The Incel Epidemic: How Hatred of Women Became a Movement

By Trinity Barnette

Misogyny isn’t new.

Women have always been disrespected, dismissed, violated, and blamed. But the internet didn’t just amplify that hatred—it gave it a name. It gave it a home. And worst of all, it gave it a following.

Now we know them as incels—a group of men who hate women not just because they feel rejected, but because they’ve been radicalized to believe that women exist solely for their satisfaction. This isn’t just about dating struggles. This is about power, entitlement, and a movement rooted in violence.

“Misogyny didn’t start online. But now it’s organized.”

It’s easy to brush incels off as “just angry guys online,” but that mindset is dangerous. These aren’t isolated trolls—they’re part of a growing, extremist subculture that thrives on forums, YouTube channels, podcasts, and TikTok feeds. They trade violent fantasies like currency. They idolize men who murder women. And they dress up their misogyny in terms like “biology,” “red pill,” and “high-value men” to make it sound logical—when it’s really just hate.

And if incel culture had a face, it would be Andrew Tate’s.

When I first came across his videos, I’ll be honest—I thought they were ragebait. Just exaggerated, misogynistic “jokes” crafted for views, for money, for shock value. I assumed he was playing a character, saying the worst things possible just to piss people off and go viral.

But then I looked deeper. And what I found was terrifying.

He wasn’t joking. He wasn’t exaggerating. This man actually believes that women are property, that they deserve to be abused, that they should be submissive, silent, and grateful to be chosen. He’s been arrested for rape and human trafficking. He brags about manipulating women into sex work. And he built a literal empire out of that mindset.

His existence baffles me—but what’s worse is how many men worship him. He’s not some troll. He’s a symbol of what happens when misogyny, capitalism, and male fragility go unchecked. And he’s raising a whole new generation of incels with every post.

Andrew Tate’s influence isn’t just disturbing—it’s deadly.

In 2024, Kyle Clifford brutally murdered his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her sister Hannah, and their mother Carol with a crossbow. Let that sink in. A man took the lives of three women in cold blood—and when police searched his devices, they found exactly what you’d expect: Andrew Tate videos. He’d been consuming that content regularly, absorbing the violent, woman-hating rhetoric that glorifies control and domination.

This wasn’t just some unstable man snapping. This was a man radicalized by an ideology that tells men it’s okay to punish women for walking away. For saying no. For living.

Kyle Clifford didn’t just kill out of jealousy—he killed out of entitlement. And Tate gave him the blueprint.

And the scariest part? It’s not rare anymore.

Kyle Clifford is just one name in a growing list of men who’ve turned misogynistic ideology into real-world violence. From Elliot Rodger, who murdered six people in 2014 after posting a manifesto about being rejected by women, to Alek Minassian, who drove a van into a crowd in Toronto in 2018, these men all had one thing in common: they believed women owed them something—and when they didn’t get it, they retaliated with violence.

What’s terrifying is how many of them credit one single man with shaping their worldview: Andrew Tate.

He’s not just a “provocative influencer.” He’s a digital cult leader.

Young men follow him like he’s gospel, parroting his phrases, internalizing his beliefs, and spreading his poison in group chats, Discord servers, schools, and on social media. This isn’t just a problem—it’s a movement. And it’s growing faster than anyone wants to admit.

It’s the blind and insecure leading the blind and insecure—with women paying the ultimate price.

They don’t need guns or bombs to start a war. They just need a Wi-Fi connection and a man like Andrew Tate telling them that violence is justified.

This isn’t a trend. This isn’t “edgy content.” This is a radicalized, woman-hating movement, and the bodies are piling up. Andrew Tate may not be pulling the trigger or swinging the crossbow, but he’s handing these men the justification to do it. He’s fueling their entitlement. He’s weaponizing their loneliness. And the world is letting him.

We can’t afford to laugh this off anymore. We can’t keep calling it “boys being boys” or “just a phase.” Because while we’re debating whether or not it’s serious, women are dying. Girls are being taught to fear rejection more than anything, while men are being taught that rejection is a reason to kill.

I’m writing this in rage. I’m writing this in grief. But most of all, I’m writing this so no one can say they didn’t know.

If you’re not speaking out, you’re siding with them.

Personal Note: To the Incel Men Out There—You’re Not Misunderstood. You’re Cowards.

Let me be crystal clear:

You are not “unlucky in love.”

You are not “victims of the system.”

You are a group of misled, insecure cowards who believe hurting women will somehow restore your masculinity. You cling to violent ideologies because you’re too emotionally stunted to cope with rejection. It’s not just embarrassing—it’s an all-time low. And spoiler alert? You’re not coming back from it.

You will never earn respect through fear. You will never be strong while trying to destroy what scares you. And the fact that so many of you look up to men like Andrew Tate is a testament to how fragile and lost you truly are.

A Direct Message to Elliot Rodger (May You Rot in Hell):

I’ll sleep peacefully tonight knowing you’re no longer in a position to harm anyone else.

You were the prime example of male entitlement on steroids—a delusional “alpha male” who believed the world owed you love, sex, and attention. You weren’t rejected because you were a virgin. You were rejected because you were insufferable. You were rejected because you were narcissistic, unstable, and dangerous.

Your 141-page manifesto was a laughable, self-pitying rant from a man who couldn’t see past his own ego. You claimed to be an “alpha male” repeatedly—yet had to murder women to prove it. You didn’t act out because of loneliness. You acted out because of entitlement.

And I genuinely hope you’re exactly where you belong: in hell.

To My Readers: No Apologies. I Meant Every Word.

Yes, that was aggressive.

Yes, it was personal.

No, I’m not sorry.

My words are intense because my rage is real.

I’ve experienced misogyny, bullying, and harassment from men—online, in person, and in private. And I know I’m not alone. Every woman reading this knows what it’s like to be afraid for her safety around men who feel entitled to her body, time, or energy.

Maybe I’m too harsh.

Maybe I’m just a bitch.

Or maybe—just maybe—I’m right.

I didn’t create Raw Reflections to be polite, or to water myself down for approval. I created this space to educate, entertain, inform, and inspire. And I mean every word I say. I’m not here for fame, fortune, or followers—I’m here to speak what needs to be spoken.

And if Andrew Tate can build a following off hate and lies, then I’ll build mine off truth and rage.

This is Raw Reflections with Trinity Barnette.

And if you’ve made it this far, you know exactly what I stand for.

Thank you for reading.

Stay loud. Stay angry. Stay alive.