The Manosphere!

A hyper-volatile state of alienation.

Step into the “Manosphere”.

Some define it as a troubling phenomena or a “hyper-volatile state of alienation… a very controversial subculture”. Others frame it as a wellspring of “dark enlightenment”. A quantum entanglement of superfluous wealth, online messiahs, alpha-macho figures, Incels, hate groups, conspiracy mills, subsequent forums and right down to popular social media platforms. A sphere that is also “home” to utterly isolated lives, of millions of young men (and some women) from varying backgrounds, ages and political ideologies, spread across the world. All tie into the “Manosphere”. Some identify themselves as Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs), while a vast other demographic identifies themselves as Incels (involuntary celibates). Incels are a subgroup of men or boys who struggle with forming sexual or romantic relationships, creating a sense of identity around this perceived inability. The subsequent rage, despair and loathing perceives ever new ways to “exit the system” utilizing every new media technique and technology, energizing their own little outposts within the Manosphere. The phenomena also includes the Neo-conservative cults and positivists as “Men Going Their Own Way” (MGTOW). Further down the list, there are Pick-Up Artists (PUAs), Fathers Rights Groups, “Single Men Are Happier Groups” and extreme, often anonymous factions called “Black Pill Groups”.

The following story unboxes the above phenomena, with the contradictions of mass alienation and collective psychosis hosted by cybernetic technologies. Tentacles of the Manosphere transmit energy, affirmation, they manipulate and proliferate, targeting the most disenfranchised and lonely. In its gravity so intense that nothing, not even reason and reality can escape, akin to the phenomena of a “Black Hole” that is consuming the lives of millions of teenagers and young men. A space where alienation, philosophy, morality, convention, opinion, speculation, hate and anxiety all merge into violent rhetoric, and at times deeply misogynistic advice and motivation.

“Disheartened and cynical, but at the end of the day we are the good guys… Here is why I am positive and not really cynical like the Black Pill guys. This is your country, these are your values, this is your family” Michael Malice on the Lex Friedman Podcast). Michael Malice goes on to frame Adolf Hitler’s greatness as “look, if Hitler was a bad guy, why isn’t he in jail?”. The Lex Friedman Podcast draws about 6 million listeners every week and his YouTube shows have gathered more than 500 million views. “There might be a safety concern… in the sense of false rape charges. From what I read on the internet, it’s unsafe to even be in the same room as a woman without a third party.” Anonymous British YouTuber (The Secret World of Incels). “I will slaughter every stuck up blonde b*tch that I see inside…” Eliot Rodger (UK, Incel Leader). Eventually Eliot Rodger stabbed both his roommates and went on a killing rampage on campus, targeting women, killing six, injuring eighteen. Ironic, how the vicious and destructive energy which motivated Eliot also mirrors itself in the MGTOW manifesto as a “a statement of self-ownership and destiny, where the modern man preserves and protects his own sovereignty above all else.”

“The virtual platforms are safer than reality on the streets… not until we have armed all our brothers to regain the social order…” (Andrea C, Nuovo Ordiné Sociale “New Social Order”). Before Andrea was arrested for possession of weapons, explosives and amphetamines he was active online, generating extremist propaganda, against Jews, women, non-white people, and other “enemies”. Media scholar Debbie Ging had warned, that the growth of the World Wide Web would also coincide with the rise of “virulent and unchecked” anti-feminism, misogyny, and associated violent rhetoric. What such scholars discount is the evolution and presence of media techniques, whereby opposing sides, the so called “enemies” have both adopted the same techniques of generation, audio-visual transmission, collectivization and the most effective ways of dispersion over the internet. It is of no concern for the world’s biggest podcast services, such as Spotify, Apple, Patreon, Tik Tok and YouTube, if one is delivering a Red Pill sermon about “how to subjugate women at home and work” or a Blue Pill sermon about “how to overcome trauma of the past”. The underlying logic that ties up phenomena and performance, is all about self-reform, that points us back to the same “achievement society — one that is also a burnout society” (Byung Chul Han).

“Inceldom” is focusing on defeatism, fatalism, and biological determinism for conventionally unattractive men. Many influencers have internalized Neo-Eugenic motivation (Steve Sailer) aimed at the “not good looking women and men”. In recent Right-Wing watch, amongst those users of Incel forums popular in the UK, many also follow right-wing conspiracy theories surrounding climate change, gyno-centric health issues, immigrants and virology. They show a clear disdain for “progressive politics” and multiculturalism of the 80s and 90s. A range of Incel ideas are stemming from the same rhetoric of alt-right American pundits like Jordan Peterson and Stephen Crowder. Unable to combat such a phenomena with decades of mounting alienation, the British govt is applying anti-terrorism programs, but redesigned to “de-radicalize school students”. But private solutions also claim to sanitize the influencer economy, where experts are “crafting standout creative and strategic marketing that deeply influences.” (redpill agency). Yet all such impositions and techniques cannot contain the disruption and simulation (of reality).

Decades ahead of the Manosphere or Incel phenomena, a range of writers and academics had felt the disruption. In Simulacra and Simulation, Jean Baudrillard had defined the “simulacrum” as something that never conceals the truth— it is the truth which conceals, that there is none. Hence, the “simulacrum” is true. “Symbols with no real object to represent, but that pretend to be a faithful copy of the original”. In other words, current society has replaced reality (and meaning) with symbols, icons, terms, signs, terminology, screen, data, etc, and that human experience is “a simulation of reality”. The Internet fits the above phenomena, as does all the media aimed at us. A virtual world that is less defined by democracy, ethics and law, and more by cybernetic consciousness, emergence of anonymous leaders, geopolitical oracles, cult figures, by self-organization, by complex systems, neg-entropy and chaos theory. Jacques Derrida reinterpreted rising alienation not as a temporary state to be overcome (as in Hegel or Marx) but as a “constitutive and inescapable” scene, especially felt within capitalist societies of the 70s, 80s, 90s.

As crucial to highlight that technological innovation and rising alienation, gave way to Nick Land’s utterly dark visions based on Accelerationism. Critical thinkers like Nick Land, Mencius Moldbug and Bronze Age Pervert hold many differing opinions, albeit underpinned by the anti-democratic and anti-revolutionary. “This anti-revolutionary call-to-action… to speed up capitalism's negative tendencies” is the central inspiration of “Dark Enlightenment”. African scholar, Achille Mbembe paraphrases this new imposed reality as the “Age Of Negative Messianism”. “The decline of the modern state… temporary power wielded by the less abled, by feminists, socialists, by the progressives, by pedophiles in high places, by Marxist intelligentsia and radical reformers…” (Bronze-Age Pervert, 2021). Media and all its subsequent techniques become the purveyor of not just news and analysis, but also fact and speculation, education and indoctrination, and all that is political, social and cultural in terms of motivation, assimilation and organization. The purveyors are many and as contrarian when placed next to each other. The rebel yell of this Incel who wants his followers to “defy all IDs, defy all enforced citizenship” (British Influencer, Zeesham Khan).

Such a simulation of everything also lead us to a binary rupture, between “those who can see the truth beyond all the manipulation and simulation…” (Matrix, 1999) and those who remain “devoted to the system, in denial… closing one’s eyes to the truth about society and living in blissful ignorance.” (Britannica, topic: red-pill, blue-pill). The Pill business, originated with the 1999 blockbuster hit movie, The Matrix. The binary of choice, which has the character literally choose between a pill that is red or the other one that is blue. We are told by some Oracles within the story, that the ones who swallow the Red Pill will be the most observant and logically those who choose to “see reality, know the truth and destroy existing evil” (Neo, Matrix). The people who choose the Blue Pill will continue living as always, working in offices, with their meaningless roles and jobs, voting for their favorite leaders, plan a family and what not. The Matrix made a visceral impact on people who believed in the Red Pill option.

Decades later, the movie still shows up like a bible within Incel discourse. The Red Pill groups often attack trans-rights, immigrants and pro-abortion groups. The “Red Pill Guys” also happen to identify themselves as the “good guys”. As disingenuous the directors of the movie who claim that “back then the corporate world wasn’t ready for such an allegory”. According to them, Matrix should be interpreted to reveal a hidden meaning “about transgender people and their liberation”. Trans director Lily Wachowski, who was Andrew Paul earlier and brother Larry Wachowski, now called Lana. Indeed their own Red Pill concoction influenced their gender change. The Premarin tablet, an estrogen pill commonly prescribed in the 1990s is dark red in color.

The Manosphere is also a hive of contradictions, controversy and conflict. Top influencer Tikky Tokky CS claims that he “never ever slept with an ugly girl” and that he was “doing 10 hour preps before the big exams” was recently extradited by Spanish police back to the U.K. where he is facing multiple accusations of tax fraud, embezzlement, gender violence and breaking speed limits. “I had to fight this guy because he put a price on me and I doubled that price” huffs Tikky Tokky in ‘Manosphere’ the new Netflix documentary with Louis Theroux. The documentary turns murky and confrontational when Tikky Tokky slams Henry Theroux by saying “what about you? You are Jewish… So tell me if Israel is committing a genocide in Gaza right now or not?”. Diametrically opposite is influencer Yair Netanyahu when he balks “America, Europe and Israel are full left politics, and we the native born need to get rid of such politics and politicians…” (Triggering Liberals Podcast). Yet as important to reckon with reality, because Yair Netanyahu ran away to Miami recently abandoning his so called “promised land”.

One cannot stick with just “violent rhetoric” and ignore the obvious confrontation of egos. Netflix or Theroux cannot dive any deeper into the Manosphere, not beyond the utterly obvious, the popular cult-figures with their daily routine — the live streaming of achievement, of body, wealth, property, fancy cars, latest girlfriend and the occasional scandal. Thousands of Influencers intentionally use controversy, false history, bogus science and confrontational language to expand their audiences and generate revenue. This part of the Manosphere also mirrors the super positive, hyper achieving influencers, because both wish to create status and wield power, and that ties up perfectly with the tenets of capitalism, and the subsequent hyper-competitive burnout society. “Uncovering Incels” a new series by Apple TV placates the subjects, into the same no-brain binary of conflict between neoliberal achievement versus conservative anti-feminism. A neoliberal rehabilitation of the Incel. No less preposterous is the technique called Looksmaxxing” — the Incel using a hammer on his face to be “more attractive” (The Secret World of Incels). Shocking is the case of Sikh influencer, Nancy Grewal who was killed by white extremists, days after she published various videos “expressing deep concern for her safety.” (Windsor, Ontario).

“Men Going Their Own Way”. Clearly largely anti-feminist and promoting male separatism, the motivation is similar to something religious or a “purification deal”. The anti-female is centered around the bogus quest of “find Man’s right place in the universe” (Sandman, MGTOW Influencer). “Navigate this society without the parasitic forces like Marxism, Feminism and Socialism.” (Manosphere UK). Their conscious awareness comes from affirmations of the past, such as “there is no greater impotence than knowing you are right and the wave of the world is wrong.” (Normal Mailer, American Author).

“We have the truth behind us… We are not ashamed of masculinity… many women will rip out your heart and your wallet without any remorse.” (Sandman, MGTOW Influencer). The anti-feminist motivation also opens up the old religious trappings. “The choice I made is clear… a choice that other men can make… transition from their bondage of masculine shame… is the ethos of a man going his own way.” (Men Going Their Own Way, By Spetsnaz Slovak). Figures like Jeffrey Epstein and his rich powerful friends at the “Sex Island” are viewed through a lens of distorted admiration as a “Chad”—a high-status male perceived to have absolute power over and access to women. Condescending and clinical is the how the progressive British media frames Incels, by saying “sexless young men have typically existed throughout history… have always been the group to worry about… we call it the ‘young male syndrome’ in our field… for example the Vikings and medieval monasteries” (Novara Media).

In contrast, there are older Incels who are convinced that they have “all the qualities of the good type and women will not settle for that… Women will not settle for anything less than having absolute power…” (Angry Guy on Rumble). The same self-styled messiah is also telling his audience to invest in crypto-currency, check out overseas banking options and is giving away free guide-books called “How Meme Coins Can Make You a Millionaire”. Angry Guy is also a Donald Trump fan and anti-abortion activist. The matter gets even more contradictory for the intellectual variety within the Manosphere. “ideological celibacy” one that crosses both national borders and religious divides. And the Incels point to the basic reason as “a slow crawl toward gender equality”. Popular philosopher on YouTube, Chris Cutrone is very clear in his Red Pill based verdict that “the demise of capitalism is most probable, yet the hopelessness of humans killing other humans for resources will go on till the end of humanity…”. Is it a contradiction then, that the same conservative settler-colonial mindset, also denies the ongoing genocide in Gaza as “the conflict is purely economic… because the Israelis have done so much better”. Cutrone is also convinced that Kamala Harris is “a self-serving Stalinist”.

Yet internet figures like Cutrone fade into the unprecedented convergence of right-wing and ethno-nationalist groups, younger and angrier men, spread across nations and not just limited to the Anglosphere. Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan, are prominent voices in the Manosphere, who face accusations of rape and teenage pornography in Romania, also happen to influence young men in India. Incels in India, who in turn proliferate misogyny of a new type. The male policing of “my social media, accusing me of seeking male validation… he judged me for my sexual past… but not just mine but all the women” (Incel culture in India).

The Incel groups in India are inspired first, by the hideous objectification of women and girls in Bollywood, but the situation gets worse. Social media and personal communications are weaponized in a mounting crisis underpinned by discrimination. The violence against minorities orchestrated by Hindu terror cells, colludes with local Incel networks and that is no surprise. India is also rife with hate based nationalism, police complicity, legal gaps and no accountability of tech companies — near total failure to embed safety and act effectively. “Incels are typically framed in terms of the threat they pose to others, but our findings suggest they may be just as dangerous, if not more so, to themselves.” (Swansea University).

Yet Incels too exhibit diversity. A recent study in the U.K. concluded a “diverse ethnic representation, with 58% white and 42% identifying as people of color”. Another study reveals various forums with “positive references” to mass shootings, attacks on places of worship, planned sabotage, terrorist explosions etc. Within the Manosphere, classification of people has no end, in terms of an universal ladder, which always posits Man at the top. Hence, at the far depths of the Incel universe, we have the “Simps”. A “Simp” is internet slang for someone—typically a man— “who shows excessive admiration, attention, or deference toward another person, often in hopes of a romantic relationship that is not reciprocated” (Gemini, Google).

Difficult to gauge numbers, but there are tens of thousands of intellectual and radical streams, which popularize ideas, engage followers and help establish some ideological framework. Set up virtual shops, hand out guide-books, stage webinars and produce millions of podcasts. The analogous part comes across as a hoax, the open offer of choice. Indeed, people can make a choice. To huddle together or completely remove themselves from reality or perhaps divest from the tentacular metaverse of “infinite cyberspace and cybertime” (Franco Bifo Berardi). Log out of such virtual psychosis, alienated individualism that seeks power while offering salvation, in such times of unprecedented planetary chaos and trouble.

The term Incel was coined by a woman. Known only by her first name, a woman named Alana began using the term “invcel” (later shortened to incel) in the late 1990s while she was based in Ontario, Canada. The term was merely a way to connect with other singles struggling with social awkwardness. “Alana’s Involuntary Celibacy Project,” turned into a common space, as a forum for many people struggling to form romantic relationships. The term “invcel” was hijacked by radical groups on Reddit and later on Discord and 4Chan. Called “Inceldom” the so called epidemic is visible across major social media platforms, within communities of online gaming, crypto-currency, blockchain and live streaming pornography.

The broad consensus that “current society is inherently biased against men and dominated by feminism” is eventually debased as “collective cognitive distortion” (Late Capitalism and Alienation by Victor Yarov) or mass hysteria and shared anxiety, an outcome of widespread alienation felt by the youth, across nations. The state continues to impose the “mental health emergency” as neo-reactionary as violent in reality. The neoliberal magic of mental health intervention that failed to combat all high rates of depression, anxiety, extreme loneliness, and suicidal ideation in the very same society, where also nest the Incels.

The type of bogus reform, which discounts the actual devastating impacts of capitalism and mass alienation felt within every “Technological Society”. Billions of people gazing into their devices while doing nothing important or worth remembering. The experts demonize the subject even further by saying “men who identify as Incels have fundamental thinking errors…“ (BBC, Incel Reform). We do live in a world where the daily headlines are made by the biggest psychopath achievers, the billionaire class, utterly corrupt and demonic politicians, organizations that wield power at a global scale, who are all supposedly free of “fundamental thinking errors”.

Alienation and Reification must go hand in hand — the dual phenomena shared between millions of Incels and their chosen influencers and online messiahs. Within the Manosphere what goes completely internalized is mass alienation, always present within every “achievement society” (Byung Chul Han).

In Marxism, alienation is defined as “a break in the original unity of a human beings and their primary needs and activities”. A state of society, in which the world created by people through de-objectification and objectification eventually creates a mass opposition. Mass dislike and disenchantment. When people themselves are alienated and turn hostile, to their own free development, then only all the false emancipation can mask material reality and real needs.

There is nothing particularly exceptional about the Manosphere, once we understand the alienation, contradictions and reification that has replaced reality, relationships, friendship, kinship and contact with life bearing Nature. The utopian promise of the Manosphere with all the theories, images, projections and popular consensus cannot manifest in reality via affirmations or even some best technique. What takes over is more like a “abyss of ignorance framed as enlightenment” about the surrounding world, and the Manosphere and Incels cannot be exception to the above dialectic.

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