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This page provides background information on the incel movement and a broad overview of the manosphere as a whole. Though the focus of this site is on incels and the red pill, it is important to have at least a surface-level understanding of how the different communities comprising the manosphere connect and overlap.
A Brief History of Incels
A Brief History of Incels
The term "incel" was first used on a blog owned by a woman in 1993 and was used to help support any person who felt isolated in their lack of a relationship. Incels were originally a group comprised of individuals who were seeking and providing support for one another, and whose goal was to facilitate positive interactions among group members.
Eventually, both the word "incel" and the associated community were adopted and taken over by a subculture of primarily heterosexual men in online spaces. These men, like the original incels, felt isolated due to their lack of a romantic or sexual partner. However, there were other factors that influenced their perspective:
feeling entitled to women and their bodies
belief in the validity of hegemonic masculinity
adherence to a patriarchal worldview
unhealthy expression of emotions, leading to a buildup of anger in response to negative experiences
As the incel community grew and other manosphere groups either sprang into existence or grew in numbers, the central ideology of The Red Pill(TRP) became more concrete and popular among the wider manosphere network. This ideology proposes a "true but hidden" reality in which all men are organized into a hierarchy based on sexual prowess, and in which women are both the dominant oppressors and the naturally inferior gender. Though the primary components of TRP are hegemonic masculinity and misogyny, there are also elements of white supremacy and homophobia that influence the desirability standards set by the proposed hierarchy.
Incels, as they exist now, are not too different from the original group who hijacked the term, but a key difference is the alarming increase in the number of violent acts tied to members of the community. Though the vast number of incels will never act out in violence, the language and jokes used within different sites make it difficult to predict when someone is serious about taking action or not. With the increase in isolation due to the rise of the internet and its use as a source of socialization, the likelihood of a teen boy finding these groups and subsequently being radicalized is higher than when modern incels first emerged.
The World as Seen by Incels
The World as Seen by Incels
The pictured diagram is a visual representation of the world as incels see it. There are other categories and substructures that can fall into or outside of this structure, but this is a good simplified explanation. As depicted, incels place themselves at the bottom of this hierarchy, which leaves them feeling as if they are the underdogs, destined for a life of inferiority unless they act out in rebellion. Incels who adopt the Black Pill will accept that they are trapped at the bottom of this power structure, which leads to feelings of hopelessness and anger at the perceived unfairness of their situation.
From an incel's perspective, the world is stacked against them, and always will be. They are stuck at the lowest possible level of humanity and there is nothing they can do about it.
An Overview of Manosphere Groups
An Overview of Manosphere Groups
Key Sites and Influential Figures
Key Sites and Influential Figures
A Review of the Literature
A Review of the Literature
Background:
A literature review is used within academic circles to get a sense of what is out there in terms of research. The goal of a literature review is to ask yourself questions like "What do we know? What do we not know? Are there gaps or errors in the research?". The goal of this literature review is to find out what the experts know about incels, TRP, and the manosphere as a whole, with the motivating questions:
What makes a person susceptible to or protected against misogynist and red-pill messaging online?
What does the current public health literature say about violence prevention and risk factors for radicalization in general?
Why are incels dangerous and why is following the Red Pill ideology dangerous not only to those outside of incel groups but also to those in them?
Full Literature Review:
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