A rising ultimate-fighting star is one to watch… for signs of shifting social mood
The New York Times, Aug. 24 profiles “a new kind of fighting man” – mixed martial arts (MMA) champion Payton Talbott. The 26-year-old is equally known for his striking punches as for his striking anti-machismo appearance:
He dresses, on occasion, in mesh crop tops; appears in videos pole-dancing; and records experimental audiovisual projects with an eclectic list of collaborators, including the electronica artist Arca, who is transgender, and the mercurial singer Frank Ocean.
Social mood may be the deciding factor as to whether his flashy style makes him a winner out of the ring. From our Dec. 1994 Elliott Wave Theorist:
Positive-mood gender idols tend to be “sexually distinct and stereotypical,” whereas the sexuality of negative-mood gender idols is often “mixed and blurred. “
The extent of negatively trending mood within a society regulates its acceptance of mixed and blurred gender expressions, including androgynous fashions and transgender people.
Right now, Talbott dodges verbal swings, like this Instagram comment: “This is why you lost… instead of Painting your nails you should… become a man.”
Recently, our December 2024 Socionomist cover story looked back at how the quintessential male role model has changed throughout history, and why today’s extreme “sigma male” fantasy is the byproduct of extreme positive mood. But there was a time, not too long ago, when the male ideal was far less macho, and much more… metro.
Read that special report “The ‘Sad, Stupid Rise of the Sigma Male’ Makes Perfect Socionomic Sense” today for just $15!