The Goad, The Bad, & The Ugly: The Livestreamed Vice Signaling & Body Fascism of Clavicular & Asmongold

Authors

• Jacob T. Fry, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

First Advisor

Casey Ryan Kelly

Committee Members

Kate Siegfried, Kristen Hoerl

Date of this Version

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Citation

A thesis presented to the faculty of the Graduate College at the University of Nebraska in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree of Master of Arts

Major: Communication Studies

Under the supervision of Professor Casey Ryan Kelly

Lincoln, Nebraska, May 2026

Comments

Copyright 2026, Jacob T. Fry. Used by permission

Abstract

This thesis explores the rhetorical, material, and symbolic implications of fascist livestreaming in the United States through two popular streamers: Clavicular and Asmongold. These two streamers represent a small slice of the rise of different reactionary rhetorics online and how the use of different masculine subcultures—in this case ‘Looksmaxxing’ or Gamer inspired rhetoric—are used as ideological texts for white male supremacy. Whether in front of the glow of their gaming monitor or the flashing lights of a nightclub, the livestreaming of the body, home, relationships, and lifestyles challenge rhetorical conceptions of style, the ‘public/private sphere,’ and political communication. As different fascist subcultures, their ideologies, and memetic vocabulary are appropriated by mainstream politicians and commentators, the study of online mediums in the current material and symbolic conditions is necessary for proper analysis of unmediated and fragmentary texts. In my examination of a medium of political communication that reflects the extremes of communicative capitalism, neofeudalism, and the cultural style of immediacy, I argue that fascist content creators use the decline in symbolic efficiency and ‘unstyle’ to their rhetorical advantage to be perceived by their audiences as more authentic, legitimate fantasies of white male victimhood, and defend their chauvinistic ideologies. Through my analysis of their polarizing body fascisms, I provide an insight into the extremes of the rhetorical use of vice, vulgarity, and violence for white male supremacist propaganda from the state and to the right of it. I provide a metaphor to understand the rhetorical appeal of these extreme online rhetors, the “e-cowboy.” To collect a series of different terms that discuss the use of vice as a rhetorical text, I argue that the term ‘vice signaling’ should be used to discuss the rhetorical appeal in the violation of argumentative, democratic, or rhetorical norms. Furthermore, I contend that the extreme communicative and labor conditions of livestreaming reveals the lack of symbolic separation between the Habermasian inspired public/private spheres.

[Content warning: Throughout my thesis, I discuss the blunt and violent rhetoric of two vulgar white male supremacists. This requires the discussion of a variety of terminology and statements that are overtly misogynistic, racist, ableist, and/or anti-indigenous. My analysis includes discussions of self-harm, addiction, and blatant defense of violence across different circumstances.]

Advisor: Casey Ryan Kelly