By David Futrelle
Incels will jump through hoops to prove that whatever it is about them that turns women off, it’s something they can’t control. It’s not their personality; it’s not their noxious ideas about women. Rather, it’s the exact shape of their chin, or the slant of their eyes; it’s their height, or weight, or the the size of their penis.
But this leads to problems. What happens when incels realize that their dicks — while far from porn-sized — are pretty much the same size as most other men? They’ll convince themselves through mathematical principles understood only by other incels that their dicks are still at least two inches shorter than the dicks an average woman will encounter first-hand in her lifetime, thus making their average sized dicks decidedly below average. (Never mind that there’s zero evidence that the dicks women encounter are usually above average in size; they just made that up.)
And when it comes to height, well, Incels do pretty much the same thing. In the shortcells subreddit — the replacement for the banned shortcels subreddit — the regulars are convinced it is their short stature rather than their distinct lack of charm that is the key element in their failures with women. But what counts as short? With 5′ 9″ the average height for American men, more than a few incels who consider themselves short are in reality of average height. (Average heights around the world range from roughly 5′ 5″ for Indian men and nearly 6 feet for Dutch men.)
But one incel Redditor called Bad_Parking thinks that his colleagues in the subreddit are too willing to accept the actual facts about average height, convincing themselves that “5’7″ is an okay height and that 5’9″-5’10” constitutes as a tall fag.” (Which, if you strip out the homophobic language, is in fact true.)
No, according to Mr. Parking, the “the average height for the new generation … white male is at least 5’11”-6’0″.”
This isn’t true, by the way. While average heights around the world gained several inches over the course of the twentieth century, this pattern of gain seems to have come to an end; the average height of a American male born today is expected to be 5′ 9″, same as it is now.
But Mr. Parking is only getting started.
[C]onsidering that the high height standards are only a thing because women like to compare you to other MEN not to women. Therefore this makes the heights below 6’2″ as mediocre to acceptable at best. Having the average height of 6’0″ does not automatically make you a fakecel because as we all know no average is enough to give you any boost in the dating market.
Ok, but 6 feet is not the average height for men outside the Netherlands. And the idea that women will only reluctantly date any man under 6′ 2″ is just straight up ludicrous.
No, if the so-called shortcels of Reddit want to know what it is that makes women cringe in their presence, they need only take a look at some of the other posts in their subreddit.
Here’s one from today — with 93 upvotes:
Here’s a screenshot that got 113 upvotes for the allegedly “based” retort from Ragesh.
Here’s a comment on this screenshot:
Here are several posts mocking the allegedly loose and smelly vaginas of alleged sluts over the age of, say, 30. There are so many of these posted on a regular basis there that even some incels have gotten sick of them
And here is but one of many posts referring to the so-called “dogpill” — that is, the notion, widespread among incels, that white women routinely have sex with male dogs.
Yeah, dudes, I’m sure it’s your HEIGHT that repulses the women.
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@Rabid Rabbit
Abstract philosophical questions aside, the answer is “more conscious than we like to think.”
It’s super common for men to to fall back on sexist cliches to retroactively justify their own behavior, even when they already know better and indeed style themselves as feminists. Or to have the opportunity to learn about sexism, and refuse, because it would make them feel bad. Or to just very deliberately and consciously deny the humanity of women in their lives, and frame it as necessary.
Same applies to other privileged groups TBH, e.g. white people. (I’ve been getting schooled lately, in both senses, in how willfully ignorant I’ve been about racism.)
Now, is bigotry a deep dark hole? Does it take time and effort and patience to drag ourselves out of it? Hell yeah. But let’s also not kid ourselves, there’s a reason we stay in that hole so long in the first place. Ignorance only gets you so far before it becomes willful, and willful ignorance a kissing cousin to evil.
I’ve been told the basketball jokes started about immediately after I was born. (It doesn’t happen that often nowadays, if only because I avoid meeting new people.)
@Cyborgette
This describes most men I’ve encountered, including self-described feminists. It seems people really don’t like being told that privilege helped them get where they are. I understand this response, but that doesn’t make it right.
Incel maths doesn’t add up.
@Temascos
Weirdly enough, I’ve just read one of your posts from 2016. 🙂
I trawl the archives here (and comment on current threads somewhat too frequently) when I’m dealing with a bad bout of depression. Dunno if it helps me, but it seems to.
@Screen New Deal
Are you posting with a new name and/or email? If so, David has to manually let your comments through the first time. I can see your comments now, so it seems like it’s all resolved.
OT:
We were discussing Ron Jeremy a while ago as an example of how appearance doesn’t determine sexual success. He has now been charged with rape (link tw descriptions of sexual assault).
@ Shadowplay
Oh wow! I completely forgot I posted that long ago on here! Haha!
It’s nice and funny to sometimes look back at older comments and predictions that people have made (Mostly elsewhere rather than on here, and related to more casual stuff like gaming for me personally) and see how things actually played out. Although reading my old comment and feeling that there was no end in sight to all the horrible stuff that was happening at the time and seeing where we’re at now is not a pleasant feeling, and I’m privileged in my case! Nevermind what has happened to women and minority groups around the world.
Back on the main topic, one of the comments David pointed out had a line that bugged me (I know, shock!) – “males are superior in every way except – breastfeeding and loving them at a young age”
First up – The first point is BS. The point about “Loving them at a young age” – So men can’t love their own children and care for them? That’s a load of nonsense, and it’s sad they think that is what should be the case where in fact it should be the opposite.
I’m guessing Daisy is actually a girl dog
Aye. That’s total bollocks, and I sincerely hope it comes from a place of ignorance on his part. That wave of love and protection (and admittedly some fear) when you hold your kids is kinda unmistakable.
Don’t much want to know a guy that can’t feel that.
FWIW it’s also possible for many men to breastfeed, even if it is harder to induce. This sometimes occurs spontaneously in people who have starved them start eating again, and some lactation stimulating medications intended for women work in men, however many are only available on prescription and a cis man would have a hard time convincing a doctor to prescribe him some.
If I ever have children of my own I hope to breastfeed them. I’m not a man, but the principle would be the same of inducing lactation in someone who hasn’t given birth.