On August 21 last year, in a quiet suburb of Plymouth, England, a 22-year-old boy killed his mother with a shotgun. Moments later, he ran into the street and started shooting anyone he met, killing four other people (including a three-year-old girl). Six minutes later, as the police arrived on the scene, he killed himself.
The “Plymouth shooting,” as the British media called it, appeared to be an act of random madness, a domestic dispute that quickly spiraled out of control. The perpetrator of the shooting had a history of depression and nervous breakdown. It was a tragedy, but with elements that should make you think, and a word that perhaps you already know, perhaps not. The word is “Incel”.
Across the UK and the rest of the world, news reports and newspapers have started labeling the bearded, curly-haired 22-year-old as an “Incel”. One of an online community of mostly young men who share extreme views based on the perception of not being able to sexually attract women, and who believe this violent shooting is an act of terrorism.
What are the Incel, a growing phenomenon
The one in Plymouth was not the first and will not be the last mass murder with common implications. Other shootings in the USA are of the same tone (unfortunately the so-called “Isla Vista massacre” perpetrated by 22-year-old student Elliot Rodger), in Canada (Toronto bombing by Alek Minassian) and in Asia. Many seem to put incels directly in the crosshairs, and raise a real, urgent question: how can we manage the growth of this radicalism? How can we manage a literally terrorist phenomenon that moves on such "border line" tracks, grows with the fluidity and ambiguity of many ideological communities that easily come into contact and feed each other online?
I, Incel
Incel is a term used to refer to an “involuntary celibate” who participates in the online subculture of like-minded individuals struggling to find a potential partner, or at least meaningful romantic and sexual relationships. And it wouldn't be purely male: the term was born in 1993 when a Canadian university student created a website to discuss her lack of sex life. As the decades passed, the term and community evolved and became appropriated by a subcultural segment of a larger community of “men's rights activists” known as the “Manosphere.”
“Incels” are not a movement. A movement is a group of people linked by a common goal,” he explains Naama Kates, host of a podcast that explores the murky depths of the universe she calls Inceldom. “Incels don't have a goal,” she argues. “They are fatalists, period.” It is true? Is everything so simple to define?
Chronicles from the Manosphere
The incel discussion channel or forum can also be incredibly misogynistic and violent, expressing hatred towards women (referred to as “femoids”). Sometimes the posts praise the "Saints", mass murderers who, according to some users, killed "in the name of the cause".
“People find what they say repugnant, understandably,” Kates explained.
In many posts there is some sort of subcultural ideology that women are only interested in physically attractive sexual partners, known as “Chads”. Women in turn classified via a theory, LMS, which views attractiveness as intersubjective and measurable on a 0-10 scale.
Some Italian Incel forums: Ugly.red, Forum of Ugly, A Bad Forum, The incel forum
The difficulty of analyzing these episodes is the result of the broader difficulty of analyzing in depth the cultural substratum in which these online groups move. Inceldom is very diverse, and I myself have received important insights that have directed me to improve this article.
Incels are men who feel they have a right to female companionship and intimacy. They blame their lack of success on women, believing that women should be more equally positioned in terms of sexual attention. They generally believe that, in this new feminist era, a woman is no longer limited by her “sexual market value” (lms redpill, see above for “lms” and further down for redpill) and that all this freedom to choose a possible partner romantic has ruined the natural order of romantic interactions between men and women. In some cases, this feeling can lead to violence and extremism.
Incel meaning in pills: not one, but many groups
The "involuntary celibate" who in Matrix-style jargon has "ingested a blue pill" is precisely called blue pill. He is the classic good guy, often egalitarian or feminist. The current stereotype about individuals like him is that he believes girls will appreciate his gestures more if he tries harder to be a good guy. Wrong. He will often strain himself in hopes of impressing the girl, but his gestures will not be appreciated. He's a good guy, and in the Incel subculture he'll be crushed for it.
And then there are the “Incels who hate Incels”. Sometimes these are Blue Pills who have been betrayed, and have had their honest efforts humiliated by a woman. They chose the “red pill”, they went over to the “dark” side, they “awakened”. In other words they are called red pill. Rudiments of redpill theory: They believe that men do not really hold any power and privilege in society and that feminism has given all the power to women. For this reason, having understood the rules, they aim to take advantage of them. They follow the rules of the jungle, "look money status": money, a good physique, values that they think are the right currency for a woman. Because, the point of view is this, the woman is only interested in body shape and money. Technically the red-pilled person would not be an Incel, as he is a "voluntary" celibate. In reality, the boundary between forced and conscious choice is blurred.
Finally, there are the Black Pill, those who have taken the “black pill”. A final, poisonous, fatalistic pill, which amplifies the conspiracy, makes it inescapable. For them, given the infinite female possibility of finding a partner, celibacy is inevitable when there are "biological" characteristics such as a small skull or few muscles. For them, the Red Pills (or rather: the "red pilled") are deluded, because there is no way to improve the situation. This type of Incel immersed in the "redpill theory" seeks comfort in other men with the same characteristics, and therefore in their perspective with the same "inevitable destiny".
And there the substrate is born, which can derail. Perhaps, indeed, it has already derailed.
For completeness of information (thanks to the suggestions received via email from an attentive reader). There is also another “non pillato” group, called MGTOW – “men going their own ways”. For example, men who decide to be single and simply enjoy life. Most of the time these are men who have undergone a divorce and lost everything, for example money or children, or who have suffered abuse from their partner. Sometimes behind a MGTOW there is a former red pillato. Sometimes these are young people who have stopped believing in marriage after hearing many negative stories about it. Recognizable for their emotional stability, propensity to live alone and numerous male friends, among them there are often "handsome" and successful men. They typically have unique hobbies (gardening, etc.), which set them apart from others. They no longer believe in marriage and often become so dependent on the freedom of the single that they are no longer able to go back (the basic idea is that they have given up on love but not on life).
Incel Italy
Although there is no central incel community in Italy, there are some popular incel forums where Italians congregate: they host discussions on everything from artists to political philosophy. There are also smaller communities on Reddit and 4Chan.
Interestingly, the Italian community appears to be made up mostly of young men from upper-middle-class backgrounds. This is in contrast to the North American community, which is generally thought to be made up of men of the working class. There are several possible explanations for this difference. First, it could be due to different attitudes towards sex and relationships in the two cultures. It could also be that upper-middle-class men in Italy have higher standards for women than their North American counterparts (on with the redpill and real fiercely manifested hostility).
Whatever the reason for this difference, it is clear that the Italian community is unique. Although its size pales compared to that of the North American community, it nevertheless provides valuable insights into this global phenomenon.
Where inceldom is going
Like any online subculture, whether band supporters or Star Trek fans, there is always a unifying factor. For Incels it's misogyny. However, the scope and reach varies and there is no limit that defines a community member. The same groups are sometimes at odds with each other: a Blue Pill considers himself a bitter enemy of a Red Pill Incel, for example.
Can we really fear that the phenomenon will produce a form of "terrorism"?
I would say no. Typically, radicalism turns into violent terrorism when it responds to a threat or pursues clear political objectives. The violent act (in the intentions of a terrorist) serves to remove this threat, or to achieve these objectives. In simple terms? Terrorist groups have clear, direct and unified programs to address the perceived threat. The horde of conspiracy theorists, trolls and incels on the internet aren't having it. Point.
So let's go back to the isolated subject, and to why it kills.
The nihilist terrorist
Some experts argue that the lack of a clear plan or political motivation is precisely what prompts some individuals in these Incel communities to commit acts of violence.
“Within certain ideologically nihilistic online spaces, disconnection and broad discontent with society are at the heart of the worldview, and active rebellion against society is often encouraged. In one form or another,” the researcher writes Simon Purdue (these are his contacts).
Purdue argues that a young man in the redpill incel community (or however based and redpilled or not) and other similar fatalistic communities may turn to violence precisely because they believe their actions don't matter. They are overstimulated by violent ideas and images that "desensitize" them and "death is seen as something to be accepted or even praised."
This is the basic problem. Although only a very small minority would be violent, it is crucial to identify and predict when radical thinking can become mass murder.
Preventing incel massacres: it is not easy at all
In the case of ideological nihilism, the process of radicalization occurs in different ways, at different paces and in people “off the radar”, who are often not considered at risk of radicalization in their social group, but can be.
In the context of a world that is increasingly entering a phase of "omniviolence" (we talked about it here) the prospect of having to face atomized and singular “terrorisms”, but with a common thread can be, indeed IS more than concrete.
Experts agree that the solution must be multifaceted. Many young people are part of these groups, so education and community involvement are key strategies.
“We need to ensure that young people feel a strong connection to their real communities, as well as their online ones,” Purdue says. “Whether it's school, the workplace or other places.”
Many mass killings, particularly those with social motives, target their own community, often killing people with whom they may have had previous interactions. This says a lot.
They are people excluded from society in many ways, and prevention means helping them to feel connected and valued.
By the time the next bullet goes off it will already be too late, and we will have failed again.
