Murder designed to terrorise

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

Murder designed to terrorise not actually terrorism if murderer is white, confirm Police​

White men who kill based on a warped, twisted ideology with the intention of terrorising can’t be terrorists, a spokesperson for the Police has confirmed.

Instead, they should be referred to as ‘unwell’ ‘disturbed’ or ‘a well-liked family man who has suffered significant recent stress’.

Policeman Kris Mowrun said, “Terrorism is determined by skin colour or heritage. Therefore, a white person can’t be a terrorist, unless they are a woman campaigning for the vote, in which case they are a terrorist.

“If they are a black or Asian woman, they are doubly terrorist, like that fifteen-year-old who was groomed by ISIS. I mean yeah, she never actually killed anyone, and suffered terribly, but she is much, much worse than a well-liked family man who has suffered recent stress through no fault of his own.

“A lot of these white guys hate women and feel rage that they are denied sex, which I think we can all agree is completely understandable.

“You have to be careful what you say now, bloody PC Britain and that, but if you were to say mass murder was women’s fault then I’d possibly be inclined to agree.”

Murder designed to terrorise not actually terrorism if murderer is white, confirm Police

White men who kill based on a warped, twisted ideology with the intention of terrorising can’t be terrorists, a spokesperson for the Police has confirmed.

newsthump.com

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I get that you put a light-hearted, somewhat sarcastic spin on news stories, but the Incel movement is growing and these attacks are going to increase. Considering what's happened, the above post leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

Violence against women has never been a joke and unfortunately, it's people that make it in to a joke that fuel these misogynists- you minimise their negativity and in doing so, also validate it.

These men have personality disorders and it is not the same as terrorism- it does not have the same beginning/cause. These are men that have internalised rejection from their mothers and seen the subsequent rejection of females as a validation of their worthlessness and unattractiveness. They will have few or no childhood female protective factors (i.e. secure relationships with female relatives) and like the stereotypical school shooter, will have a history of poor social skills and social engagement.
However, those groomed into terrorism don't always have such a predictable background and you will find that social engagement and social skills are better than those that become Incels. They become brainwashed by an ideology, whereas with the Incel it's not about the ideology, but their overall psychological conditioning.

BTW, it's not just white men that are Incels. Anyone who's spent time in the Incel community will know that....oh, and they're not all men, but female Incels are less likely to perpetrate violence, so you won't hear about them in the media. They become Crazy Cat Ladies.

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

 

[CrazyCatLady]

 

[SamBally]

The police reinstated his suspended shotgun licence after serious allegations of assault after the killer attended a basic "anger management" course ordered by the police. What kind of bullshit is that?

The killer apparently had previously threatened his own mother's life.

A cursory check of his mobile phone would have revealed footage of angry and disturbing behaviour online.

Why did YouTube and Facebook delete his accounts without contacting the police? Which begs the question, when are these corporate giants going to be held accountable for not reporting content on their platforms.

Why was a troubled 22-year-old authorized to own a three-shot pump-action shotgun for so-called sports use. When are the police going to be held accountable for decisions they make?



There were countless red flags raised and this tragedy was totally avoidable.

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

Incels are surprisingly diverse but united by hate

Incels (involuntary celibates) are a misogynistic online community linked to terrorism and several mass killings, including those committed by Elliot Rodger in California and Alek Minassian in Toronto.

Incels are caricatured as NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training), basement dwelling, unkempt and socially isolated white men.

Research with bioinformatician and data scientist Finlay Maguire, psychologist Norann Richard and sociologist Kayla Preston suggests that incel discussion boards are surprisingly diverse. Despite this diversity, we find that incels are united by their hatred of women.

Incels share a belief that they are victims of “lookism.” Lookism means that attractive people receive advantages, while unattractive people are the targets of prejudice. These arguments are not without merit, as psychological and sociological research demonstrates attractiveness has benefits such as higher income.

Incels think women are to blame for lookism and its consequences. They argue that women only pursue the most attractive men, which they call “hypergamy.” For incels, hypergamy means that women will always “trade” their partner for a more attractive man.

Incels see Tinder and Instagram as gasoline on the fire of lookism and hypergamy. They believe women use these apps to pursue only the most attractive men, leaving the majority of men unpartnered. Incels view an increasing number of single men as unjust and a growing social problem.

White nationalism​

Many white incels actively promote white nationalism. These incels are angry about interracial relationships, diversity programs and immigration. Surprisingly, some white nationalist incels believe they should remain celibate as they see themselves as too inferior to contribute to the white race.

Incels rank all racial groups by attractiveness. The most attractive white men and women are “Chads,” “Stacys” and “Beckys.” Attractive men from other groups are referred to as “Tyrones” (Black men), “Changs” (Asian men), and “Chaddums” (Arabic men).

And these labels are explicitly racist.

The term “Tyrone” is taken from a YouTube series featuring a Black man approaching men or couples saying he’s going to have sex with “this man’s wife.” Incels’ use of “Tyrone” also sexualizes Black bodies and identifies Black men as threatening to heterosexual monogamy, both of which are tied to the legacy of anti-Black racism.

Incel Diversity​

While it is easy to think of incels as uneducated, bitter white supremacists, they are drawn from surprisingly diverse backgrounds. Some incels claim high social status, reporting enrolment at the world’s top universities. In a survey of 400 incels, 50 per cent reported receiving an undergraduate or graduate degree, while 66 per cent identified as middle class or above.

Incels also identify with numerous racial and ethnic groups, labelling themselves and each other with terms like “ricecel” (East Asian incels) or “currycel” (South Asian incels). In a 2019 survey, done through Reddit, of 1,267 incels, 55 per cent identified as white. While not a scientific survey, it suggests many incels identify as men of colour.

Incels of colour argue that white incels are “voluntary celibates” because you “just need to be white” to have heterosexual sex thus losing your your incel status. The idea here is that white privilege makes it easier for white men to have sex.

The incels’ discussions of white privilege are based on extreme misogyny, rather than progressive ideas. Incels call women of colour “noodlewhores” (women from Southeast Asia) and “currywhores” (women from South Asia). They argue that women of colour view white men as more desirable and use white men to increase their social standing.

United by hate​

On incel forums, avowed white nationalists converse with men of colour, uniting against feminism and bonding over their hatred of women. Despite their differences, incels see women as selfish, uncaring and animalistic.

Incels think the growing numbers of sexually inactive men are a social problem that will result in more killings or an authoritarian men’s rights movement. In our research, we find that incels’ solutions to this social problem are limiting women’s freedoms and making them dependent on men.

Our research also suggests that incels are a ready-made audience for social movements that target feminism and advance policies that harm women. Incels are diverse, but are united by their misogyny.

link to above information at The Conversation online website.

Incels are surprisingly diverse but united by hate

Our research suggests that incel discussion boards are surprisingly diverse. Despite this diversity, we find that incels are united by their hatred of women.

theconversation.com

link to article from The Conversation - author Michael Halpin Assistant Professor of Sociology, Dalhousie University

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

The police reinstated his suspended shotgun licence after serious allegations of assault after the killer attended a basic "anger management" course ordered by the police. What kind of bullshit is that?

The killer apparently had previously threatened his own mother's life.

A cursory check of his mobile phone would have revealed footage of angry and disturbing behaviour online.

Why did YouTube and Facebook delete his accounts without contacting the police? Which begs the question, when are these corporate giants going to be held accountable for not reporting content on their platforms.

Why was a troubled 22-year-old authorized to own a three-shot pump-action shotgun for so-called sports use. When are the police going to be held accountable for decisions they make?



There were countless red flags raised and this tragedy was totally avoidable.

Well said @SamBally and totally correct.

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

(from June 6, 2018)​

How a masculine culture that favors sexual conquests gave us today’s ‘incels’​

After the recent shooting at the Santa Fe, Texas, high school, the mother of one of the victims claimed that the perpetrator had specifically killed her daughter because she refused his repeated advances, embarrassing him in front of his classmates. A month prior, a young man, accused of driving a van into a crowded sidewalk that killed ten people in Toronto, posted a message on Facebook minutes before the attack, that celebrated another misogynist killer and said: “The Incel Rebellion has already begun!”

These and other mass killings suggest an ongoing pattern of heterosexual, mostly white men perpetrating extreme violence, in part, as retaliation against women.

To some people it might appear that these are only a collection of disturbed, fringe individuals. However, as a scholar who studies masculinity and deviant subcultures, I see incels as part of a larger misogynist culture.

Masculinity and sexual conquest​

Incels, short for “involuntary celibates,” are a small, predominately online community of heterosexual men who have not had sexual or romantic relationships with women for a long time. Incels join larger existing groups of men with anti-feminist or misogynist tendencies such as Men Going Their Own Way, who reject women and some conservative men’s rights activists, as well as male supremacists.

Such groups gather in the “manosphere,” the network of blogs, subreddits and other online forums, in which such men bluntly express their anger against feminists while claiming they are the real victims.

Incels blame women for their sexual troubles, vilifying them as shallow and ruthless, while simultaneously expressing jealousy and contempt for high-status, sexually successful men. They share their frustrations in Reddit forums, revealing extremely misogynist views and in some cases advocating violence against women. Their grievances reflect the shame of their sexual “failures,” as, for them, sexual success remains central to real manhood.

The popular 2005 film “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” nicely illustrates the importance of sexual success, or even conquest, to achieving manhood, as a group of friends attempts to rectify the protagonist’s failure while simultaneously mocking him and bragging about their own exploits. “Getting laid” is a rite of passage and failure indicates a failed masculinity.

Cloaked in the anonymity of online forums, incels’ frustrations become misplaced anger at women. Ironically, while they chafe under what they perceive as women’s judgment and rejection, they actually compare themselves to other men, anticipating men’s judgment. In other words, incels seek to prove themselves to other men, or to the unrealistic standards created by men, then blame women for a problem of men’s own making. Women become threats, cast as callous temptresses for withholding sex from, in their perception, deserving men.

Entitlement

If heterosexual sex is a cultural standard signifying real manhood for a subset of men, then women must be sexually available. When unable to achieve societal expectations, some lash out in misogynist or violent ways. Sociologists Rachel Kalish and Michael Kimmel call this “aggrieved entitlement,” a “dramatic loss” of what some men believe to be their privilege, that results in a backlash.

Noting that a disproportionate number of mass shooters are white, heterosexual and middle class, sociologist Eric Madfis demonstrates how entitlement fused with downward mobility and disappointing life events provoke a “hypermasculine,” response of increased aggression and in some case violent retribution.

According to scholar of masculinity Michael Schwalbe, masculinity and maleness are, fundamentally, about domination and maintaining power.

Given this, incels represent a broader misogynist backlash to women’s, people of color’s and LGBTQI people’s increasing visibility and representation in formerly all-male spheres such as business, politics, sports and the military.

Despite the incremental, if limited, gains won by women’s and LGBTQI movements, misogyny and violence against women remain entrenched across social life. Of course not all men accept this; some actively fight against sexism and violence against women. Yet killings such as those in Toronto and Santa Fe, and the misogynist cultural background behind them, remind many women that their value ultimately lies not in their intelligence and ideas, but in their bodies and sexual availability.

Fringe men or mainstream misogyny?​

Dismissing incels and other misogynist groups as disturbed, fringe individuals obscures the larger hateful cultural context that continues in the wake of women’s, immigrants’, LGBTQI’s and people of color’s demands for full personhood.

While most incels will not perpetrate a mass shooting, the toxic collision of aggrieved entitlement and the easy availability of guns suggests that without significant changes in masculinity, the tragedies will continue.

The incel “rebellion” is hardly rebellious. It signals a retreat to classic forms of male domination.

link to article at The Conversation

How a masculine culture that favors sexual conquests gave us today’s ‘incels’

Incels compare themselves to other men, before blaming women for withholding sex from, in their perception, deserving men.

theconversation.com

author - Ross Haenfler - Associate Professor, Grinnell College

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

(May 6, 2020)

‘Incel’ violence is a form of extremism. It’s time we treated it as a security threat

Last week, a 17-year-old boy in Toronto was charged with an act of terrorism in the alleged killing of a woman with a machete – the first time such a charge has been brought in a case involving “incel” ideology.

Also last week, a 20-year-old man who self-identified as an “incel” – short for “involuntary celibate” – allegedly went on a shooting spree in Arizona, targeting couples to express his anger over the fact women had rejected him.

These are just two of the most recent attacks attributed to incels. Incel-related violence has been on the rise for the past seven years, and according to our research, has been linked to the deaths of at least 53 people and scores of injuries.

Incel is the name adopted by an online community comprised almost entirely of men and boys who rage against women and blame them for their sexless lives.

While many are simply lonely and use the community for support in an age of digital isolation, some radicals advocate for social and sexual rebellion. These extremist incels seek revenge through violent attacks against people they call “Chads and Stacys”, a reference to men and women they perceive as very successful when it comes to sex.

In our new research, we argue governments should recognise incels as ideological extremist organisations and, through stronger policies and laws, start combating misogyny in the same way they fight Islamic extremism.

What do incels believe?​

In our research, we reviewed incel attacks over the past seven years, looking at what the perpetrators were posting online and how they were engaging with others in the community.

We found incels are angry because they believe the sexual revolution has made women promiscuous and manipulative. They believe feminism, the contraceptive pill and women’s involvement in politics have fuelled this promiscuity.

But they believe women are choosing to have sex only with “Chads”, not incels, and feel a sense of injustice and persecution as a result.

According to the incel-run “Incel Wiki” website, these men view Chads as “the only male beneficiaries of the sexual revolution”. They hate Stacys because they are “vain and obsessed with jewellery, makeup and clothes”, and are “entitled whores”.

These misogynistic views connect incels to other alt-right, anti-women groups like Pick Up Artists and Men’s Rights Activists, which believe feminine values have come to dominate society and men must fight back against a politically correct and misandrist culture to protect their very existence.

Alt-right groups, including incels, have been emboldened by the presidency of Donald Trump in the US, and are certainly active in Australia.

They use online forums to spread their messages of hate, convincing other would-be incels they can blame their social and sexual difficulties on others. Some fantasise about committing acts of violence.

This was the case for Alek Minassian, who has admitted to driving a van onto a sidewalk in Toronto in 2018, killing 10 people. Minassian has told police he was radicalised by other incels online.

Before the van attack, Minassian posted this message on Facebook:

the Incel Rebellion has already begun! We will overthrow all the Chads and Stacys! All hail the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger!

The last part of the quote refers to Elliot Rodger, who published a 141-page incel manifesto online before killing six people in a shooting and stabbing spree in California in 2014. He has since become a martyr in the incel community.

Addressing misogyny at a societal level
Our research shows incel violence presents a similar threat to public safety as religious extremism – and it’s increasing.

Incel extremism fits the definition put forth by Home Affairs for violent extremism:

the use or support of violence to achieve ideological, religious or political goals.

However, Home Affairs apparently does not view misogynistic extremism as such a pressing issue. While some states have developed “threat assessment centres” that could be used to monitor radical incels, the federal government has not provided important leadership by labelling incels or misogyny a security threat.

Understanding the threat posed by incels is difficult because it requires unpacking and critiquing the misogynistic views that underpin their behaviours. Some men misread this as an attack.

Some lessons can also be learned from strategies to counter other forms of violent extremism.

Targeting specific groups can create “suspect communities” and contribute to feelings of persecution. This, in turn, can increase the chances of people becoming violent. Incels already feel disempowered and victimised, so creating a “suspect community” could exacerbate the problem.

Our research suggests the most effective interventions should occur at a societal level.

One reason for this is the anonymous nature of the incel movement. These men tend not to admit to their beliefs in public, relying instead on comments from opinion leaders to legitimise them. If we counter these types of misogynistic statements and deem them a security threat, it could lessen their impact with individual men.

This also means not allowing the mainstream media, politicians or public commentators to excuse or justify gendered violence when it happens.

There is also plenty of evidence that tackling misogyny in this way could help reduce domestic violence, as well as all other forms of violent extremism.

Targeting individuals before radicalisation happens​

Beyond this, health, education and social workers could be trained to spot at-risk behaviours in individual men and act when appropriate.

Following ideas surfaced by other researchers on countering violent extremism, we advocate taking a “public health approach” that allows us to address the feelings of isolation and alienation among incels and intervene at early stages to prevent violence from occurring.

Waiting for radicalised people to start planning attacks is too risky. Germany and Norway have had significant success changing opinions and behaviours by targeting “at-risk” individuals at earlier stages of potential radicalisation.

It is time for Home Affairs to end its preoccupation with external threats and instead address the threats within. Misogyny needs to be understood as a real threat to our public and private security.

link to article at The Conversation -

‘Incel’ violence is a form of extremism. It’s time we treated it as a security threat

Incels, or ‘involuntary celibate’ men, are increasingly radicalising online and committing acts of violence against women. New research explores ways the government can combat it.

theconversation.com

authors
Sian Tomkinson
Media and Communication Scholar, The University of Western Australia

Katie Attwell
Senior Lecturer, The University of Western Australia

Tauel Harper
Lecturer, Media and Communication, UWA, The University of Western Australia

 

[CrazyCatLady]

I stand corrected on my last part (the bit beginning with BTW), however, I will explain it. I was working with the literal meaning of Incel being Involuntary Celibate and not necessarily the collective. My funny brain isn’t working too well today (alright, alright, no jokes about it not working any day! I see you!)
Firstly- very interesting read(s)! Although, I do question that if this movement was becoming significant, why it hasn’t been reported more in the mainstream media? It appears that only when there is a major incident, this group is exposed.
According to the research above, there has been a rise in the Incel movement over the past 7 years, but that’s a relatively short time for any kind of research (that’s to say, if they have been researching it that long) and of course, the majority of the incel movement is going to be white men- the research was done in Western countries, amongst an individualist population, where the majority of men are white! I wonder how the Incel movement would look, if they researched groups of men talking in forums in say….Bangladesh or Israel, where the main religions teach misogyny as a way of life. I can also guess that there would be some racism in there too.

Dismissing incels and other misogynist…………color’s demands for full personhood.

So, in short, an Incel is a person is no different from someone who is an extremist in their religion, because I can think of a couple of ‘good’ books that encourage the hate of women and LGBTQ, non-believers (who are usually a different race) and they see outsiders as a virus to rid the world of.
In that respect, I agree, they are a terror group.

The incel “rebellion”…………classic forms of male domination.

I somewhat agree with this, but do think researchers have to look closer to home for the reason for a retreat for classic forms of male dominance and not hold too much weight in the influences of ‘society’ as a whole.

How a masculine culture that favors sexual…………….retaliation against women.​

Hate to point this out, but that’s domestic violence. Not new, not a modern phenomenon and literally, the only difference is that potential abusers are getting together in an internet group and encouraging one another attitudes.
Simplified- woman doesn’t do as man wants >> man gets pissy and claims no control over his behaviour, i.e. victim blames >>> man lashes out. However, there’s a bit missing- right at the front, there should be ‘Man has negative attitudes to women’, because that comes before any of it. The man then seeks out others like him. The internet (as we all know!) is a facilitator for that and feels validated in his views.

Without the internet, would they exist? Quite likely, but they’d meet up in pubs and clubs or churches/mosques/synagogues (but then if they got out now and again, they might get laid!).

To some people it might…………. misogynist culture.​

I agree and I’m not a scholar who studies masculinity and deviant subcultures. But I am a disturbed individual on the fringe, who has spent a time studying mental health and researching ACEs, family composition and sibling attachment and the impacts on mental health, and from my own experiences those that have said they identify as Incels also report negative relationships with their mothers and that is exactly where misogynism starts- in the relationship between the parents. That’s where the core of all attitudes come from and that is what needs to be focused on within this larger misogynist culture. Separate the individual from the group, because analysing the group will not stop it from growing.

Incels, short for “involuntary celibates,” are a small…………..they are the real victims.

Birds of a feather flock together. Never a truer word and the internet facilitates the flight.

Incels blame women for their sexual……sexual success remains central to real manhood.

But how is any of that new? Women had to fight to be recognised as human. Less than 150 years ago, a man’s dog had more rights than his wife, so blaming women and seeing them as a lesser species is not a new attitude. The only difference is the internet and the way they can share those attitudes.

And again, I come back to the emotional education of the men- the relationships they had with women, while growing up and in the formative years. These attitudes are already there and whether they can find others like them or not, it will not stop those beliefs from escalating when they experience further failure. Emotionally secure individuals do not blame a whole gender on the actions of a few.

The popular 2005 film “The 40-Year-Old Virgin” nicely……………..rite of passage and failure indicates a failed masculinity.

I object to some of this, purely because it’s subjective- not everyone walks away with the same message from a film and actually, I saw that film in another light. I found his friends annoying and respected the main character for his decision to wait.

Again, surely this attitude comes down to what the individual has been taught about sex and intimacy. Who the heck is influenced by one film? (Unless we’re talking about Quadraphenia here!).

Unfortunately, for eons, losing their virginity has been seen as a right of passage for men, so how is that a big influential factor?
In the 80’s, Sixteen Candles was another one- inferred a boy lost his virginity to an unconscious teenage girl. She even thanks him for it the next morning. Again, made in a time where women who wore short skirts were seen as ‘gagging for it’ and we were still being paid less than men in the same roles. Yet it didn’t encourage groups of teenage boys to form a club that abused unconscious girls. However, there will always be opportunists, because of their attitudes towards women- not because of the film.

Cloaked in the anonymity of online forums………….. deserving men.
In short, it’s toxic masculinity then.
This is what they do, but the question is why? They already have the frustrations and seek out others, so they can express- blow out- those frustrations and in the meantime, find others that validate them. Allow them to have those thoughts and feelings.
But again, why do they have them? The internet is not the cause and neither are the others in the group.
Women are already the threat- they are what they see as the cause of their failures. They see sex as a right, so again- why? Where did that perception of sex being a right come from? Sane individuals will see sex as part of intimacy and a factor in building a relationship with another individual, so why do they see it as an entitlement?

If heterosexual………. power.

This comes down to education and the individual experience- what they have been taught about sexuality, women and what being a man means and further, how gender roles are presented in their smaller community. Plus, I’ll point out, mass shootings tend to be popular in one country. The UK very RARELY has this kind of tragedy and you can’t escape the gun laws having an influence on all genres of murder in the U.S and also, isn’t it a bit early to be making conclusions on Incel murders, seeing as there has been so few connected?
Literally, the only difference between the Incels and the rest of misogyny in society is the fact they don’t get laid. I’m sitting here, listening to rap music- no white men- and yet the lyrics are mostly about how women are whores, how men have a right to do what they want.

This is a domestic violence issue and by putting it in the terrorism box, it is failing to address where the attitudes come from.

Given this, incels….to sports and the military.

I’ve answered this point at the beginning.

Despite the incremental……… in their bodies and sexual availability.

The first part of this paragraph is pure victim blaming. So, if women’s & LGBT movements stop gaining power, the big bad male will settle down, will he? We’ve all obeyed and pandered to his pathetic needs, so he’ll be alright now. Dummy’s back in- all is well with the world.

In fact, the second part of the paragraph is no better, which actually makes me wonder as to the origins of this research!

To add, women die every day due to the misogynistic views of men, but when it happens in a Western country, you all sit up and watch.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

Incels are surprisingly diverse but united by hate

Incels (involuntary celibates) are a misogynistic online community linked to terrorism and several mass killings, including those committed by Elliot Rodger in California and Alek Minassian in Toronto.

Incels are caricatured as NEETS (Not in Education, Employment or Training), basement dwelling, unkempt and socially isolated white men.

Research with bioinformatician and data scientist Finlay Maguire, psychologist Norann Richard and sociologist Kayla Preston suggests that incel discussion boards are surprisingly diverse. Despite this diversity, we find that incels are united by their hatred of women.

Incels share a belief that they are victims of “lookism.” Lookism means that attractive people receive advantages, while unattractive people are the targets of prejudice. These arguments are not without merit, as psychological and sociological research demonstrates attractiveness has benefits such as higher income.

Incels think women are to blame for lookism and its consequences. They argue that women only pursue the most attractive men, which they call “hypergamy.” For incels, hypergamy means that women will always “trade” their partner for a more attractive man.

Incels see Tinder and Instagram as gasoline on the fire of lookism and hypergamy. They believe women use these apps to pursue only the most attractive men, leaving the majority of men unpartnered. Incels view an increasing number of single men as unjust and a growing social problem.

White nationalism​

Many white incels actively promote white nationalism. These incels are angry about interracial relationships, diversity programs and immigration. Surprisingly, some white nationalist incels believe they should remain celibate as they see themselves as too inferior to contribute to the white race.

Incels rank all racial groups by attractiveness. The most attractive white men and women are “Chads,” “Stacys” and “Beckys.” Attractive men from other groups are referred to as “Tyrones” (Black men), “Changs” (Asian men), and “Chaddums” (Arabic men).

And these labels are explicitly racist.

The term “Tyrone” is taken from a YouTube series featuring a Black man approaching men or couples saying he’s going to have sex with “this man’s wife.” Incels’ use of “Tyrone” also sexualizes Black bodies and identifies Black men as threatening to heterosexual monogamy, both of which are tied to the legacy of anti-Black racism.

Incel Diversity​

While it is easy to think of incels as uneducated, bitter white supremacists, they are drawn from surprisingly diverse backgrounds. Some incels claim high social status, reporting enrolment at the world’s top universities. In a survey of 400 incels, 50 per cent reported receiving an undergraduate or graduate degree, while 66 per cent identified as middle class or above.

Incels also identify with numerous racial and ethnic groups, labelling themselves and each other with terms like “ricecel” (East Asian incels) or “currycel” (South Asian incels). In a 2019 survey, done through Reddit, of 1,267 incels, 55 per cent identified as white. While not a scientific survey, it suggests many incels identify as men of colour.

Incels of colour argue that white incels are “voluntary celibates” because you “just need to be white” to have heterosexual sex thus losing your your incel status. The idea here is that white privilege makes it easier for white men to have sex.

The incels’ discussions of white privilege are based on extreme misogyny, rather than progressive ideas. Incels call women of colour “noodlewhores” (women from Southeast Asia) and “currywhores” (women from South Asia). They argue that women of colour view white men as more desirable and use white men to increase their social standing.

United by hate​

On incel forums, avowed white nationalists converse with men of colour, uniting against feminism and bonding over their hatred of women. Despite their differences, incels see women as selfish, uncaring and animalistic.

Incels think the growing numbers of sexually inactive men are a social problem that will result in more killings or an authoritarian men’s rights movement. In our research, we find that incels’ solutions to this social problem are limiting women’s freedoms and making them dependent on men.

Our research also suggests that incels are a ready-made audience for social movements that target feminism and advance policies that harm women. Incels are diverse, but are united by their misogyny.

link to above information at The Conversation online website.

Incels are surprisingly diverse but united by hate

Our research suggests that incel discussion boards are surprisingly diverse. Despite this diversity, we find that incels are united by their hatred of women.

theconversation.com

link to article from The Conversation - author Michael Halpin Assistant Professor of Sociology, Dalhousie University

All of this actually validates what I said earlier- personality disorders. Glad to see a study that looks at the cultural spread, but still think the race-card is being stuck on something that shouldn't have one.

They have a very firm, unmovable 'them' and 'us' beliefs, and that trait is not something that is internet born.

 

[Wojcik]

The whole thing reminds of the film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. We have a lot of tough questions to ask ourselves, as to why this ever happened in the first place. The young man was obviously a disturbed and twisted individual, who believed he was a "Terminator" with some kind of mission. He was a young man who had given up on life, believing that society had abandoned him, and that there was nothing else to look forward to.

And this isn't the first instance of a mad man who has gone on a killing spree. There could be many motives as to why he did what he did, why he felt the need to commit such horrific crimes. Apparently he was also charged with numerous assaults. He was a dangerous individual, and i do question why he was allowed to keep his firearms.

I have heard about this "incel" stuff, and it does seem very cult like, and i can understand why it may attract those types of people who feel like society has left them behind, based on their own personal or life experiences.

The question is how do we prevent anything like this from happening again? And the truth is we can't. We're too lenient on crime and on the criminals that commit them. We treat them as though they're needing help and support, forgetting that they've massacred and brutalised innocent people. And you're right, we shouldn't focus on someone's religious beliefs or race, but if they play into some kind of motive for committing these acts, then i don't see why we can't explore these motives, as it may be the route to eventually put a stop to crimes.

As a whole, we're a soft and weak society when it concerns criminals and criminal activity. We don't have the right to bear arms like the Americans do, so criminals have a clear advantage. The question recently was how to stop women from suffering the worst acts of violence, and how they can be safe on the streets. The answer quite clearly is to allow them to bear arms. Train women how to use firearms to defend themselves.

 

[Altair]

The whole thing reminds of the film Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix. We have a lot of tough questions to ask ourselves, as to why this ever happened in the first place. The young man was obviously a disturbed and twisted individual, who believed he was a "Terminator" with some kind of mission. He was a young man who had given up on life, believing that society had abandoned him, and that there was nothing else to look forward to.

And this isn't the first instance of a mad man who has gone on a killing spree. There could be many motives as to why he did what he did, why he felt the need to commit such horrific crimes. Apparently he was also charged with numerous assaults. He was a dangerous individual, and i do question why he was allowed to keep his firearms.

I have heard about this "incel" stuff, and it does seem very cult like, and i can understand why it may attract those types of people who feel like society has left them behind, based on their own personal or life experiences.

The question is how do we prevent anything like this from happening again? And the truth is we can't. We're too lenient on crime and on the criminals that commit them. We treat them as though they're needing help and support, forgetting that they've massacred and brutalised innocent people. And you're right, we shouldn't focus on someone's religious beliefs or race, but if they play into some kind of motive for committing these acts, then i don't see why we can't explore these motives, as it may be the route to eventually put a stop to crimes.

As a whole, we're a soft and weak society when it concerns criminals and criminal activity. We don't have the right to bear arms like the Americans do, so criminals have a clear advantage. The question recently was how to stop women from suffering the worst acts of violence, and how they can be safe on the streets. The answer quite clearly is to allow them to bear arms. Train women how to use firearms to defend themselves.

I won't go into massive detail but I think there's way more to this story.

How did he get a GUN Licence at such an early age?.... (It's a massive process that goes into your every back ground.)

Asides from that... something triggered the lad. He was only 22...!

Watching his Youtube Video's.....A part of Me felt sorry for him.

Not that i'm in any way condoning what he did....But something Triggered such a young man.

Very sad.

 

[Altair]

All of this actually validates what I said earlier- personality disorders. Glad to see a study that looks at the cultural spread, but still think the race-card is being stuck on something that shouldn't have one.

They have a very firm, unmovable 'them' and 'us' beliefs, and that trait is not something that is internet born.

That would be valid.....IF the Internet wasn't here....But it IS HERE. That's how some things are spread WAY faster than word of mouth.

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

Joker makes for uncomfortable viewing – it shows how society creates extremists

The backlash against the backlash has begun. Joker, starring Joaquin Phoenix and directed by Todd Phillips of Hangover trilogy fame, has opened to conflicting reviews and negative press.

Having been hailed as a masterpiece when it first screened at the Venice film festival (and drawing an eight-minute standing ovation), a slew of anxious commentaries have since worried about the film’s potential to incite mass shootings and civilian violence. Since its general release, the tide has begun to turn once again in favour of the film, suggesting that the general public is far more capable of discerning the difference between social commentary and incitement to violence than some pundits believe.

The film takes the iconic comic book villain from the Batman series, and traces his evolution from the failed comic, Arthur Fleck, to the devilish monster, “Joker”. Despite its roots, the film is far more concerned with how evil manifests in the real world than with comic book villainy, offering a compelling portrayal of the failure of a certain ideal of white, American masculinity.

This ideal, witnessed in the Hollywood tradition from Clint Eastwood to Sylvester Stallone, posits an image of the successful American male as virile, violent, and economically independent. These men are agents of violence for the benefit of society, figures who protect American values against perceived threats from the outside using extreme force.

Having now seen the film, I think the controversy around it speaks to a certain hypocrisy around the depictions of violence – we like our violence slick and stylish, and don’t want to have to think about our role in creating the individuals who commit it. Amazingly, Joker does just this.

Male violence​

The first half of Joker takes the viewer on a journey through the many ways Fleck falls drastically short of the American male ideal.

A gang beats him up; he has an ill-defined mental illness, takes prescription drugs, and sees a counsellor; his colleagues bully him. Significantly, he is feminised — he lives with and cares for his mother, in what we are invited to view as Norman Bates-esque creepiness. The viewer also watches him dancing, his semi-naked body an emaciated form put on display as it gyrates and contorts before the camera.

The film reflects what sociologist Michael Kimmel calls the “aggrieved entitlement” of the white American male, where the failure to procure the social status and goods you believe you deserve (money, employment, property, sex, family), leads to anger and violence at groups you blame – women, people of colour, sexual minorities.

And so it is no surprise that some are troubled by Fleck’s close approximation to incels (involuntary celibates). It has been suggested that in the character of Joker, incels could find a “patron saint” who embodies many of their supposed traits: isolation, anger, lack of employment, and failure to attract women.

Films like Joker – and antecedents such as Fight Club, which has been taken up as an icon by white supremacist groups in the US – invite us to question the line between reality and fiction. Do such films reflect social conditions or do they, in the end, help create them?

Sympathy for the devil​

Much of the debate around Joker’s potential to inspire “copycat” violence has centred on the film’s apparent “empathy” or “sympathy” for Arthur Fleck. The theory goes that violent-minded young loners will see Fleck and try to emulate his actions.

But the audience is not encouraged to empathise with Fleck. Film techniques that encourage the audience to identify with a character, such as point-of-view shots and close ups, rarely occur in Joker. Instead, we see Fleck through a range of distorted surfaces, such as windows, mirrors, and television screens.

ight Club’s main characters were buff, brawny, articulate leaders of a movement. Fleck’s body, by contrast, is a grotesque object of disgust. His skinny form as it contorts and writhes is difficult to watch, and we also witness black bruises, snot dripping from his nose, grainy and caked clown make up. His laugh, initially a curiosity, makes you writhe in your seat by the end of the film. Certainly, there are times when we pity his situation, and may feel moved to condemn the social conditions that contribute to his isolation. But we want to turn away from this man, not become like him.

This is where the suggestion that the film tries to incite incel violence fails. Commentators appear to have forgotten that how “we”, larger society, see people like incels and other extremists, is not the way they see themselves. Threads on 4chan (a website that hosts an incel forum) have said that comparing incels with Joker showed how wider society viewed them — as monsters.

Heroes and villains​

People who commit acts of violence on behalf of an ideology don’t imagine themselves as lonely, depressed, unattractive, and physically weak men like Fleck – they join these movements to leave such inadequacies behind. They imagine themselves in the guise of the cowboy, the Terminator, Rambo, the American sniper — heroes fighting the forces of “evil”.

And so there is a deep hypocrisy in certain responses to Joker, a film which, in the end, contains far fewer scenes of violence and death than any Tarantino film. Joker is not a satire, nor is its violence “cool”. Our witness of the dank and depressing origins of the movement overshadows everything.

Fleck’s story disrupts any easy distinction between “good” and “evil”, a narrative mainstay of Hollywood film from Westerns to Marvel. The problem with the heroes and villains narrative is that there is no responsibility required on the part of the viewer or the other characters — some folks are born bad and deserve what they get.

Fleck is evil, ugly, and cynical. But so is the world he lives in, a world whose inequality and cruelty towards the most vulnerable in society finds echoes with our own. Perhaps we condemn Joker because the elevation of a spiteful, selfish, and narcissistic caricature of a man to a state of power feels painfully, and shamefully, close to home.

link to The Conversation

Joker makes for uncomfortable viewing – it shows how society creates extremists

We don’t want to have to think about our role in creating the individuals who commit violence. Amazingly, Joker asks us to.

theconversation.com

author - Maria Flood - Lecturer in Film Studies, Keele University

Oct 8, 2019.

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

Why misogyny needs to be tackled in education from primary school​

The issue of violence by men against women in UK society has once again taken centre stage. Public figures are beginning to talk about the more active role that men need to play in tackling this issue. In response to recent protests around women’s safety, policing minister Kit Malthouse has called for boys to be given compulsory school lessons on respect for women and girls.

We’ve been arguing since 2018 that education is key to addressing the issue of male violence against women, based on our study of the impact of Nottinghamshire Police becoming the first force in the country to record misogyny hate crime. This is a policy that the government now plans to implement nationwide. People of all genders who we interviewed told us that education and the role of men were both key, and the younger education begins the better.

Global research on primary schools has shown that boys learn to behave in gendered ways that are reinforced by the adults around them. Teachers are a key part of this socialisation process. To change behaviour, we need to start with school.

Education needs to address a series of essential socio-cultural issues around gender, from power relationships and inappropriate language to touching and violence. The UK government, however, has been criticised for not having any clear strategy in place to do just that, which is why Malthouse’s statement is welcome.

In her book, Why Women Are Blamed for Everything, forensic psychologist and feminist author Jessica Taylor lays out some startling evidence presented to the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee. In secondary schools, only 3% of teachers felt confident to teach sex and relationships education.

A total of 40% of schools were found to have inadequate teaching provision in this area; 50% of children said they would not tell teachers if they were being harassed or sexually assaulted because they believed they would not be taken seriously.

Early primary school is the time where boys begin to distance themselves from girls and from behaviours stereotypically perceived as “feminine”, through put-downs and bullying. Current teaching guidelines, however, do not involve engaging younger children to think about their gender identities in any depth. They also do not facilitate detailed discussion among children on why they or their peers may engage in gender-based behaviours that are damaging to others.

Boys in the UK build their sense of masculinity in direct relation to the dominant “macho” heterosexual ideal of what it means to be man. As sociology researcher R W Connell establishes in her book Masculinities, this dominant form is imbued with the most power in society, and often translates into, among other things, language which demeans girls and their abilities, as well as violence and bullying. At school, this can mean boys controlling sports and playground areas, for example.

Later on in primary schools, boys often define and display being a “real boy” through public projections of (hetero)sexual fantasies, and imagined (hetero)sexual futures as adults. This includes misogynistic objectification and sexualised forms of harassment towards girls and women. This can be a well-established part of their identities by ages 10-11, which then influences their behaviour as they move through adolescence into adulthood.

This age brings additional challenges, including increased peer pressure within a context of sexual development. The increased availability of pornography via the internet is particularly troubling, as research has shown greater porn use is associated with more sexist attitudes, behaviour and sexual violence.

What schools can do​

Throughout primary and secondary school, teaching children about respecting girls and women, and about the different forms misogyny can take should be compulsory. Currently, it is not.

Teachers need to be given the space in the PSHE curriculum, and the budgetary means, to put to use the growing number of educational strategies available. The creative industries offer resources to help with that kind of conversation. Our own graphic comic, Changing Minds, is a prime example for secondary schools and universities. It brings to life everyday stories of street harassment, told to us by women in our research interviews.

Boys also need male role models. In primary schools, where there is a lack of men, male teachers have a critical role to play in calling out sexist behaviours, however subtle they may appear. They also need to draw attention to issues of gender equality with everyone they work with, so that boys can observe this in action.

The men in our research consistently reported they were either unaware that harassment was endemic, or that it had such an impact on the daily lives and freedoms of women and girls. If boys are enabled to recognise how damaging and pervasive gender stereotypes are to everyone in society, they can become allies, and call out similar behaviour among other boys – if they are backed up by adults.

Schools can also work directly with external groups, including charities run by men, whose overall purpose is to eradicate violence against women and girls. The organisation Beyond Equality provides a compelling example of hundreds of men] currently working as volunteers in UK schools to educate boys. Through honest and open discussion, boys are taught to recognise how their behaviour towards women and girls might be detrimental, the long-term damage it can cause and, crucially, how to resist it.

For behaviour to change, both education and men have essential roles to play. Our schools and teachers, as well as parents, youth groups, sports organisations, colleges and universities, need to be equipped with the tools and training needed to drive home the message that abuse of women and girls – under any guise - is completely unacceptable.

link to The Conversation

Why misogyny needs to be tackled in education from primary school

Sexist attitudes and misogynistic behaviours are the product of how boys are socialised. School is where change needs to start

theconversation.com

authors -
Louise Mullany
Professor in Sociolinguistics, University of Nottingham

Loretta Trickett
Senior lecturer, College of Business Law and Social Sciences, Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University

Mar 26, 2021

 

[hell2bwith76]

I am Definitely not reading all the crap posts above to find out what an "inset" is !! ffs ,talk English some of you.
Just 1 point . Why should it be schools who teach the kids how to behave to women ? or men for that matter ?. The flippin. PARENTS are so lazy today ,they don`t want any responsibility for their own offspring`s learning . Two cars and a daily coffee at Costa is all they want to do ! Lazy lot of sods .

 

[TwoWhalesInAPool]

'inset'!

 

[Moriarty]

The police reinstated his suspended shotgun licence after serious allegations of assault after the killer attended a basic "anger management" course ordered by the police. What kind of bullshit is that?

The killer apparently had previously threatened his own mother's life.

A cursory check of his mobile phone would have revealed footage of angry and disturbing behaviour online.

Why did YouTube and Facebook delete his accounts without contacting the police? Which begs the question, when are these corporate giants going to be held accountable for not reporting content on their platforms.

Why was a troubled 22-year-old authorized to own a three-shot pump-action shotgun for so-called sports use. When are the police going to be held accountable for decisions they make?



There were countless red flags raised and this tragedy was totally avoidable.

Surprisingly I agree with everything you just said Sam

My ex's dad had his shotgun licence revoked and his guns, cabinet and ammo taken as soon as his doctor prescribed him anti-depressants and counselling.

This asshole should never of got his license back.

 

[CrazyCatLady]

That would be valid.....IF the Internet wasn't here....But it IS HERE. That's how some things are spread WAY faster than word of mouth.

How does the internet make a personality disorder less valid as a cause for behaviour?
Yes, ideals and concepts will spread faster than word of mouth on the internet, but they are already seeking out the information in the first place.
It's like saying internet porn causes child pornography, because it's through the internet that the majority of paedophile rings will be exposed. However, they existed before the internet- they just weren't caught as easily, because they weren't committing/sharing the acts in such a public forum.

I have no doubt that the internet fuels and encourages the behaviour, but the disordered perceptions of the individuals already exist and need to be tackled at the root. Blaming the internet is not going to address the actual issue and is scapegoating.