INSIDE THE DARK, DANGEROUS AND DEADLY WORLD OF INCELS
Marie Claire Australia|November 2020
In the murkiest corner of the internet, a community of hateful men have united as incels (involuntarily celibates) to soak in their resentment of women, indulge their sick fantasies and share their twisted beliefs. Writer Laura Bates spent a year infiltrating their ranks. What she saw and read will stay with her forever
Laura Bates
INSIDE THE DARK, DANGEROUS AND DEADLY WORLD OF INCELS

Most people have never heard of incels. When I was working on my book, they would raise an eyebrow and ask, “In- what?” One person thought it was a battery. Someone else expressed their surprise I was interested in microbiology. The people incels walk past on the street don’t generally know they even exist. That’s why, when incels do crop up in news reports or conversations, they are so easily dismissed as a tiny fringe group of online weirdos. What you hear about them sounds so strange, so extreme, so hard to believe, so laughable even, that it is easy to shrug off. That’s a mistake.

The incel community is the most violent corner of the so-called manosphere. It is a community devoted to an extreme hatred of women. A community that actively recruits members who might have very real problems and vulnerabilities, and tells them that women are the cause of all their woes. A community in whose name more than 100 people, mostly women, have been murdered or injured in the past 10 years.

A year before I started writing my book Men Who Hate Women, it wasn’t a community that Alex, a disillusioned young white man in his early twenties, had ever heard of either. He wasn’t a hardened misogynist, just a bored guy surfing the internet with a vague awareness of people talking about sexual harassment and the gender pay gap. Alex had never had a girlfriend, he didn’t have a lot of money, and he felt frustrated and lonely. It didn’t seem fair the focus was on women’s needs while his lot in life, as a supposedly privileged white guy, didn’t seem so splendid. Alex didn’t feel privileged at all.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Marie Claire Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 2020 edition of Marie Claire Australia.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM MARIE CLAIRE AUSTRALIAView All
NATALIE IMBRUGLIA
Marie Claire Australia

NATALIE IMBRUGLIA

UK-based singer Natalie Imbruglia talks all things Taylor Swift, misconceptions about her and watching Prince William listen to her chart-topping song \"Torn\"

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
Courtney LOVE
Marie Claire Australia

Courtney LOVE

Her life has swung between extremes, from her husband’s death to her multi platinum albums. But as the singer and actor prepares to turn 60, she’s in a calm place. By Cameron Adams

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2024
SWEET DREAMS
Marie Claire Australia

SWEET DREAMS

Tie on your apron and up your dessert game with these indulgent, chocolate-filled treats

time-read
5 mins  |
March 2024
CHASING the SUN
Marie Claire Australia

CHASING the SUN

Chloe Tozer, founder and creative director of Clo Studios, welcomes us into her enchanting Sunshine Coast residence, writes Samantha Stewart

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
Wild at heart
Marie Claire Australia

Wild at heart

At the Great Plains Conservation safari camp in Botswana, luxury seamlessly merges with the untamed beauty of the wilderness, writes Danika Porter

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2024
BEAUTY TALK CAMILA MENDES
Marie Claire Australia

BEAUTY TALK CAMILA MENDES

The American actor’s latest venture as the creative director for cool-girl beauty brand Loops sees her further cementing a skincare-first beauty ethos. Here she shares her tips and tricks for a dewy, red-carpet-worthy complexion

time-read
1 min  |
March 2024
IN CLINIC LIFT IT
Marie Claire Australia

IN CLINIC LIFT IT

Lifted skin, fewer jowls, overall tightening and plumping with minimal downtime and pain. Could this next-gen ultrasound treatment be the new alternative to going under the knife?

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
MAN THE OF MONTH BRANDON FLYNN
Marie Claire Australia

MAN THE OF MONTH BRANDON FLYNN

The American actor discusses history, horses and his hardest scene to film under Ryan Murphy

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2024
AMAZING AMY
Marie Claire Australia

AMAZING AMY

Amy Shark isan ARIA-award winner, Australian Idol judge and former marie claire cover star. Bree Player catches up with her to talk new music and finding her feet on TV

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024
EVEN THE PLAYING FIELDI
Marie Claire Australia

EVEN THE PLAYING FIELDI

After Matildas mania” captivated the nation at the Women’s World Cup, a new documentary hopes to keep the spotlight on the sport, following the team’s long road to recognition and the game-changing women who paved the way

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2024