The Male Complaint: The Manosphere and Misogyny Online

by Simon Copland

Inspired by leaders such as Andrew Tate and Jordan Peterson, the online Manosphere has exploded in recent years. Dedicated to anti-feminism, these communities have orchestrated online campaigns of misogynistic harassment, with some individuals going as far as committing violent terrorist attacks.

Although the Manosphere has become a focus point of the media, researchers and governments alike, discussions tend to either over-sensationalize the community or offer simplistic explanations for their existence. This book uses a mixture of historical and economic analysis, alongside actual Manosphere content, to delve deeper. With The Male Complaint, Simon James Copland explains how the Manosphere has developed and why it appeals to so many men. He argues that the Manosphere is not an aberration, but is deeply embedded within mainstream, neoliberal, social structures. For a cohort of alienated men, the promise of community provides a space of understanding, connection and purpose. 

This insightful book dares to dig into the corners of incel communities and online spaces where misogyny thrives. It is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand, and do something about, this growing and worrying phenomenon.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, Gender, Sociology

208 pages, Paperback

Published April 7, 2025

Reviews

[Matthew Bowes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enlightening, original, and deeply researched piece of work that challenged how I thought about the logic and the harms of the manosphere.

[Lauren Castle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been chipping away at The Male Complaint for a while, as it's quite a content-heavy read - but I'm glad I stuck with it. The book explores how and why some men are drawn to the 'manosphere' (i.e., the Andrew Tate/Jordan Peterson-esque bubble). Copland stresses the importance of unpacking the appeal of the manosphere to those who are influenced by it as a starting point for how we might respond to this digital entity and its real-world implications. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain greater insight into internet-based misogyny.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compelling, succinct book about a serious problem. A lot of people prefer to simply disavow the online communities of the Men’s Rights Movement and other Alt-Right poltical groups. Their misogyny, hate, and “toxicity” are patent, so why should one even give them the attention? Copland argues that such an approach of denial and cultivated ignorance will not actually the problem, and in this he is certainly right. If we want to do something about these movements, we must take them seriously. That doesn't mean taking their ideas seriously or accepting their misogynist principles. But it does mean that we must examine how they work and consider their allure. Copland sketches a pretty clear portrait of the situation that creates so many disheartened, lonely men. We live in society that creates distance through technology, and many men don’t have social networks that can help to socialize them and teach them to be unproblematic members of society. Ideals of manhood demand that men have no feelings and perform acts of self-sacrifice for the greater good. All of the repression that this idealized manhood demands ends up further driving men away from each other. This creates space for grifters peddling snake oil and misogyny to step in and identify a boogie man: women, and especially feminist women. Ignorance feeds the flames. Any man who actually took the time to understand feminism would know that it seeks to liberate all people from repressive ideologies. Feminism acknowledges that men are victimized by patriarchy alongside women. But there are a lot of female feminists who are disgruntled and who ar angry, and they are often angry at men. So, it is easy to see why some men see women and feminists are opponents rather than allies. In the end, the whole manosphere is a massive bait-and-switch, where the patriarchal capitalist system that produces all of the discontent is further strengthened by convincing men that the only path to happiness is to be a certain kind of rich, powerful, genetically lucky man. Maddeningly, it works, because humans like to look up to idealized figures, and many men simply don’t see the cracks in this facade. But there is hope that we can reach out to these men. Rather than insulting them and dismissing them, we can engage with them and show them that we still care, when they finally realize that the promises of the manosphere are empty.

The book builds off the results of Copland’s dissertation research. It is accessible but also engages with a lot of specialized scholarship. It introduces many key terms, and it draws its title from the phrase "female complaint” coined by Lauren Berlant to describe a different form of female separatist group. If you are interested in this topic and want to get deeper than the usual “gotcha!”-style reporting, then this book is a good place to start.

[Marlo · Rating 3 out of 5]

bit basic. the analysis of the manosphere feels pretty nailed to a pretty rudimentary framework and political analysis (capitalism bad) and lacks texture, each chapter is more stapled to a conclusion than exploratory, granular, expansive or fresh in its insight. has just enough first hand research to justify the read, i enjoyed it most for the contextual description of the terms of interaction and the established norms that inform expression in the spaces. the "what to do about it" part was pretty limp. if anybody talking about reactionaries would move the lens a bit to see the other trends in culture and gender relations rn instead of imagining an exogenous educative influence that could cure young men they might find more interesting answers.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the most interesting books i’ve ever read. my understanding of incels used to be surface-level, ie. blaming women because they can’t get sex and no women ever bother to look at them etc. but copland’s book helps to weave in the role that capitalism and neoliberalism plays in the makings of such movements. its interesting to see how such movements are mostly systemic in nature, even the participants themselves might be aware of it but nevertheless, choose to put the blame on something closer to home - women in their lives. definitely a good sociological book on how structures have inherent impacts on individuals

[Sioned Heal · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informative exploration of something I have been avoiding learning about for ages! Delivered with compassion for the reader. It's nice to have the root causes of most societal issues spelled out for me once again.

[Charity]

read me

[Jean-Philippe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most comprehensive research I've ever read on the subject

[tara]

capstone😔but i need to meet my reading goal