What is a “sigma face”?
A “sigma face” is a goofy meme poking fun at the idea of a sigma male. The facial expression is based on the idea that Christian Bale’s character, Patrick Bateman from American Psycho (2000), matches the description of a “sigma male.” In the movie, Patrick makes a very distinct “Oooh” face after Paul Allen (Jared Leto) calls him a “loser”—and that face has become known as a “sigma face.” Sigma males are usually described as mysterious, quiet, and powerful. They share a lot of qualities with alpha males, except that sigmas tend to be introverted (rather than extroverted like alphas). Bateman is a villainous character (a serial killer) with traits like a sigma male. The facial expression he makes in the movie is pretty silly, which is why the sigma face trend is used to poke fun at sigma male culture.
“Sigma Male” Meaning
In slang terms, "sigma" refers to a self-assured and successful man. The usual traits of a sigma male include self-reliance, independence, introversion, and a knack for success. Sigma males are like the stereotypical “lone wolves”—they’re attractive, magnetic, and masculine, but they tend to keep to themselves. As mentioned above, they’re compared to introverted alpha males. While these traits aren’t inherently negative, “sigma male culture” is often associated with toxic masculinity and harmful stereotypes—just like the concept of “alpha” and “beta” men. Going back to the “sigma face” meme, Patrick Bateman is also an independent and attractive “lone wolf”-type, making him the perfect example of a problematic sigma male. Curious if you fit the description of a sigma male? Take our fun quiz to find out!
How to Do a Sigma Face
Start by frowning and lowering your eyebrows. Make an exaggerated “sad” expression, with the corners of your mouth pointing down and the inner ends of your eyebrows higher than the outer ends. Then, once you have the expression, straighten your mouth (so it’s no longer frowning, but your upper face stays the same).
Smile slightly and pout. Tilt the corners of your mouth in a slightly devious or smug smile, then puff out your lips in an exaggerated pout (or like you’re saying, “Oooh”). That’s all you need to get the Patrick Bateman “sigma male” face! Need a visual? TikTok creator @argenby made a tutorial video after the success of his original sigma face TiKToks.
Where does “sigma face” come from?
The “sigma face” trend started on TikTok in 2022. TikTok creator @argenby kicked things off with a video on November 22, 2022, that went viral practically overnight. In the video, @argenby recreated the iconic “Patrick Bateman face”—and in less than 2 months, the video had 95 million views. Two days later, on November 24, @argenby posted another TikTok with the Sigma face that got even more TikTok fame. That second TikTok gained over 110 million views in less than 2 months! After the first two videos took off, @argenby continued using the sigma face in his posts—and so did many other TikTok creators.
The trend kept spreading on TikTok and inspired the “sigma girl.” By 2023, female TikTok creators were getting in on the fun and putting their own spin on a “female sigma face” (also with furrowed brows and an exaggerated pout). In December 2023, creator @greapaxcherri posted a video in which she impresses her excitable date and then pulls a female sigma face in response. In January 2024, @greapaxcherri posted another video featuring the female sigma face, which went viral with over 100 million views in under 2 weeks. Other TikTok creators have used the female sigma face since then, inspired by @greapaxcherri’s viral posts!
Many content creators have now reacted to the “sigma face” meme. If you need convincing, check the #sigmaface tag on TikTok—collectively, it has over 360 million views…and related tags like #sigmagirl and #sigmamale have views in the billions. The #sigmaface tag features face clips, skits, and reaction videos, all based on the sigma face meme. One TikTok creator, @jakewolfstyle, made a list of the most stylish sigma male characters in September 2022. Creator @andygordone also posted a video in March 2023 about personality types and movie characters who could be sigma males. Even sports fans got in on the fun; for example, user @louisXX_7 posted a clip of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo making the sigma face.
Roblox players even made digital renders of the sigma face. That’s right, there’s even a Roblox version of the sigma face—and it was featured in a TikTok video by user @zaren_delacruz in January 2024. The Roblox sigma face basically looks like a slanted half-smile with scrunched eyebrows, a slight pout, and a sharp line representing cheekbones. Currently, if you search for “sigma face” on the Roblox Marketplace, you’ll find a ton of creations, including some featuring images of the original Christian Bale-Patrick Bateman face.
Sigma Face Meme Examples
The Patrick Bateman “sigma face” has cropped up in many memes. Not just memes on TikTok, either—it didn’t take long for the sigma face gag to breach containment! Now, there are image-based memes on other social media platforms like Reddit, either referencing the face or featuring Patrick Bateman’s iconic expression. For example: Reddit user Training-Internal669 posted a meme with a drowsy-looking Winnie the Pooh labeled “Binge-watching Netflix and 1 AM face” and a fancy Pooh labeled “sigma face” (because Pooh’s expression looks like a sigma face). Reddit user idont_knowwattoput posted a meme with an image of the Greek Sigma symbol and Patrick Bateman captioned “So glad I grew up with this [the symbol] and not this [Bateman].”
More Popular TikTok Trends
TiKTok has originated tons of iconic and noteworthy trends. So, if you want to dive deeper, beyond just the hilarity of “sigma face,” check out our articles on other TikTok trends and memes that have gone viral. These include: Very demure, very mindful Red thoughts #xyzbca Drizzle drizzle Frog blink Hopecore Hear me out cake
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