Naama Kates26 August 2021

Investigating The Incel Community - Naama Kates - #363

0Frameworks

12Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 2

Myth Buster42:30

The Media Got Jake Davison Wrong

Naama Kates argues the press misrepresented Jake Davison as a typical incel. He distanced himself from the community, engaged with anti-incel spaces, and showed no clear manifesto or planning — yet was labeled an incel killer anyway.

Jake Davison never called himself an incel.
He participated in anti-incel subreddits and debated incel ideology.
No manifesto or clear evidence of premeditation.
Media labeled him an incel despite contradictory behavior.

“I think they got it all wrong... he was active in some subreddits that were anti-incel or about wanting to debate incels or prove them…”
Naama Kates · 43:00

#Jake-Davison#media-bias#violence#incel#UK

Myth Buster50:00

Are Incels Inherently White Supremacist?

While some language overlaps with far-right groups, incel communities are ethnically diverse — about half are from minority backgrounds. The ideology is more about sexual frustration than race, though racist language is common and borrowed from shared online spaces like 4chan.

Approximately 50% of incel forum members are from ethnic minorities.
Racist language is used, but often ironically or within edgy humor.
Ideology centers on sexual rejection, not racial supremacy.
Overlap with far-right stems from shared internet culture, not shared goals.

“50% of the people on incels.co are from an ethnic minority.”
Naama Kates · 53:00

#racism#white-supremacy#4chan#online-extremism#diversity

Hot Take· 2

Hot Take27:30

Why Incels Feel Left Behind by Woke Culture

Incels feel marginalized because they don't fit the current framework of victimhood. As mostly men — especially white men — they're seen as part of the 'oppressor class,' making it hard to receive empathy despite their suffering.

Men, especially white men, are low on the 'victimhood hierarchy'.
Modern empathy is often performative and directed at protected classes.
Incels are seen as privileged, so their pain is dismissed.
This creates a sense of injustice and alienation.

“Men and a lot of people think of incels as being white men... are not very high up on the epistemology victimology scale. It's kind…”
Naama Kates · 28:00

#victimhood#woke-culture#empathy#marginalization#gender

Hot Take57:00

Why Society Can't Sympathize With Incels

Supporting incels carries no social prestige. Unlike marginalized groups, helping 'men who can't get laid' doesn't earn moral credit. Plus, many believe incels 'deserve it' for failing at a basic social expectation — making empathy rare and risky.

No social prestige in defending incels.
Society mocks those who can't find partners.
People fear being associated with 'creepy' or 'loser' labels.
Some explicitly say incels 'deserve' their situation.

“Who's going to stand up and give the guy that supports guys that can't get laid a pat on the back?”
Naama Kates · 57:30

#stigma#empathy#social-norms#prestige#shame

Explainer· 6

Explainer00:00

Why Most Incels Struggle with Loneliness and Mental Health

The vast majority of incels experience loneliness, depression, or anxiety, and many lack even platonic friendships. A striking 20% are formally diagnosed with autism, far above the general population rate, highlighting deeper social and neurodivergent challenges within the community.

Most incels are lonely and lack strong social connections, not just romantic ones.
Depression and anxiety are widespread among incels.
Approximately 20% are on the autism spectrum — a significantly higher rate than the general population.
Many were bullied or teased in childhood, compounding feelings of isolation.

“Overwhelmingly a lot of them are just lonely. A lot of them have trouble with just platonic friendships, too.”
Naama Kates · 00:00

#incel#mental-health#autism#loneliness#depression

Explainer03:00

The Three Levels of Being an Incel

Naama Kates explains that 'incel' isn't a single identity but exists on a spectrum: from someone involuntarily celibate, to someone aware of the term, to someone fully identifying with the online incel community. This creates a hierarchy of engagement and self-perception.

Basic definition: involuntary celibacy for six months or more.
Middle level: awareness of being an incel without community involvement.
Full identity: active participation in incel forums and ideology.
Some aware incels reject the community due to its extreme views.

“There's someone whose identity is... really made their identity about that and partakes in the online community.”
Naama Kates · 04:00

#incel#identity#community#definition

Explainer05:00

How the Incel Movement Emerged from the Manosphere

The incel community evolved alongside other male-focused online movements like pickup artists (PUA), MRAs, and MGTOW. It grew from early internet culture on platforms like 4chan, reacting against failed dating strategies and modern feminism.

Incels are part of the broader 'manosphere' including PUAs, MRAs, and MGTOW.
Origins trace back to mid-2000s internet culture, especially 4chan.
PUA communities led to backlash when their methods failed, fueling incel ideology.
Elliot Rodger's manifesto and PUA Hate forums were early catalysts.

“Pickup artist kind of led to like the next generation of young men who felt awkward or whatever having spent money and time... and seeing…”
Naama Kates · 08:00

#manosphere#PUA#4chan#internet-culture#history

Explainer11:30

Why the Incel Community Feels Like Home

For many incels, the community offers a rare space to speak openly about shame, loneliness, and rejection. It provides identity, belonging, and dark humor — filling a void left by isolation and societal neglect.

Offers a sense of family and community for the socially isolated.
Allows open discussion of topics considered shameful elsewhere.
Provides dark, gallows humor and memes as coping mechanisms.
Attracts those who feel unseen or unimportant in mainstream society.

“I think that for a lot of people it just comes down to feeling unimportant, feeling unseen, feeling ignored.”
Naama Kates · 12:00

#community#belonging#shame#humor#identity

Explainer22:00

How Incels Rank Women's Preferences

Incels believe women prioritize looks first, then money, then status. They refer to this as LMS (Looks, Money, Status), a rigid hierarchy they use to explain their romantic struggles, despite evidence that personality and chemistry also play major roles.

Incels believe women rank men by LMS: Looks, Money, Status.
They dismiss personality as a factor in attraction.
The halo effect is acknowledged — attractive people are seen as smarter, kinder, etc.
Some believe the reverse — humor or intelligence can increase perceived attractiveness.

“They have their kind of hierarchy of what's important to women: looks, money, status in that order.”
Naama Kates · 22:30

#attraction#LMS#halo-effect#dating#psychology

Explainer38:30

How Censorship Pushed Incels Underground

After major platforms like Reddit banned incel communities, members migrated to Discord and independent websites like incels.is. Increased censorship has made the community more paranoid, edgy, and harder to monitor.

Reddit banned incel subreddits in 2017, leading to new hubs.
Now, incels gather on Discord and sites like incels.is.
Censorship increased scrutiny and paranoia.
Migration underground makes monitoring and intervention harder.

“Since that time they've all been banned in the last two years... it's really leading to a different nature of a community when everybody is…”
Naama Kates · 39:00

#censorship#Discord#incels.is#online-communities#moderation

Story· 1

Story68:00

Japan's Hikikomori: The Proto-Incel?

The hikikomori in Japan — mostly young men who withdraw from society, live with parents, and avoid adult responsibilities — are seen as a precursor to the incel movement. The Japanese government even warned of a '2030 problem' when their parents die.

Hikikomori are socially withdrawn youth, mostly male.
They don't work, study, or form relationships.
The Japanese government studied the phenomenon due to scale.
Termed the '2030 problem' — what happens when parents die?

“The term doesn't make a distinction. And they don't work, they're not in school... they basically just kind of stay home and live off their…”
Naama Kates · 68:30

#hikikomori#Japan#social-withdrawal#incel#future

Q&A· 1

Q&A10:30

Are There Female or Gay Incels?

While some women identify as 'femcels,' most incels do not recognize them as legitimate. Similarly, gay men are generally excluded from the incel label because the ideology centers on women as sexual gatekeepers — a concept that doesn't apply in same-sex relationships.

Femcels exist in online spaces but are not widely accepted by male incels.
Gay men are typically excluded from the incel label.
Core incel belief: women's selectivity causes male inceldom.
No sexual gatekeeper in gay relationships, so no 'involuntary celibacy' in their view.

“Most incels don't think that women really can be incel. They also don't think that gay men can be incel because they think that women's…”
Naama Kates · 10:30

#femcel#gay-incel#gender#sexuality#community