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CTRL HATE DELETE: The New Anti-Feminist Backlash and How We Fight It
How did Johnny Depp and Amber Heard’s divorce become the centre of the anti-#MeToo backlash? Why have so many teen boys fallen under the thrall of Andrew Tate, a failed reality show contestant? And why are a growing number of influencers like #tradwives dressing up like 1950s housewives and preaching total subservience to men?
In the years since #MeToo – the largest social media facilitated feminist campaign in history – Roe v. Wade has been overturned in the United States, there have been attacks on reproductive rights in multiple countries and female political leaders have withdrawn from the world stage citing the level of abuse they get as a reason.
CTRL HATE DELETE takes a deep dive into how a collection of misogynists and their allies have turned male supremacist ideology from a niche set of beliefs into a mainstream movement.
With interviews from experts, influencers and activists, it outlines how to fight the rising tide of online misogyny and make online spaces more equal and inclusive.
In the years since #MeToo – the largest social media facilitated feminist campaign in history – Roe v. Wade has been overturned in the United States, there have been attacks on reproductive rights in multiple countries and female political leaders have withdrawn from the world stage citing the level of abuse they get as a reason.
CTRL HATE DELETE takes a deep dive into how a collection of misogynists and their allies have turned male supremacist ideology from a niche set of beliefs into a mainstream movement.
With interviews from experts, influencers and activists, it outlines how to fight the rising tide of online misogyny and make online spaces more equal and inclusive.
- GenresNonfictionFeminism
Kindle Edition
Published March 18, 2025
18 people are currently reading
257 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 29, 2025
Recently, I draw myself from Twitter and spend more time to do something offline.
One of many reasons why I almost quit Twitter is anti-feminists' tweets and "gender war" that makes me mentally exhausted. Because deep down, I am angry for what those anons said, degrade gender equality & talk nonsense.
Beside Twitter's algo being so nasty (and sexist and racist oh boy you can Google about this), those anti-feminist "activists" are maximizing this opportunity to ((tap in)) whatever online debate that's happening on that platform. Making their come back smoothly, offering something that "should be there at the first place" to new generation meanwhile we are trying to inform/educate more people about gender equality.
Cecile Simone opens this book with her own experience. To have a boy friend who is misogynist, has urged her to do research. It led her to new phenomenon on the Internet.
Her research took place in the US (Trump's first term) and the UK, but there are somethings that I can use to see the bigger picture of what is happening in Indonesia--& I bet you sense it too since it's too obvious. For example, the rise of influencers who push their agenda on being "the real man" and "the real woman." That, "the real women" are not career women and should not chase for men and so on. (I know you know what I mean). It didn't happen just as it is. Those all their strategies to go backward to the right side of spectrum--I mean, fascist and patriarch.
For those of you who also want to make this place a better environment, I recommend you to read CTRL Hate Delete: The New Anti-Feminist Backlash and How We Fight It by Cecile Simone. Really, really, an eye opener to understand that it's not just some random anti-feminist contents, but also, platform's algo make some move to feed us with that kind of believe.
(Unfortunately, the physical book is nowhere to be found in Indonesia but you can buy the digital one. Yes, it's pricey but I didn't mind at all because this book is 5/5 stars).
One of many reasons why I almost quit Twitter is anti-feminists' tweets and "gender war" that makes me mentally exhausted. Because deep down, I am angry for what those anons said, degrade gender equality & talk nonsense.
Beside Twitter's algo being so nasty (and sexist and racist oh boy you can Google about this), those anti-feminist "activists" are maximizing this opportunity to ((tap in)) whatever online debate that's happening on that platform. Making their come back smoothly, offering something that "should be there at the first place" to new generation meanwhile we are trying to inform/educate more people about gender equality.
Cecile Simone opens this book with her own experience. To have a boy friend who is misogynist, has urged her to do research. It led her to new phenomenon on the Internet.
Her research took place in the US (Trump's first term) and the UK, but there are somethings that I can use to see the bigger picture of what is happening in Indonesia--& I bet you sense it too since it's too obvious. For example, the rise of influencers who push their agenda on being "the real man" and "the real woman." That, "the real women" are not career women and should not chase for men and so on. (I know you know what I mean). It didn't happen just as it is. Those all their strategies to go backward to the right side of spectrum--I mean, fascist and patriarch.
For those of you who also want to make this place a better environment, I recommend you to read CTRL Hate Delete: The New Anti-Feminist Backlash and How We Fight It by Cecile Simone. Really, really, an eye opener to understand that it's not just some random anti-feminist contents, but also, platform's algo make some move to feed us with that kind of believe.
(Unfortunately, the physical book is nowhere to be found in Indonesia but you can buy the digital one. Yes, it's pricey but I didn't mind at all because this book is 5/5 stars).
July 18, 2025
I loved this book so much and I have so much to say about it, I don’t even know where to start.
First, the author is French (which I kind of guessed with the way Cécile is spelled), and I can’t help it but I’m always proud when my fellow French people get a book published in English.
I’m not on social media anymore, and when I’m out and about on the internet, I try to stay in feminist-friendly places. Every time I venture outside of that bubble, I’m always shocked by what I read. I know what people are saying is wrong, but I don’t always have all the data to back it up. This book is a good resource to deal with that. If you’re a woman on the internet, you may have noticed the rise of pretty violent misogyny. The violence doesn’t stay online because we’ve seen quite a few young men and boys bring that violence to the real world. One thing that always drives me insane is the people blaming everyone and their mothers, but especially women and feminists, for that violence. It’s because feminism went too far, it’s because young boys don’t have good role models anymore, it’s because women are misandrists. Blaming anyone but men, basically. The book explains really well (with data to back it up) that all of this is actually backlash against the progress made by the MeToo movement. I really like that the author focuses on that backlash happens in so many different places online : you have the incels, you have the PUA, you have the tradwives, you have the wellness influencers (we don’t talk enough about the intersection of wellness and the far right, which is something that was already true with the nazis). You basically can’t really escape it.
I really appreciate her conclusion. She talks about trying to open doors, to create communities, and to try to have a dialogue with people, but I’m not as optimistic as she is. As someone who’s been an activist for over a decade now, I think I am done doing the work. Seeing “well-meaning” people blaming those mean feminists online for the rise of incel culture (honestly, are men responsible for anything?) was the last straw for me. Even when men are violent, we find a way to blame women. Still a really good read, I also added so many books to my TBR.
First, the author is French (which I kind of guessed with the way Cécile is spelled), and I can’t help it but I’m always proud when my fellow French people get a book published in English.
I’m not on social media anymore, and when I’m out and about on the internet, I try to stay in feminist-friendly places. Every time I venture outside of that bubble, I’m always shocked by what I read. I know what people are saying is wrong, but I don’t always have all the data to back it up. This book is a good resource to deal with that. If you’re a woman on the internet, you may have noticed the rise of pretty violent misogyny. The violence doesn’t stay online because we’ve seen quite a few young men and boys bring that violence to the real world. One thing that always drives me insane is the people blaming everyone and their mothers, but especially women and feminists, for that violence. It’s because feminism went too far, it’s because young boys don’t have good role models anymore, it’s because women are misandrists. Blaming anyone but men, basically. The book explains really well (with data to back it up) that all of this is actually backlash against the progress made by the MeToo movement. I really like that the author focuses on that backlash happens in so many different places online : you have the incels, you have the PUA, you have the tradwives, you have the wellness influencers (we don’t talk enough about the intersection of wellness and the far right, which is something that was already true with the nazis). You basically can’t really escape it.
I really appreciate her conclusion. She talks about trying to open doors, to create communities, and to try to have a dialogue with people, but I’m not as optimistic as she is. As someone who’s been an activist for over a decade now, I think I am done doing the work. Seeing “well-meaning” people blaming those mean feminists online for the rise of incel culture (honestly, are men responsible for anything?) was the last straw for me. Even when men are violent, we find a way to blame women. Still a really good read, I also added so many books to my TBR.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews