Bored Panda works better on our iPhone app
Continue in app Continue in browser

The Bored Panda iOS app is live! Fight boredom with iPhones and iPads here.

Influencer Humiliated After Getting His Wig Snatched By A Stranger Breaks Silence
Influencer with wig missing reacting to a stranger snatching it in a crowded outdoor nighttime setting.

Influencer Humiliated After Getting His Wig Snatched By A Stranger Breaks Silence

22

ADVERTISEMENT

Androgenic, the 24-year-old Australian influencer known for his “looksmaxxing” content, has broken his silence after a stranger publicly ripped the wig off his head mid-livestream, leaving him exposed in a moment that has now been viewed more than 13 million times.

The clip, shared to X, shows the content creator conducting street interviews while dressed in a black top and matching cap, thick wavy blond hair visible beneath it.

Highlights
  • A 24-year-old Australian looksmaxxing influencer went viral after a stranger ripped off his wig during a livestream.
  • The clip surpassed 13 million views, with critics accusing him of misleading young male followers.
  • The controversy has reignited debate over male loneliness and the rise of looks-focused online masculinity culture.

Seconds later, a man sneaks up behind him and yanks off the hat, along with the attached hairpiece, revealing a shaved head with a receding hairline underneath.

The influencer appears stunned before chasing the man and placing him in a headlock. The footage cuts off abruptly, but the humiliation had already taken hold online.

RELATED:

    A male aesthetics influencer, famous for his appearance, went viral after being exposed for wearing a wig on camera

    Image credits: androgen.ic/Instagram

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “There’s genuinely no coming back from this,” one person wrote as the video spread across social media.

    Viewers quickly accused the influencer of being a “fraud,” arguing that without the wig, he “looked like a different person.”

    “Laughing hard and feeling sorry for him at the same time,” another user said.

    “He looked like an entirely different person,” a third added.

    Image credits: AutismCapital/X

    For many critics, the issue was not simply about hair. It was about credibility. Androgenic has built a cult following off fitness advice, commentary on modern masculinity, and a philosophy centered on a trend known as “looksmaxxing.”

    In layman terms, the trend is an online self-improvement movement aimed mostly at young men and teen boys that focuses on maximizing physical attractiveness to gain social acceptance.

    Image credits: AutismCapital/X

    ADVERTISEMENT

    It usually starts with “softmaxxing,” meaning basic upgrades like exercise, dieting, skincare, better grooming, fashion, teeth whitening, and posture, then can escalate into “hardmaxxing,” where more extreme corners of the internet encourage cosmetic procedures or surgery to change facial structure and body proportions.

    Image credits: frostdio

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Janonchain

    Dating apps have intensified the dynamic further because they behave like winner-take-most marketplaces: attention is scarce, profiles are abundant, and a small slice of men can absorb a disproportionate share of likes and matches while everyone else competes for what’s left.

    “The top 1% of guys get more than 16% of all likes on the app,” said Hinge engineer Aviv Goldgeier. Similarly, a study published by Medium in 2015 showed that 78% of women on dating apps are only interested in the top 20% of all men.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    The influencer tried framing the incident as a boost to his brand, while critics said he was misleading his viewers

    Image credits: AutismCapital/X

    Androgenic moved quickly to control the narrative, pushing back on the idea that the wig-snatching had “exposed” anything at all. In his view, the viral clip did little to damage his career.

    “I don’t know if people realize that I literally publicly have been spamming viewers with me being bald for two months,” he said.

    “I’ve made videos showing that I’m wearing a wig, like days ago,” he added.

    Image credits: androgenic_/X

    ADVERTISEMENT
    ADVERTISEMENT

    “But I’m glad this is going viral, this is pretty crazy,” he said.

    That posture, however, intensified the criticism rather than calming it.

    “The problem isn’t so much about wearing a wig. You were trying hard to be someone that you were not and got exposed for it,” one critic wrote.

    Others went further, framing the controversy as a moral issue. 

    “The best thing you could do is start being honest. You are leading a whole generation of men astray for views.”

    Recent studies show men of all ages are struggling with feelings of loneliness, purpose, and lack of mission

    Image credits: WisdomMatic

    Image credits: youfadedwealth

    ADVERTISEMENT

    “Looksmaxxing” content has been closely associated with internet personalities such as Andrew Tate, who promote advice on reaching one’s “full potential,” as well as online communities centered around dating or men’s inability to do so.

    The audience for that messaging is not abstract.

    Recent data suggests many young men are already struggling. According to Gallup data published in May 2025, 25% of US men aged 15 to 34 said they “felt lonely a lot of the previous day,” a figure higher than the national average.

    Image credits: androgen.ic/Instagram

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Among older adults, American Association of Retired Persons’ (AARP) 2025 findings showed 42% of men over 45 met the threshold for loneliness.

    Separate 2025 reporting on adolescent boys found that 14% of boys with high exposure to masculinity-focused online content reported low self-esteem, compared with 5% of those with low exposure, alongside significantly higher levels of loneliness.

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Against that backdrop, experts warn the culture can serve as a gateway into more radical online spaces.

    Previously speaking to news.com.au, feminist academic Dr. Stephanie Wescott said the content often targets vulnerable boys.

    “They prey on particular vulnerabilities, whether that’s economical, social or their appearance. It completely alters how they see the world and subsequently understand their own situation,” she said.

    She added that the tone can become hostile toward the same young men being courted as followers.

    “If you actually watch them, they’re quite abusive to boys and young men,” Wescott said. “They call them losers, pathetic and shame them if they don’t have these ‘masculine’ markers.”

    “Doesn’t look that bad.” Viewers debated whether the video marked the end of the influencer’s career

    Image credits: O_sley

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: kalancc

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: greybtc

    Image credits: BlueJay_ZAF

    Image credits: ilovebeerus

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: ElectroExtant

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: mandalaangel

    Image credits: JeffreyLuscombe

    Image credits: DK_Able

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: ikepower_

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Ego0yib0

    Image credits: bomtafriski

    Image credits: diank4g

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: Santhosh__Sash

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: aakashjhanjhari

    Image credits: CryptoSenius

    Image credits: svofshahr

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: MisterOptical

    ADVERTISEMENT

    Image credits: gelsonluz

    Image credits: MoistValgina

    Poll Question

    Total votes ·

    Thanks! Check out the results:

    Total votes ·
    Share on Facebook
    Abel Musa Miño

    Abel Musa Miño

    Writer, Entertainment News Writer

    Read more »

    Born in Santiago, Chile, with a background in communication and international relations, I bring a global perspective to entertainment reporting at Bored Panda. I cover celebrity news, Hollywood events, true crime, and viral stories that resonate across cultures. My reporting has been featured on Google News, connecting international audiences to the latest in entertainment. For me, journalism is about bridging local stories with global conversations, arming readers with the knowledge necessary to make up their own minds. Research is at the core of my work. I believe that well-sourced, factual storytelling is essential to building trust and driving meaningful engagement.

    Read less »
    Abel Musa Miño

    Abel Musa Miño

    Writer, Entertainment News Writer

    Born in Santiago, Chile, with a background in communication and international relations, I bring a global perspective to entertainment reporting at Bored Panda. I cover celebrity news, Hollywood events, true crime, and viral stories that resonate across cultures. My reporting has been featured on Google News, connecting international audiences to the latest in entertainment. For me, journalism is about bridging local stories with global conversations, arming readers with the knowledge necessary to make up their own minds. Research is at the core of my work. I believe that well-sourced, factual storytelling is essential to building trust and driving meaningful engagement.

    What do you think ?
    Pheebs
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anyone else notice the gym selfies he’s much larger than the pics from the wig snatching? That last gym selfie his shoulders were really really wide, and arms extra thick. He looks more proportional in the other pics.

    G A
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His hand has disappeared in one pic. Arm ends in a stump. Clearly AI.

    Load More Replies...
    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Straight men will do anything but be interesting when trying to attract a mate.

    Bret Sander
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Calling us pansies while being as fragile as a hot house flower 🌺

    Load More Replies...
    Miriam Insidecor
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His face is kind of uncanny valley.

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I agree. I can’t put my finger on what, exactly, isn’t right, or maybe it’s the face in totality that doesn’t quite look human, but unfortunately for an “influencer,” I think he looks a LOT better (and more realistic!) in the photo in which we see his real hair situation, though his chin and jaw are a bit on the cartoonish side, I guess as a result out all the mewling. I think what these men could use is a leader (maybe with a wife) to try to guide them in the right direction, because the one they’re moving in is so very wrong and results in unfortunate-looking people who, I imagine, have heads filled with awful and wrong ideas. They need someone mature, educated, and SMART who can help ‘em be WHOLE men and not some caricature with an empty brain vault, because no woman wants to talk to an idiot or worse, someone who believe he has ALL the answers and couldn’t possibly be more wrong, and I mean “wrong” in both senses.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    Pheebs
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Anyone else notice the gym selfies he’s much larger than the pics from the wig snatching? That last gym selfie his shoulders were really really wide, and arms extra thick. He looks more proportional in the other pics.

    G A
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His hand has disappeared in one pic. Arm ends in a stump. Clearly AI.

    Load More Replies...
    Breadcrumb.
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Straight men will do anything but be interesting when trying to attract a mate.

    Bret Sander
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Calling us pansies while being as fragile as a hot house flower 🌺

    Load More Replies...
    Miriam Insidecor
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    His face is kind of uncanny valley.

    Binky Melnik
    Community Member
    2 weeks ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I agree. I can’t put my finger on what, exactly, isn’t right, or maybe it’s the face in totality that doesn’t quite look human, but unfortunately for an “influencer,” I think he looks a LOT better (and more realistic!) in the photo in which we see his real hair situation, though his chin and jaw are a bit on the cartoonish side, I guess as a result out all the mewling. I think what these men could use is a leader (maybe with a wife) to try to guide them in the right direction, because the one they’re moving in is so very wrong and results in unfortunate-looking people who, I imagine, have heads filled with awful and wrong ideas. They need someone mature, educated, and SMART who can help ‘em be WHOLE men and not some caricature with an empty brain vault, because no woman wants to talk to an idiot or worse, someone who believe he has ALL the answers and couldn’t possibly be more wrong, and I mean “wrong” in both senses.

    Load More Replies...
    Load More Comments
    You May Like
    Related on Bored Panda
    Popular on Bored Panda
    Trending on Bored Panda
    Also on Bored Panda
    ADVERTISEMENT