Fantasy, Online Misogyny and the Manosphere: Male Bodies of Dis/Inhibition

This book explores online misogyny and the manosphere from a psychoanalytic perspective, arguing that men present contradictory thoughts, desires, and fantasies about women. It draws on psychoanalytic thinkers to analyze communities within the manosphere, including incels, MGTOW, alt-right YouTubers, and NoFap users. It also discusses how sexuality, racism, and images of the white male body shape these fantasies and affects.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 272 pages
Publication date: 22 October 2021
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Nominated for the 2022 Gradiva® Award!

This groundbreaking book delves into the intricate world of online misogyny and the manosphere, offering a psychoanalytic perspective that sheds light on the complex thoughts, desires, and fantasies surrounding women. The author argues that the men within the manosphere exhibit a contradictory mix of beliefs, desires, and fantasies that extend beyond mere misogyny. They exist in a state of dis/inhibition, torn between unconscious forces and explosive fantasies that they fiercely defend against. This dis/inhibition manifests in various ways, including self-victimization, defensive apathy, toxic agency, and symbolic power. It also expresses itself through a longing for and hatred of other bodies.

The text draws upon the insights of renowned psychoanalytic thinkers such as Klaus Theweleit, Elisabeth Young-Bruehl, Jessica Benjamin, and Wilhelm Reich to provide detailed analyses of the various communities within the manosphere, including incels, Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW), alt-right YouTubers, and NoFap users. By integrating broader discussions about the status of sexuality in contemporary neoliberal technoculture since the late 1960s, the book illuminates how sexuality, racism, and images of the white male body shape the fantasies and affects of many men online and beyond.

Online Misogyny and the Manosphere stands as a vital resource for academics across a wide range of disciplines, including psychoanalysis, media and communication studies, internet studies, masculinity research, and more. It offers a unique theoretical framework that helps unravel the connections between the rise of online misogyny and the rise of alt-right and fascism, providing valuable insights into the complex dynamics of contemporary society.

Weight: 424g
Dimension: 154 x 234 x 22 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367468651