4chan is a web site where a number of beta men hang out, according to writer Angela Nagle. (‘The New Man of 4chan,” by Angela Nagle, The Baffler, No. 30, 2016, pg. 64-76.) 4chan is a image board website and a beta man is the opposite of an alpha man — someone seen as virginal, introverted and a geek. (Ibid, pg. 64.)
On 4chan, one is likely to discover elements of a beta uprising: diatribes from “incels”, involuntary celibates, whose anger against women borders on or exceeds misogyny. On 4chan, one finds young men who blame women for all the ills of the world and most particularly for imposing politically correct standards which they deem a feminine conspiracy “dedicated to a matriarchal thwarting of male freedom and desire.” (Ibid, pg. 70.)
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Writing about abortion, one 4chan beta man proclaims: “On the one hand, I support it because it is killing children. On the other hand, it gives women choice.” (Ibid pg. 73)
Alpha men come in for their share of attack, being competitors for women whom beta males both love and hate. Anyone who’s been to the movies of late, will see beta males emerging as the new superheroes. After all, this is the information age where physical strength and wealth are secondary to the geek who rules the internet. Think Jobs, The Social Network and the Fifth Estate as recent examples.
The bifurcation between alpha males and beta males may seem a new phenomenon, but scratch the surface of either and you see little difference between them Both can both exhibit strong elements of sexism.
Having read Nagle’s article, I continue to worry about young women in the west who fail to recognize the many forms and shifting shapes of prejudice that work against feminine equality. Witness the latest law suit filed by the U.S. Women’s soccer team suit to contest wage discrimination. (Click) As to the plight of women in the rest of the world, it goes without saying there is much work to do.
