Can the radicalization of ‘incels’ be stopped? (“involuntary celibate” Toronto van attack)

Canada Globe and Mail ^ | 26 April 2018 | David Futrelle

[Drew68]

When I learned that the suspect in the Toronto van attack had apparently posted a Facebook message identifying himself as a foot soldier in what he called the “incel rebellion,” I was saddened but not at all surprised. As the keeper of a blog devoted to tracking the culture of misogyny online, I have been watching the “incel” subculture for seven years – and I find its rise in the past several years to be nearly as disturbing as the recent rebirth of the neo-Nazi right.

Incel, as many Canadians have learned this past week, is short for “involuntary celibate,” and is the preferred moniker of a number of mostly young men united by a shared bitterness over their inability to persuade women to sleep with them. They let this fact define their entire lives, and devote much of their time online lashing out at the women who don’t want them – and picking over the supposed flaws in their own appearances that they think render them forever unlovable.

When you combine this sort of anger and self-pity, you often get violence. Four years ago, a man named Elliot Rodger murdered six in Isla Vista, Calif., in an attempt, as he explained in the 137-page manifesto he left behind, to take his “retribution” against women. Incels have embraced “Saint Elliot’” as a martyr and role model – and so, evidently, did Alek Minassian, who hailed “the Supreme Gentleman Elliot Rodger” in his Facebook post.

So is there any way we can prevent more tragedies such as this?

Remarkably, there have been some very patient “normies” – that’s how incels deem average people – who have waded into these hateful spaces in an attempt to convince the obviously damaged incels who inhabit them to seek out the professional help...

[deadrock]

And I’m sure the eight women he killed aren’t having any second thoughts.

[ClearCase_guy]

Losers.

+1

I went to their site thinking I would have some sympathy for them. As a general rule, I think relations between men and women have gotten strained in recent years. I consider feminism a cancer. So, I understand how some men might feel like they are stuck with a bad situation.

But OMG! If I were a woman, I would stay the hell away from everyone on that site. Total losers. I now have increased sympathy for young women and the problems they may have in finding men who are not total creeps.

[Drew68]

We may not be able to erase the hate, but we can restrict their hate speech, and that at least is a small step in the right direction.

Yeah, I caught that at the end as well.

Mind-numbingly stupid libtard writer. Because shutting down their internet forums will make them go away.

[Drew68]

The problem for the "incels" is that they don't understand this, and they never learned how to cope with rejection.

It's a generational problem, an inability to cope with rejection is tied in with the risk-aversion that has been nurtured with so many young people today. Don't take risks, don't get rejected.

[sparklite2]

It’s wider than generational. When women treat being flirted with or asked out as an insult, one finds better things to do. To make matters worse, today the insult is assault.

[Pollster1]

I remember being rejected by young woment I was interested in when I was a teenager . . . But then I went to college and grew up.

I know the feeling. Growing up is a good thing; I'm glad I made that choice and all of my kids made that choice instead of wallowing in self-inflicted misery for life.

[Edward.Fish]

Or castrate them. They will calm down after they are fixed.

Question: What would you do id you woke up and found you had been castrated?

[21twelve]

Back in college (primarily male engineering school) there was a really good-looking gal in some of my classes. VERY quiet, and “unapproachable”. There was some dance or something and I asked my girlfriend who knew her, wondering who she was going to the dance with. “Nobody has asked her.”

“Oh - that’s hard to believe. But she is so quiet and keeps to herself.”

“Yeah - she knows she is so pretty, and I think she is a bit awkward and shy about it.” (Recall - the gal was studying engineering!)

[MrEdd]

What would you do if you were forced into prostitution?

[Pikachu_Dad]

Yes, it would be a dirty job. But think of the lives they could save.

They should do it with the huge manatee... um, wait !

[Afterguard]

“Incel”!? What a crock. Anybody can claim anything. This ass is simply a murder and deserves to die.

[PLMerite]

“involuntary celibate” Toronto van attack.

Worst case of blueb*lls I've ever seen...

[Katya]

yikes I hadn’t thought about that, you know I’m one of thse people who will like a song and later realize what the lyrics are about.

[usmom]

Well it works the other way, too. 20% of girls get attention from 100 (not just 80) percent of men. I don’t know where this perception comes from that only men can be ‘ Incels’. Women just spiral into low self-esteem and no confidence Rather than act out in violence.

[Amberdawn]

Yes and no. Prostitution is legal in Nevada and pretty easy to get away with everywhere else. Sleeping with underage girls is another thing altogether.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Soon to be proposed by a rat near you: free sex robots for men who can’t get any. It’s for the children, after all.

[Drew68]

Sleeping with underage girls is another thing altogether.

All illegal prostitution today is categorized under the term "sex trafficking", not just underage girls.

[Amberdawn]

I see. Still, very few get busted given it’s ubiquitous.

[Vigilanteman]

I think there is more than a little truth to what you say, but wouldn't put the men at 100%, probably closer to the same 80%. I was a shy nerdy guy in high school and hung around with the same 20% or so in the same category.

We would talk about the 20% and sometimes even the 80% of the girls but could never work up the nerve to actually approach them.

A standing joke with my daughters-- I'd complain that I never even got to go to my senior prom. They asked why? I'd reply, "because nobody asked me." They'd say 'Dad, you were supposed to do the asking'. I'd reply "NOW, you tell me!"

Honestly, I suppose that I'm very fortunate that my wife first proposed marriage. I might have gotten around to it when I worked up the nerve five years later or so, but she knew what she wanted then. She was a nearly two years older, slightly overweight, coke bottle glasses, plain looking but a heart of gold.

Some 34 years (and thousands of marital acts) later, I am just as slightly overweight, her glasses are normal size, thanks to Lasik and I've concluded she couldn't have been all that plain looking because we have three gorgeous daughters, two even more gorgeous granddaughters and three stunningly cute grandsons.

[usmom]

From my observations, it seems men will go for the same 20% over and over, never learning from their rejection to turn their attention to the other 80% whereas women are more realistic in realizing their chances. Who knows, maybe it’s the biological clock that makes them want to accept a partner before it’s too late instead of wasting their fertile years going for the unattainable.
You sound a lot like me. I was never asked out until my 20’s- watching from the sidelines as all my friends got asked to dances, hit on, had a slew of boyfriends and finally got engaged, married, etc... I was a professional third wheel. I used to joke that I could be a billionaire and figure out how to make and sell my invisibility cloak to the military.
I too was very lucky that one guy finally decided I wasn’t too repulsive and took a chance on me. Twenty eight years later I’m still happily married to my best friend, but the waiting to get there wasn’t fun, and I learned a lot from my observations along the way.