Loading...
Masculine Agitators: Online Leadership in the Manosphere
Herro, Charles
Herro, Charles
Citations
Altmetric:
Abstract
This study seeks to examine the mixing of anti-feminist and pro-fascist rhetoric by Andrew and Tristan Tate, a popular set of Men's Rights influencers online within a subsect of the internet known as "the Manosphere." The Manosphere label comprises several groups including Involuntary Celibates (incels), Pick-up Artists, and Men's Rights Activists, all of which have similar anti-feminist beliefs. The work previously done to examine this online collection of anti-feminist groups tends to overlook the growing connection between the Manosphere and Authoritarian attitudes. Prophets of Deceit (1949), written by Leo Löwenthal and Norbert Guterman, is a case study of several controversial public influencers who advocated for fascism and antisemitism in 1940s America, whom the authors describe as "American Agitators." Nearly 80 years later, our systems of communication have changed vastly, especially through the widespread usage of the internet. By analyzing a series of podcasts created by Andrew and Tristan Tate, this study seeks to examine the ways in which the American Agitator theory can still maintain a place in our contemporary discussion of Authoritarianism and identify avenues of potential far-Right, misogynist radicalization for young men.
This thesis analyzes the Tate brothers’ podcast The Emergency Meeting with particular focus on how the brothers’ language mirrors and adapts the language of earlier American Agitators around two key categories: The Leader and The Movement. From there, a third category is proposed based on a shift that has been observed amongst the Tate brothers: The Solution. This category establishes how a solution to the audience’s economic and social woes is spread by the brothers to Manosphere adherents, so long as they conform to hegemonic visions of masculinity and pay a steep cost monetarily. Ultimately, in opposition with other writers on The Manosphere, this thesis argues that The Manosphere can act as a source of social solidarity amongst its adherents, examining a new form of social solidarity identified as Masculine Mechanical Solidarity.
Description
Date
2025-01-01
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Kansas
Collections
Archive Status
This item contains archived web content.
Files
Herro_ku_0099M_20088.pdf
Adobe PDF, 889.03 KB
- Embargoed until 2176-05-31
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Sociology, Authoritarianism, Gender, Manosphere, Masculinity