Men Who Hate Women: From Incels to Pickup Artists: The Truth about Extreme Misogyny and How it Affects Us All

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of gender discrimination, bullying, sexual violence and harassment, graphic violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and death.

In Men Who Hate Women, Laura Bates traces how hateful misogynistic rhetoric, once confined to isolated online forums, has quietly infiltrated mainstream discourse. She argues that this rhetoric should be taken seriously as hate speech since they foster gender-based biases. By examining how these beliefs spread through online communities, Bates demonstrates how digital platforms facilitate the spread of these harmful ideologies.

Bates highlights that extremist misogynistic ideals thrive in online spaces, often hidden within seemingly harmless communities; this makes it easier for them to grow unchecked. She examines the rise of online groups like the incel community, which began as a support forum but transformed into a breeding ground for violent misogyny. She argues that these digital spaces provide its members with a sense of belonging, and this makes vulnerable individuals more susceptible to manipulation and radicalization.

Bates’s analysis discusses the radicalization process of young men like Elliot Rodger, whose manifesto and online activity reflected a deeply rooted hatred toward women and subsequently inspired other mass killers.