Drinking male tears: language, the manosphere, and networked harassment(Article)

Feminist Media StudiesVolume 18, Issue 4, 4 July 2018, Pages 543-559 Marwick, A.E.a,bEmail Author, Caplan, R.a View Correspondence (jump link) aData & Society Research Institute, New York, United States bDepartment of Communication, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, United States Abstract View references (72) While popular discourse often frames online harassment as an issue of individuals engaged in abhorrent behavior, harassing behavior is often networked in that it is coordinated and organized. When feminists and female public figures experience harassment, it often originates from members of a loose online network known as the manosphere, a set of blogs, podcasts, and forums comprised of pickup artists, men’s rights activists, anti-feminists, and fringe groups. While the particular beliefs of these groups may differ, many participants have adopted a common language. This paper explores the discourse of the manosphere and its links to online misogyny and harassment. Using critical discourse analysis, we examine the term misandry, which originates in the manosphere; trace its infiltration into more mainstream circles; and analyze its ideological and community-building functions. We pay particular attention to how this vocabulary reinforces a misogynistic ontology which paints feminism as a man-hating movement which victimizes men and boys. © 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Author keywords discourse analysisharassmentmasculinityMen’s Rights Movementmisandry ISSN: 14680777 Source Type: Journal Original language: English DOI: 10.1080/14680777.2018.1450568 Document Type: Article Publisher: Routledge References (72) View in search results format All 1 Allan, J.A. Phallic Affect, or Why Men's Rights Activists Have Feelings (2016) Men and Masculinities, 19 (1), pp. 22-41. 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