The Real Appeal of the Manosphere By John Steele

Ben Rich, Senior lecturer in History and International Relations, Curtin University and Eva Bujalka Co-director, Curtin Extremism Research Network (CERN), Curtin University, have addressed the issue of the rise of the manosphere, the men’s rights movement. The media zeroed in on this with the issue of one bad advocate, Andrew Tate, who is facing charges of organised crime. But, he is only one person, and there are other great champions of men’s rights, such as Jordan Peterson, who cannot be knocked over so quickly.

The critique made is that while there are some things men can complain about, the manosphere critics are embracing pseudoscience theories, which are contrary to feminist wisdom. Even though feminism has numerous critics, and all aspects of its agenda have been subjected to a sustained attack, apparently this critique can be conveniently ignored. But, the intellectual debate does not matter much, for these ideologies of the 1960s cultural revolution are set to be washed away by the tsunami of real-world apocalyptic crises, including wars, resource crises and planned economic collapse, let alone runaway AI, which will render the revolution of the 1960, totally redundant. Indeed, even the closing of the universities will impact upon the illusory world that has been created. We will see, in a survivalist setting, the return of manhood, as Darwinian events occur.    

https://theconversation.com/the-draw-of-the-manosphere-understanding-andrew-tates-appeal-to-lost-men-199179?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2013%202023%20-%202542625542&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20February%2013%202023%20-%202542625542+CID_038a41d507054247d9daff66fd20e07f&utm_source=campaign_monitor&utm_term=The%20draw%20of%20the%20manosphere%20understanding%20Andrew%20Tates%20appeal%20to%20lost%20men

“But while the community’s content presents deeply concerning perspectives on women, it also offers explanations for, and solutions to, a very real set of issues facing young men.

A tranche of data illustrates these growing challenges. Men are rapidly falling behind in education engagement and outcomes. Rates of young male economic inactivity have risen considerably over the past two decades.

The intimate relations of young men also appear to be in decline. One report suggests rates of sexual activity have dropped by nearly 10% since 2002.

Suicide rates have risen significantly in men in particular over the past decade.

We’re also facing a loneliness crisis, which is particularly concentrated in young people and men.

The manosphere appeals to its audience because it speaks to the very real lives of young men under the above factors – romantic rejection, alienation, economic failure, loneliness, and a dim vision of the future.

The major problem lies in its diagnosis of the cause of male disenfranchisement, which fixates on the impacts of feminism. Here it contrasts the growing challenges faced by men with the increasing social, economic and political success experienced by women. This zero-sum claim posits that female empowerment must necessarily equate to male disempowerment, and is evidenced through simplified and pseudoscientific theories of biology and socioeconomics.