Reading Response #2 [Daniela Guichardo]
The article, “Our Incel Problem,” by Zack Beauchamp investigates the incel community. 90% of the people who tend to be part of the culture are men under the age of 30 – this information from an informal poll. They are also likely to reside in countries in Europe or North America, with half identifying as White and the others classifying as Asian, Black, and Latino. All have suffered from some form of rejection by society leading them to agree with the core concepts of the culture. The insiders conclude that they are too physically unattractive to receive love from the opposite gender. Incels also believe that women will inevitably choose an attractive partner. The members also exhibit a great deal of anger towards women and the circumstances they’re in.
By informing the reader of these trends, we can get a sense of how the community has come to be at its current state. These patterns tell us that these men are lacking in support or advice outside of these groups. They seek comfort online from those who can understand their situation, gaining guidance from men whose attitude have already been set. Beauchamp takes his research on the incel community and relates it to a much bigger problem. The mindset of incels now is very much rooted in misogynistic ideologies. Beauchamp believes that incels are just a reflection of the dominant principles that are present in Western society. His analysis within a wide context forces the reader to think about the situation at hand: how incels empower the contemporary obstacles women face on a day to day basis.
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