Uncharted Thoughts.

As a Plymothian, as a son, as a brother to two sister and as a human I think this topic is one that strikes deep into my morality.

While working a shift at McDonalds in Plymouth, I witnessed twenty or more police cars bolting down the A38 into Plymouth city centre with their sirens blaring. It is a well known fact within the South West of England that Plymouths crime has become a course for concern. Vast drug importation, lack of career opportunities and financial growth has increased criminal activity across the ocean city. Yet, I have never seen a police response like this. In fact the last time I remember there being any sort of large force heading into the Plymouth area was a response to a man waving an air rifle out his bedroom window in an attempt to commit suicide by police hand. This was something different. Everyone felt it.

Plymouth live and social media kept us in suspense as rumours floated through the vacuum of the internet. Due to the nature of Plymouths location and its close ties to the Royal Marines and Navy, most rumour were relegated into the terrorism category. Someone has broken into the dockyard, Russians were attempting to seal nuclear devises from submarines, a Royal Marine had gone haywire and shot up the base. All rumours as ludicrous as the next.

Yet, the true nature of the crime was so much more sinister, one I never considered would reach the humble street of my hometown. A 22 year old man, Jake Davidson, went on a shooting spree in Keyham killing five innocent people. One of which was a 3 year old girl.

A catastrophic event, in a town already suffering from rising crime rates, an increase in poverty and homelessness. For the next two weeks, there was a heavy black cloud over the city. Five green hearts were plastered across shop and car windows. Painted in underpasses and on the “Welcome to Plymouth” road signs. A memorial took place where hundreds of thousands joined together in grief, placing flowers and photographs where the atrocity took place. Even now, some two years later, when I return home for the Christmas break, the feeling of sorrow and mourning oozes from the city streets.

How and why did this mass shooting take place, what drove this 22 year old to commit such a horrifying crime? Well, it all comes back to one single movement… Incels.

What is an Incel?

The word incel is derived from the word “Involuntary Celibate” meaning to be sexless without ones choice. One of the many subgroups to the Manosphere, a growing online community where men go to seek advice for their internal insecurities.

I think as men we have all found the “War on gender” to be a strange phenomenon and at times a hard road to navigate. Masculinity is changing and not everyone is onboard to follow this new wave. Where once men were supposed to be both physically and emotionally strong, resilient and the heads of households. Now we see a new meaning of manliness creeping into formation. A much more emotional and weak version of the masculinity we all grew up with. It is not my place to determine which version of masculinity is better or more helpful for society and as a historian it is as clear as it has ever been that gender roles change. It is equally as certain that wish these changes comes a period of instability.

Incels are part of the wider phenomenon known as the Manosphere. A community of men that interoperates this change as a negative, to see it as a threat to what it is to be a man. Mostly found on online forums, Manosphere member are a collection of races, ages and creeds, however are predominantly white, young males that seek a meaning to their unfulfilled lives. It is as familiar now as with skin heads back in the 70s, 80s and 90s. Working class men with no where to run from their problems to project it into cult like clubs that run in the shadows of our society.

I think its important for us all to look at the signals produced by these individuals. To combat these hate groups as we have done for hundreds of years. From the KKK, to terrorist groups in the middle east, to Proud Boys and now Incels, we as a society should look for signs of indoctrination and control, in schools, colleges, universities and work places. It is especially important to combat them for the safety of our children, mothers and siblings, to make a safer world.

The brief history of Incels and the growing popularity in the Manoshere.

Although the term incels is relatively new to our ears. The truth of the incel community history is ambiguous at best. While examining as many sources as possible for this blog post I found that the term incel became infamous through a mass shooting in the United States in 2014 when a Elliot Rodgers killed seven individuals after uploading a video ranting his extremist incel ideology.

Elliot Rodger’s ideology was one of misogyny, hate and self pity, he believed that his lack of sexual fulfilment was not his fault, rather the fault of a broken society. He deemed sexual attraction as a popularity contest and that the reason for his misfortune was due to men being better looking and more “brutish” than himself. That woman were to blame for his frustrations, that he as an individual was deserving of sexual gratification, but society was in the way of that. His twisted mind even considered the possibility of sexual gratification being placed within the hands of the U.S. government, that they should supply young men with sexual partners.

His theories and hatred for woman leaked into his online presence as he wrote comments such as: “Men shouldn’t have to look and act like big, animalistic beasts to get women. The fact that women still prioritize brute strength just shows that their minds haven’t fully evolved”. He also went on to write that “If we can’t solve our problems we must destroy our problems. One day Incels will realize their true strength and numbers, and will overthrow this oppressive feminist system. Start envisioning a world where woman fear you”. All in all a pile of bile that screams insecurity and misogyny.

Although the roots of the ideology is fogy, it is clear that by the year 2000 a community of sexually frustrated men was on the rise through the internet and with My Space and other social media platforms on the horizon it was only increasing in popularity and scope. In a BBC article published in 2018, Jim Taylor attempted to find the source of the Incel community. His findings refer to a website created by a young woman who was frustrated with her own dating life and look for other that felt the same.

The rabbit hole goes further and further down as the incel community separates into strange subcategories of misogyny.

What we must remember going forward.

It is important to state that not all incels are violent and ultra misogynistic. Most are men who are on the margins of society with little social skills. No doubt with learning difficulties or other social hindrances. Like most cult like groups, the leaders are all skilled in manipulation and have pulled a once relatively harmless group into a violent extremist group. It is important to clarify here also that it is hard to determine Incels as a group, its much like saying homeless people are a group or an organisation. The experience of sexless people is not owned by a organisation no more as patriotism is to ultra right winged groups, yet it is used to form groups that have radical ideologies.

A prime example of this is witnessed in ultra right movements such as the EDL. They all share in common patriotism, a tribal connection to what they consider civilised, a human instinct to protect their loved ones from outside threats. All common thoughts and feeling we all no doubt possess. The difference with members of the EDL and functioning member of society is we have not given into the temptation of radicalism. Non of us want our families to be harmed by outside forces, yet the leaders of the EDL have found gateways of hatred into everyday life. While there were reports of Islamic grooming gangs in Luton and other working class areas of the U.K. the rest of us looked on with shock and horror, we did not however deem every member of the Islamic faith to be groomers. The EDL however took this as an opportunity to open the floodgates of hate.

This is exactly what happened with the incel community, while there are members that are extremely dangerous and violent (an increasing number) that does not mean that the rest of the “community” has been radicalised.

Unfortunately, like most cults, there is room for martyrdom. Extremist Incels such as Elliot Rodgers have now become figure heads in the incel forums. Their actions are often glorified and are taken as “hero’s”.

The unclear future of masculinity.

Within the realm of the internet, where most unnerving social oddities are formed. This is masculinities new battle ground, churning new powerful oddities that are harming our youth. The likes of Andrew Tate, Jordan Peterson, David Goggins and other online personas have changed the course of masculinity, an awakening that has both positive and negative aspects to its creation.

On face value, Peterson and Goggins preach positive thinking, discipline and hardwork. Yet, within the realms of the Manosphere, these idols have been contorted into something sinister. Peterson is often labelled a Nazi, Tate is a gateway into misogyny and violence and goggins is often seen as a physical elitist who encourages negative sides of typical masculinity, such as emotionless and brutish.

All this being stated, violence and harassment towards woman is on the rise. With one in every three woman being victims of violent or sexual crimes, a statistic that is only on the rise. There are a number of attributes that can be blamed for this rise in hatred, but the one that seems to sick out the most is the pressure from political ideologies or movements such as feminism. The atmosphere on the ground seems to indicate that men are feeling oppressed or intimidated by new social norms and are therefor ripe for the picking when it comes to radicalisation.

My take on the matter.

It is scary to think we live in a world where violence and sexual assaults towards woman is so high, especially with such close family members that could be vulnerable to these vile crimes. I worry almost every day about those I love, young and old.

Although my research has been on the basic level of internet investigation through articles, it seems clear to me that incel forums are a breeding ground for radicalisation of confused and often segregated young men that are looking for a purpose in this confusing, fast changing society we live in. How we combat these issues is hard, shutting down forums and chat rooms only pushes the issue into further depravity and secrecy.

Like most things, I think education is key to influencing these young men into a brighter, loving future.

What to take away from this?

Incels are not a community. Although there are groups within the ideology.

Not all Incels are extreme violent basement dwellers. Yet, some are.

It is a growing issue within the western world.

Radicalism is a pyramid scheme.

Violent crime and sexual crime against woman is on the rise.