Inside this world, present-day relationships are governed by a twisted economic theory of supply and demand.  Incels see the women’s movement as freeing females from dependence on men.  Consequently, women no longer have to “settle” for unattractive men whom historically offered financial and material support.  As a result, most women set their aims on a Chad, leaving incels behind and forgotten.  In this strained worldview, unattractive incels have nothing to offer to independent women and are therefore destined for loneliness. 

Lonely and depressed, incels congregate online, stewing over their poor success and perceived betrayal. In such places, incels reinforce unhealthy beliefs and attack those promoting equality of the sexes, often referring to others as “blue-pilled.”  The reference comes from the 90s sci-fi flick The Matrix.  In the movie, the hero, played by Keanu Reeves, is given a choice between waking up from a false reality and robot enslavement (red pill) or remaining blissfully ignorant of his imprisonment (blue pill). Incels identify as red-pilled and see society’s supposed hidden structures that keep men down. Sometimes they will use the term “black-pilled” for those men that see through society’s male oppressive structures but have somehow leveraged them successfully. 

It is important to note that identifying as an incel does not automatically make one violent.  However, some violent attackers have endorsed such beliefs.  In the U.S., the most well-known case is likely that of Elliot Rodger.  Rodger murdered six people as part of a killing spree before killing himself in 2014.  Before his spree, Rodger posted a manifesto online wherein he cited women rejecting him as motivation for the attack.  The opening paragraph of his manifesto is below: 

Humanity… All of my suffering on this world has been at the hands of humanity, particularly women. It has made me realize just how brutal and twisted humanity is as a species. All I ever wanted was to fit in and live a happy life amongst humanity, but I was cast out and rejected, forced to endure an existence of loneliness and insignificance, all because the females of the human species were incapable of seeing the value in me.

While Rodger did not personally identify as an incel, the community has celebrated him postmortem. Rodger’s status in the incel community is not exaggerated, as members call him Saint Rodger. Additionally, adherents use the phrase “GO ER, or Go Elliot Rodger,” when referencing committing mass murder.  

Aside from Rodger, there are other individuals the community praises that are less violent but still promote harmful ideas.  For example, Andrew Tate has become famous for his online postings recently. Tate is a former professional kickboxer and Big Brother television show contestant that portrays himself as offering self-help advice for disaffected young men. He is the founder of Hustler University, which, according to the website, is an online platform where subscribers learn how to amass wealth with things like cryptocurrency and E-Commerce. However, much of his content outside Hustler University involves misogynistic comments, resulting in him recently being banned by many social media platforms. His banning has likely only elevated his status globally, as he is now a frequent guest on conservative media, talking about the purported dangers of limiting speech online. It is unknown whether these outlets are aware of the extent of Tate’s misogynistic comments. Unsurprisingly, Hustler University’s homepage advertises a newsletter by Tate titled Escape the Matrix.

Although incel ideology does not always lead to radicalization and violence, such ideas are concerning as they often encourage female subjugation and violence against women (e.g., physical, verbal, etc.). With that said, society must recognize that such subcultures resonate with young men worldwide because they fulfill unmet needs, albeit harmfully. The prevalence of mental illness and loneliness is skyrocketing among men. Social media reinforces unrealistic images of wealth and attraction, further compounding the problem. Communities must find ways to combat such issues, offer alternatives, and prevent men from drifting toward toxic ideas. Otherwise, society may regress, with women, in particular, losing the status and many rights they have achieved.