Incel violence as a reclamation of masculinity and defence of patriarchy on three distinct levels

Abstract

This article analyses discussions of three levels of violence (intrapersonal, interpersonal online, mass) observed in a threemonth analysis of two online forums for Incels (short for Involuntary Celibates). It will be argued that, on the surface, Incel-related violence is a reaction to a broad array of anxieties and uncertainties experienced within contemporary society. However, deeper analysis reveals that such violence is related to attempts to (re)claim Incels’ threatened masculinity and to defend male dominance. The article will show how Incels perceive women and feminists as an abject Other (Kristeva, 1982) through the discursive construction of the monstrous-feminine (Creed, 1993), thereby justifying violence against them. The article concludes by suggesting ‘extraordinary’ forms of Incel-related violence are not extraordinary at all when considered within the historical construction of the monstrousfeminine and wider, normalised patterns of violence against women within a patriarchal society.