The manosphere, a term for a network of online communities that promote misogynistic rhetoric, is attracting more and more attention. This trend is disturbing for everyone, but specifically for those who are connected to those who interact with this ideology. Their influence goes well beyond the dark, digital nooks and crannies of the internet, experts say. Yet, it’s gone beyond the gaming community, transforming mainstream culture and society — challenging how we understand gender, relationships and society itself.
As we noted in our chapter on the manosphere, the manosphere is deeply and vehemently antifeminist. It further spreads the dangerous notion that misandry – hate of men – is equally damaging as misogyny. Advocates from these communities strongly contend that an institutionalized patriarchy stacks the odds against men. This viewpoint reveals the growing sense of institutional bias against men. Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson has been particularly effective at selling this snake oil. His inflammatory statements about women and the role of women in society have caused a firestorm. The influx of far-right influencers, especially from Sweden, has stoked the fires of this rhetoric even more inside the manosphere.
The stat comes from research by Hope Not Hate, a U.K.-based anti-fascism organization. For example, forty-one percent of young men have a positive opinion of controversial influencer Andrew Tate – only twelve percent of young women do. This difference serves to emphasize the gender gap in adoption of these manosphere ideologies, as well as the dangers adoption may pose to inter-gender relationships.
Dr. Lisa Sugiura, an associate professor in cybercrime and gender at the University of Portsmouth, specializes in studying online misogyny. She cautions that the manosphere is a growing threat to women. In doing so, it fosters an atmosphere—theater of danger—that allows toxic misogynistic attitudes toward gender relationships to thrive and thrive.
As this new online community increasingly spreads its influence far and wide, for many its reach is no longer contained to small, quiet forums. In recent years it has been popularized by influencers who now wield much larger audiences, thus making its ideologies more accessible than ever. Nigel Bromage, a representative from the Exit Hate Trust charity, notes an unsettling trend: “Numbers are growing, with wives worried about their husbands and partners becoming radicalised.” He elaborates further, stating that “wives or partners become really worried about the impact on their family, especially those with young children, as they fear they will be influenced by extremism and racism.”
The testimonies of women whose husbands have been lost to manosphere beliefs round out this sordid picture. Rachel describes how to avoid angering her high-tempered ex whenever LGBTQ matters became a topic of discussion. “I was talking about the gay community. He got aggressive with me,” she explains. She adds, “He was super homophobic – I didn’t know until then,” highlighting how such ideologies can lead to controlling and abusive behavior.
Debbie talks about her experience of having a partner whose beliefs had been radically shaped by manosphere material. “He put crucifixes all over the back of his van,” she recalls. “The reason I knew what content he was viewing was because he would proudly talk about it in front of our kids.” This discouraging trend begs the larger question of whether or not extremist ideologies are becoming more accepted and tolerated in American homes.
Roisin writes really beautifully, I think, about her relationship, where her partner’s attitudes towards women just got more and more authoritarian. “He told me that he hated feminists and the women’s liberation movement.” She recounts a particularly distressing conversation where he stated, “If you ever got pregnant, I wouldn’t allow you to get an abortion.” Such declarations underline how the manosphere’s ideology can manifest as direct threats to women’s autonomy.
As more people of all genders get sucked into the manosphere’s radicalizing narratives, researchers worry about the consequences that poses for our society at large. That same Exit Hate Trust charity has found a disturbing “crossover” between those ilk lurking in the manosphere and the greater far-right pipeline. This association is a compelling indication that these ideologies are often related to extremism-inspired behavior.
The increasing popularity of misogynistic attitudes among members of online subcultures necessitates further understanding and prevention efforts. Individuals impacted by partners who adopt these beliefs are left reeling emotionally with unpredictable home life.