QUando, in 1997, the student of the University of Ottawa “Alana” opened her celibacy Project involuntary for those who – like her – had difficulty building sentimental relationships, certainly could not imagine its results. He could not think that Precisely from that blog he could arise the global community of the incels (contraction of celibate entertainment). The “or Casti) celibates are men” are men – and boys – who hate women. Frustrated by the difficulty of having sentimental and sexual relationships, Meeting and recognizing each other a little, they console themselves, very much foment. Sometimes they radicalize, and can come to commit violence. Sometimes they continue “simply” to feed their patriarchal vision and spread the idea that women are the enemy.
It happens in the United States, where The massacre of the Averl Elliot Rodger He made school. In the United Kingdom, where The misogynist influencer Andrew Tate – explicitly mentioned in the TV series Adolescence – It is a reference for many young people. It also happens in Italy where the Intrel ideology is widespread and pervasive more than it is believed. We talked about it Marco Scarcelli, professor of the University of Paduaexpert on the subject.
Who are the Italian Incels and where their anger comes to women
First of all the data. “There are very few,” admits Scarcelli, who has been dealing with masculinity for years, especially among Italian teenagers, also through interviews in high schools. «It is very difficult to have quantitative data of a phenomenon like this. The so -called “manosphere“Hays men convinced that he is victims of a world unjustly in favor of women. But it is not a place, a site or a social network.” Rather it is one Constellation of various digital and non -digital places. And it is a very varied constellation also in the contents that conveys. “There are explicitly very violent spaces: For example, on Telegram, you can run into the instructions to rape a woman. And others who, although not violent, have a very similar matrix. From my point of view, they are no less dangerous ».
Intel forums on the internet
The latter are spaces that give the opportunity to express themselves and confront each other guys who are really in difficulty. We think of young men who attempt approaches with other sex and who, out of shyness or insecurity on their physical appearance, struggle to propose or are refused. A very frequent but particularly intolerable condition in these times. «In a company that continues to describe how The masculinity who is successful with women without making efforts, who has money and power winningwho cannot recognize themselves in these models suffers terribly, “continues Scarcelli. «Looking for sharing and understanding of his discomfort he runs into the incel. And if it does not run into real violence, it runs into a diluted version of thepatriarchal ideology that is at the base ».
Languages, codes and inhabitants of the manosphere
Codes and very precise and rigorous languages are fundamental ingredients of the handle Because they help those who need to simplify the complexity of the real world. In this other world, simpler and rewritten, Land women are np (not people)and men are classified with the letters of the Greek alphabet: Alfa (the dominants), beta (subordinated) and Sigma (the lone wolves, which distance themselves from conventional social norms).
The NPs are also categorized: they can be Stacy or Becky. The former are sexy and unreachable as much as the latter are dozen, neglected, feminists. They are the only ones that an incel can hope to tow and, for this reason, have a duty to provide sex to men who cannot afford a Stacy.
The incel speeches are full of victimism and sense of the agaustice towards the hard law of the world, the LMS (Look-Money-Status) Theory, According to which women are superficial and vicious, attracted only by physically present men, rich and who enjoy a good social status.
“The dripping of the Manosphere”
This is the narrative that generates and feeds anger and grudge towards women globally. In particular, in Italy what Scarcelli calls has occurred “Drainage of the Manosphere: from the very violent spaces some a little less violent content are drained elsewhere”. That is, in sites and blogs in which explicit content against women are interspersed with others “where only the effort to find their own place is expressed. Not being monolithic groups, these places they also manage to catalyze the attention of those who, in front of really violent content, would run away». And instead it remains there, he feels welcomed, he is loyal.
The Eco rooms on the web (but it is not “all the internet fault”)
But no, it’s not all “internet fault”. «Digital must not be the scapegoat. Digital builds where there is an educational silence. Builds something around the discomfort of young people In this particular historical moment », explains Scarcelli. Trivially, the problem is the idea that a woman can be considered something that can be claimed to have. That love is a form of possession. And these ideas were not born on the internet.
Certainly digital has specific responsibilities. First of all, it is difficult to monitor, and for the adult world it is often a black hole. But above all it conveys any message quickly, fast and persistently. “By our nature, we all tend to have homophile interactions, that is, to attend people who resemble us”. But this trend amplifies online. «The web generates bubbles, the so -called eco rooms, or Echo Chamber. While the algorithms continue to propose content related to those for which we have shown interest, us We begin to hear the same things always sayand this helps us to convince us that they are right ».
Maybe you are just a normal man, not too attractive and with a humble job, who sometimes feels a little … loser. But If you lose the overall vision and close yourself in the Incel bubble you get effort to think that your frustration is women’s fault. “While, it is clear, it is a much wider social functioning, which derives from the fact that society is built on certain non -values, namely appearance, wealth, popularity”.
The radicalization and culture of rape on WhatsApp
Scarcelli explains that “homosocial digital spaces, like those incels, welcome people who have the same sense of insulation. And in these groups, precisely because they are composed of similar, you feel free to express concepts that would be scandalous elsewhere». The bar of the comment is gradually raised, and the radicalization of the weakest and conditionable subjects can take place
“For example, We studied the WhatsApp groups composed of only boys And the way in which, with very naturalness, the photo of a girl was spread: the image of a body becomes easily the subject of discussion with “likes” strokes, “I would do this and you”. It is a piece of meat, and nobody cares more about the girl’s consent». A real violence is not being done, of course. «But the dynamic belongs to what is called in the literature rape culture».
In the beginning it was the meme: from joke to violence
Another very significant ingredient among the Italian Incel is the theoretically light joke, The funny meme with a sexist and misogynist. The sexist jokes, on the other hand, have always worked well, even before the internet.
«They are apparently harmless content, born in a playful frame. But, extrapolated from their context, especially if they become virals contribute to the spread of dangerous ideas». The dripping of the Manosphere therefore has the effect of the normalization of violent attitudes.
Praise Filippo Turetta as alla Duce
From misogynist meme to the heartfelt confession of one’s frustration, the journey continues. Always on WhatsApp You can even get to enhance Filippo Turetta, who killed his ex -girlfriend, Giulia Cecchettin. «In a chat, reported here in Padua, he praised him as he praised the Duce: Both symbols of a power that you feel that you have lost. The sense of loss It is linked to the idea that “once” everything was easier. Better traditional society, when man did what he wanted because he was a male. Now, according to this ideologythe women would have taken power, overturning the roles». And away with the rhetoric that “you can no longer say anything” without being accused of male chauvinism, nothing can be done anymore and we immediately talk about violence.
In demonstration for Giulia Cecchettin, in Bologna (Photo by Max Cavallari/Getty Images)
The nostalgia of the past of boys and girls
But, it must be said, this nostalgia of the past is not only male. There are also many girls who regret simpler times: a housewife life and a romantic, totalizing and life love. “The model, taken from the past, transmits to them security in these uncertain times,” continues Scarcelli.
«Freedom in emotional and sexual relationships, gender fluidity, female emancipation: a part of society, and many young people, welcome these changes in everyday life. And, for example, they can sanction the patriarchal elements that remain very hard. But, in fact, c‘It is those who instead, from the change are destabilized. And he can look for holds in the Incel galaxy ».
From the web to real life
There is the normalized violence of the handle on the internet. But there are also cases in which the incels have decided to get out of the network to transform frustration into violence.
It happened in the United States. And the example, above all, is the massacre of Isla Vista, in 2014, when Elliot Rodger killed Six people injuring fourteen, and then shooting themselves. In a video uploaded to YouTube just before the massacre as well as in his poster My Twisted World There are some of the fundamental elements of Insce’s ideology. Elements that continue to be mentioned in the forums and sites. Six years after the massacre, the International Center for Counter-Terrorism He defined it clearly as a case of “misogynist terrorism”.
Several other episodes of violence can be approached to this world. For example, in 2018 The self -proclaiming Incel Alek Minassian He hit ten people on the streets of Toronto with a van. But there is also Bryan Kohberger, sentenced to life imprisonment in July 2025 for killing 4 students in Idaho (On Amazon Prime there is a dedicated documentary, A blood night at college).
Misogine terrorism, from Elliot Rodger to Antonio De Marco
And in Italy? Does Manosphere drain but remains on the web? Not really: the threat of misogynist terrorism is also felt in our country. Two exemplary cases. The first, in 2021. The 21 -year -old from Savona Andrea Cavalleri He was arrested on charges of association with terrorism purposes: together with the Jews, his goal were women, “without feelings, inflatable dolls of meat to be exterminated”.
As Beatrice Petrella tells in her investigation into the Italian Incel universe, another name that returns among the Italian Incel is that of Antonio De Marco. Sort21 years old, killed his former roommates Daniele De Santis and Eleonora Manta “because they are too happy”.
The diary found in his apartment in via Fleming is useful to understand how frustration and anger, victimism and violent impulses can mix. Impulses that De Marco has come to vent.
The diary – the media reported – began with a phrase written in moldings with the red pen. “Reasons why we are not normal.” And then to follow a list: “Always talk to the plural; the beast I hear inside when I cry; the refusal of the 18 years”.
Then, among the many extrapolated phrases: “Wednesday I had a crisis while SI trinted a pillow, I thought that unlike me the others embrace real girls And so I burst into tears. I bought some tools … I want to kill someone, I want to pieces to pieces. I accepted the room, in the same house as F., and I already have the keys and from here when I go away I will be able to kill Daniele … I would like a woman firstbut I think it will be a good starting point. “