Acqua Di Gio Pour Homme lingers faintly in the air as he leaves the room.

Smooth, heavy footsteps that leave those around breathless can be heard in beat with “Walking on Sunshine.”

Dressed in a black wool topcoat, a jacket, flannel trousers, a cotton shirt, a cashmere V-neck sweater and a silk tie, all from Armani of course, Patrick makes his way to dinner at Nell’s.

The novel “American Psycho” by Bret Easton Ellis was first published in 1991. The story follows the life of a wealthy young investment banker named Patrick Bateman; it is an exploration of the psyche of a serial killer and a commentary on the superficiality of the 1980s yuppie culture, a slang term for the young urban professionals of the 80s. Characterized by affluence, youth and business success, yuppies placed importance on brands, the names of restaurants and their social status. Throughout the novel and the movie, the yuppie lifestyle, particularly the shallow and materialistic nature of it, is depicted through high-end brands like

Yves Saint Laurent, Dior, Armani, etc.

“American Psycho” uses gruesome violence to show corporate greed and the unsustainable lifestyle of yuppies. The casual acts of racism, sadism and sexism ingrained throughout the novel and movie should serve as a warning sign rather than a behavior that should be emulated. However, many sigma male trend followers see Patrick Bateman as a hero. To them, he is a cultural icon because the movie was very well made with an amazing performance from Christian Bale, but that shouldn’t be used to excuse his greed and acts of violence.

The character Patrick Bateman is a satirical portrayal of the “me” generation and the emptiness of consumer culture, as he becomes increasingly obsessed with material possessions and status symbols like being engaged with a “hot hardbody” like Evelyn.

He expresses how the elite act, feel and think. And in the 2020s he has become the symbol for the “sigma male” trend.

A GQ article explained, “Sigma males are self-sufficient loners; they attract extremely good-looking women but aren’t interested in them, and, in keeping with society’s growing fixation with productivity, they’re capitalist hustlers.”

Just like the yuppies of the 80s, sigma males are only interested in acquiring. It is a lifestyle that very much resembles that of Bateman’s and his Wall Street coworkers. “Productivity” is the fixation and immediate gratification through the purchase of products that drives the cycle of consumption.

The lack of individuality is also very interesting. In the novel, Bateman is confused with Marcus Halberstram, a colleague, but he doesn’t correct the mishap because he

wants to “fit in.” Furthermore, the frequent mistakes emphasize the fact that everyone looks and dresses the same.

Currently, though “individualism” is a central theme of most movements like that of the sigma male trend, followers still use similar products and lead similar lifestyles. Patrick Bateman is still the symbol of the ultra-productive lifestyle.

Beyond the lavish display of brands and luxury, this novel/movie follows the horrific bloodlust of Patrick Bateman. As his killing spree spins out of control, Bateman’s double life becomes self-sabotaging and unsustainable.

As the plot moves forward, Bateman cannot escape. He has to accept his double life. There is no resolution, and in many ways, Bateman is a symbol of the yuppie lifestyle and the sigma male trend that has occupied much of the internet today.