Mocking the Manosphere won’t make it go away: in conversation with Dr. Simon Copland

“Things are hard for men these days.”

Rightly or wrongly, this isn’t a sentence I would confidently say in a room of people I don’t know. Even though there is undoubtedly some truth to it, I’d already anticipate the rebuttal: “Things are much harder for women.” And just like that, I’m a failed feminist.

 Of course, the world is still a more difficult place for women in many ways. The gender pay gap refuses to budge, men still dominate positions of power, and violence against women continues to be a tragic societal status quo.

 I would never want to seem ignorant of these facts, but surely there is a middle ground that acknowledges men’s struggles without overlooking these realities? Isn’t that what feminism strives for – an equal society that looks after both women and men?

 As I mulled over these questions on my travels earlier this year, I came across Australian researcher Dr. Simon Copland’s debut book, The Male Complaint. In it, Copland argues that continuing to dismiss men and their problems only breeds further division and radicalisation.

 Copland’s work explores the Manosphere, the vast network of online communities where men discuss topics such as gender roles, masculinity, and relationships. These spaces are known for harbouring deeply disturbing, misogynistic content and have been directly referenced as having inspired horrific acts of violence against women.

 However, after spending time immersing himself into Manosphere subreddits, Copland realised that there is more to this world. On the one hand, he witnessed devastating accounts of hopelessness and loneliness, and even multiple suicide notes. On the other, he was surprised to find that a lot of Manosphere content is rather “banal,” consisting of self-improvement advice and seemingly harmless back-and-forth.

 I recently interviewed Copland to discuss the conclusions of his work. I was especially interested in how we, as a society, can help steer men away from the open arms of the Manosphere without compromising on feminist values.

Stop dismissing men as ‘basement-dwelling losers’ 

Copland takes issue with a common response to Manosphere men (men who engage with or are influenced by the Manosphere), which is to dismiss or ridicule them as “basement-dwelling losers” and “inherently bad” people. He believes this is a form of 'smug-politics', where we automatically assume our own intellectual superiority and refuse to engage productively, instead of unpacking what feelings or experiences might have led someone to hold these beliefs.

 The same can be said of engaging in 'counter-narratives,' or calling out the ideological issues with Manosphere men’s beliefs. As an extreme example of this, Copland points out ‘anti-Manosphere’ accounts on X which ridicule men for their men’s rights and Manosphere social media posts. He writes that these approaches are likely to make men feel “… belittled, angry and more likely to head to movements comprised of people who will actually listen to them.”

But isn’t ideology the core of the issue? How can we possibly tackle misogyny if we don’t expose what’s wrong with it?

Offering a different story

Copland is convinced that ideology is often not what brings men to the Manosphere in the first place. He advises me: “Don’t focus on the ideology. Focus on the underlying core issues that might be leading there.”

This should involve recognising the underlying issues which can lead men to adopt misogynistic beliefs and develop ‘alternative narratives’ to help them understand the true source of these grievances:

 “You don’t need to accept the premise of the misogyny to be able to reach out to somebody. What I would argue is that you need to accept the premise of the feelings of hurt and pain or trauma, or whatever it is that might be leading them to head down that misogynistic pathway,” he explains.

 Copland identifies the economic insecurity resulting from ‘late-stage capitalist neoliberalism’ as a likely culprit for many grievances held by many Manosphere men, who also face an ‘ornamental culture’ that glorifies endless consumption. 

 Because these concepts are difficult for anyone to wrap their head around, he argues that Manosphere men shift towards identity politics instead and identify women as an easier target, writing: “It’s easier to blame women, feminism or love for men’s unhappiness than it is to blame the complex system of capitalism.”

 Of course, this is only an explanation, not an excuse or justification, for misogyny. However, if our objective is to prevent more men from falling into this trap, Copland believes there are more productive steps we can take.

 Introducing frustrated men to other social movements, such as positive masculinity groups or socialist feminist groups, is one way of re-directing this energy and finding common ground between men and women. Crucially, this can help them to recognise that “the systems that are impacting women are impacting men in different kinds of ways. And it’s the systems that are hurting us all.”

 If this seems unlikely in practice, he also argues that encouraging men to shift from online to real-world interaction – such as joining youth groups or sports teams - would also be productive, as loneliness is often a contributing factor to men’s online radicalisation. What’s more, Copland points to research showing that establishing friendships with women can be especially effective at directing men away from misogynistic ideas.

 Crucially, this approach is designed to prevent men from entering the Manosphere or developing misogynistic worldviews, rather than approaching those who already engage in harmful or violent behaviour: “It’s less about getting people out. It’s more about stopping people from going there in the first place and letting them see that there are alternative places that they can go and where they can deal with their frustrations.”

Not everyone’s responsibility

Many would understandably be hesitant to patiently engage with men who perpetuate hateful, misogynistic views. I asked Copland how women, who are the primary targets of abuse on the Manosphere, should approach this issue.

 “I would say that it’s not the job of everybody to do this, and there are a lot of women who would read that section of the book and say, ‘I’m not going to put my head above the parapet and face that misogynistic abuse, and you can’t expect us to do that,’” acknowledges Copland.

 He continues: “And I would say I absolutely agree. There’s no expectation for you to do that. I do think that there is a role specific here for men to play in leading the charge.”

Where do we go from here?

Before I picked up The Male Complaint, I had never seriously considered how engaging with men - especially those drawn to the misogynistic ideas that cause so many women harm – might fit within feminist objectives. It is clear to me now that we need to create more room for open conversation rather than falling for the type of identity politics that fuels misogyny in the first place. Whether by actively engaging with men who are enticed by the Manosphere or simply by shifting our perspective, that feels like a crucial place to start.