complex, but the sigma meme's so-called origin, that of Bateman’s facial expression in a movie, is interesting and worth considering. Given that the character is a serial killer who does not follow law and order, but pursues their own perverse enjoyment, what is it about this character that has become symbolised by the sigma face and translated as a trait of masculinity? - Dr. Sarah Meehan O’Callaghan
Based on the given examples, the sigma face is meant to poke fun at or celebrate men exhibiting this kind of sigma male behavior — marking them as unbelievable, possibly contrived, or sometimes even too good to be true.
When Did the Sigma Face First Appear?
In April 2000, production house Lions Gate Films released "American Psycho," a film adaptation of Bret Easton Ellis’s 1991 novel of the same name (6). In the movie, Christian Bale plays the character of Patrick Bateman, a New York City investment banker who leads a double life as a serial killer.
In one scene, Patrick Bateman and Paul Allen (portrayed by Jared Leto) hang out and talk. During their conversation, Allen refers to “That loser, Patrick Bateman,” to which Bateman (Christian Bale) responds to the insult by contorting his face to the all-too-iconic "ooh face."
This original Sigma male face by Christian Bale inspired the viral versions that later followed. In The Know, Yahoo writer Donnavan Smoot published an article titled “TikTokers are ‘trying to be like Christian Bale’ with Sigma face trend” on February 8, 2023, where he confirms that sigma faces inspired by Bale’s Bateman were “originally poking fun at men and the so-called ‘sigma culture' (7)."
The Rise of the Sigma Face on TikTok
More than 20 years after that memorable scene, Christian Bale’s sigma face lives on through social posts and memes. Depending on your view, the Sigma male has garnered anything from widespread ridicule to fame through viral memes and gifs. TikTok has become the primary platform for teasing the sigma male behavior with the sigma face memes.
TikTok creator @argenby kicked off the whole Sigma male face craze with a post (below) on November 22, 2022. He posted a video that instantly went viral, gathering over 95 million views in under two months and boasting 9.5 million likes.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@argenby/video/7168887305577467137?_r=1&_t=8nOLXU7hsL2[/embed]
A couple of days after that first post, TikTok creator @argenby posted a second clip on November 24, 2022, showing the Sigma face meme again. The second post surpassed the original, with 110 million views in under two months and 11.7 million likes when publishing this article.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@argenby/video/7169557744842788098?_r=1&_t=8nOPuPCL962[/embed]
Since then, @argenby has consistently featured the Sigma face in his posts, amassing a TikTok following of 22.9 million users.
Female creators joined the bandwagon, too, flashing their "female sigma faces" in social videos. The female versions of the Sigma face meme have the same furrowed brows, smug smile, and puckered pout, giving rise to Sigma's female culture.
The first lady TikToker to transpose the Sigma male face to “Sigma girl” was @greapaxcherri. In her post on December 6, 2023, @greapaxcherri is seen out with an overeager date. She shows an almost aloof but understated kindness, which impresses her date. She flashes her female sigma face when he notices her unexpected move, seemingly self-aware and composed.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@greapaxcherri/video/7173967874892025089?_r=1&_t=8nOQ3DXucbK[/embed]
Around a month later, on January 4, 2023, TikTok user @greapaxcherri posted her following sigma female face video, which propelled her further up the sigma charts.
The second post gathered over 100 million plays and 8.7 million likes in less than two weeks. To date, TikTok viewers have watched the post 206.4 million times. This Sigma girl and Sigma face post is the creator’s highest-viewed video on @greapaxcherri’s channel.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@greapaxcherri/video/7184722498477378818?_r=1&_t=8nRIHKvbaYK[/embed]
The Online Spread of the Sigma Face Meme
Content creators reacted quickly to an emerging Sigma face trend with the wave of the Sigma face clips and reaction videos.
The numbers on TikTok are wildly impressive, with 369.7 million views for the tag #sigmaface. Various iterations, like #sigmagirl (4.2 billion), #sigmamale (9.6 billion), and #sigmafacememe (9.1 million), also garnered staggering following that solidified the sigma concept into a mainstream phenomenon.
Celebrities, too, touted as archetypal sigma males, acknowledge their appeal and share their take on the sigma male concept. In a press conference with Hollywood star Ryan Gosling last December 11, 2023, TikToker @rakibmfilms asked the actor about the alternative male types he plays in his more recent movie roles.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@rakibmfilms/video/7311082900177358113[/embed]
TikTokers, like @jakewolfstyle, in his September 2, 2022 post, even made lists identifying Hollywood celebrities and famous movie characters to define the sigma male type.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@jakewoolfstyle/video/7138469974758247722[/embed]
Content creator @andygordone featured a TikTok video on March 15, 2023, exploring whether certain personalities or movie characters are Sigma males.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@andygordone/video/7210510122416655621[/embed]
Sports fans also had fun catching their favorite athletes making sigma faces, like this popular post of Christian Ronaldo on July 10, 2023, by @louisXX_7.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@louisxx_7/video/7254094720173985051[/embed]
Recent videos that solidify Sigma popularity include Roblox creations with digital renders of the Sigma face meme, like the TikTok video by @zaren_delacruz posted on January 17, 2024.
[embed]https://www.tiktok.com/@zaren_delacruz/video/7325052763501612293[/embed]
The boxy Roblox Sigma face has the same scrunched-up eyebrow down pat, complete with that sly smile and puckered mouth. AI online tools have followed suit and can be prompted to create a sigma face from virtually anyone.
Trending Sigma Face Memes
Whether you dislike Sigma culture or consider yourself part of the tribe, the famous Christian Bale’s expression has infiltrated popular culture and is here to stay. The Internet just can't have enough silly Sigma faces, and these popular memes illustrate this perfectly.
The Real Sigma
Sigma Face vs Binge-Watching Netflix
Sigma Face Tutorial
Sigma Male Starter Pack
References
- Theodore Robert Beale. “Sigma Goes Mainstream.” Sigma Game, Substack, June 5, 2024. | https://sigmagame.substack.com/p/sigma-goes-mainstream
- Ruchira Sharma. "Sigma grindset: TikTok's toxic worshipping of Patrick Bateman is another sign young men are lost." British GQ, November 7, 2022. | https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/lifestyle/article/sigma-grindset-tiktok-trend-2022
- John T. Alexander. “The Sigma Male: What Women Really Want.” Amazon, April 1, 2014. | https://www.amazon.com/Sigma-Male-What-Women-Really/dp/0989968405
- @LilySimpson1312. "Lily Simpson is putting the T(rans) in YouTube." X, Jan 25, 2021 | https://x.com/LilySimpson1312/status/1353674278722392066
- Steve Rose. “The sad, stupid rise of the sigma male: how toxic masculinity took over social media.” The Guardian, June 12, 2024. | https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jun/12/the-sad-stupid-rise-of-the-sigma-male-how-toxic-masculinity-took-over-social-media
- "American Psycho." IMDb. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0144084/
- Donnovan Smoot. “TikTokers are ‘trying to be like Christian Bale’ with Sigma face trend.” In The Know By Yahoo, February 8, 2023. | https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/tiktokers-trying-christian-bale-sigma-195819234.html?guccounter=1