Abstract
Involuntary celibates (incels) are part of the online ‘manosphere’ and have been widely discussed in contemporary media in recent years due to their involvement in several offline mass murders. This article presents empirical data that specifically map aspects of the incel worldview: the ‘black pill’. Analysis of online discussion forums demonstrates how incels believe society is ordered through a hetero-patriarchal racial hierarchy and justify their sexlessness through beliefs rooted in biological determinism and victimisation by women and feminism. It is argued that the black pill is a disciplinary device that aids in building a digital counter-public that engenders a collective incel identity. Further, the article argues that the black pill produces a form of ‘stochastic terrorism’ in which users interpret its spectrum of beliefs to enact harms from online gender-based hate speech through terrorist violence in the offline world. As a point of departure, the article argues that incel counter-publics transcend the false distinctions between online and offline; both ‘worlds’ contribute to the (re)production of incel anti-feminism and misogyny.
Highlights
In recent years, involuntary celibates have received increasing attention after several mass murders have been attributed to extreme fringes of this loosely organised, digital community
It appears that incel ideology has ‘cross-pollinated’ (Ging 2017) and spread to farright mass shooters, as in the case of the recent attacks committed by Tobias Rathjen in Hanau, Germany, whose manifesto suggested that he was influenced by the incel worldview (Caniglia, Winkler and Métais 2020; Hoffman, Ware and Shapiro 2020)
Exploring the incel subculture via their discourse, memes and other cultural materials that areproduced through incel forums and the wider manosphere have revealed a strong, shared mythology of victimisation. It is evident throughout the discourse surveyed in this article that many incels support violence against out-groups
Summary
Involuntary celibates (incels) have received increasing attention after several mass murders have been attributed to extreme fringes of this loosely organised, digital community. The digital social networks that encompass the contemporary anti-feminist men’s rights milieu are known collectively as the ‘manosphere’, referring to an array of interconnected MRA groups with an online vocal presence who often promote a heteronormative, sexist, misogynistic and, at times, racist belief system (Banet-Weiser and Miltner, 2016; Ging 2017) Members of these communities adhere to the ‘red pill’ philosophy, which ‘purports to awaken men to feminism’s misandry and brainwashing’ (Ging 2017: 3). The possibilities for systemic hatred are further enabled and facilitated by the internet, coupled with a reaction to the perceived diminishing social status of men, and have changed the nature and shape of anti-feminist discourse through the amplification of these new expressions of anti-feminism It is the goal of this article to provide a critical understanding of how this anti-feminist network forms identity and ‘radicalises’ new members within these counter-public spaces. This will allow us a more nuanced view of the contemporary assemblages of anti-feminism that centre around tropes of male victimhood and gendered hatred
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
