Harrowing reason why 'femcel' isn't actually the opposite of 'incel' as 'disturbing' Adolescence series leaves viewers feeling sick
Warning: This article contains discussion of sexual assault which some readers may find distressing.
Adolescence has brought up important topics of discussion ranging from misogyny, keeping children safe to understanding the 'manosphere' and incel culture.
The Netflix series, which has impressively received a 98 percent Rotten Tomatoes score as well as sky-rocketing to the 'No.1 in TV Programmes Today' slot on the streaming platform, boasts a star-studded cast featuring the likes of Stephen Graham, Ashley Walters, Erin Doherty, and new talent Owen Cooper.
The story follows a father named Eddie Miller (Graham) whose life is turned upside-down when his 13-year-old son Jamie (Cooper) is arrested for the violent murder of one of his female classmates, Katie.
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A running thread in the TV drama is the rising impact of 'incel' culture and its misogyny and hatred towards women, with the Netflix series raising important questions about incels, the internet and the 'manosphere'.
What is an incel?
Simply put, the term 'incel' stands for being 'involuntary celibate' and it's become associated with a mostly online subculture of men and young boys, whose entire definition of identity revolves around being unable to find a romantic or sexual partner despite desiring one and who blame, objectify and attack women and girls as a result.
The most notable cases of violence from 'incels' are Elliot Rogers, who killed six people and injured dozens in a stabbing and shooting spree in 2014, and Alek Minassian, who spoke of an 'incel rebellion', drove a van into a crowded area killing ten people in 2021.
According to a 2022 study which was published in the journal, Current Psychiatry Reports, and filed in the National Library of Medicine, there are some major ideologies that tie incel communities together.
These include an appearance-based hierarchy, in which how one looks is considered the most essential key to both sexual relationships and one’s place in society, a belief in female 'hypergamy', which is the notion that women are too sexually selective and use their privilege and sexuality for social advancement above all else, and a dislike of feminism.
'Incel' culture also has its own lexicon through emojis, which is also referenced in the second episode.
However, while 'incel' is usually used to refer to males, there is a female equivalent called 'femcels' - but despite the similar name, they are completely different.
What is a femcel?
Femcels are women who self-identify as being involuntary celibate, with the term and community thought to originate from when it was first mentioned on Reddit in 2018.
Unlike incel culture which has become linked to violence and even sexual assault, the femcel culture doesn't initially appear to be as toxic, however, there is discussion that women who are turning their back on men aren't necessarily doing it quietly.
Dr Jilly Kay, an expert in feminist media and cultural studies at Loughborough University, discussed 'the femosphere' last year.
Kay explained to The Guardian: "The logic that they adhere to is that men and women are fundamentally different."
She adds that feminism in recent decades has been 'very consumer-oriented, all about individual empowerment, emphasising things like women being confident, successful, and women having all the things that men can have'.
The rejection of this meaning of feminism and turning away from men has instead seen women becoming celibate for a different reason as Kay further explained: "Ideas like men are the gatekeeper of relationships and women are the gatekeepers of sex.
"So women’s currency in the sexual marketplace resides in her withholding sex from men, and you diminish your value if you have casual sex."
What's the difference between femcels and incels?
Some of the ideologies put forward appear to push women towards similar positions of anger like the incel and manosphere conversations, with femcels even matching the 'red pill' analogy with their own 'pink pill'.
According to Psychology Today, the 'pink pill' is thought to be different in some ways though, with one sub-Reddit describing its goal as 'looksmaxxing' or maximising one’s appearance to 'help you get ahead in society', whereas the 'red pill' is akin to 'seeing the truth' in incel culture.
Another notable difference was the expression of that anger, as while male incels tend to put the blame on women, femcels turn it on themselves.
As noted by Psychology Today, societal beauty standards tend to be more of a pressure on women then men - as Roisin Langian writes for The Independent that as a result of social media, women are now encouraged more than ever to 'look at ourselves and each other' - however, both are still expected to fulfil certain characteristics.
But according to a 2024 study on the community, the 'antipathy' prevalent in femcel culture generally appeared to be more rooted in 'how to find a suitable intimate partner while avoiding the threat women often face from violent men'.
It continues: "Most femcels who wanted to enhance their situation or increase their power sought to do so through legal means (e.g., self-improvement, group mobilization, or challenging the patriarchy) and did not express violent intent."
Topics: Adolescence, Netflix, TV And Film
Niamh Spence