NOTE: This page is in desperate need of revision and expansion. In the meantime, I suggest you use Rationalwiki’s Manosphere Glossary.
For newcomers to this blog, here’s a handy guide to some of the strange acronyms and lingo you’ll encounter here and in the “manosphere” in general. (For a definition of that term, see below.) I will update this entry periodically as needed.
First, the acronyms you’ll see most often here:
MRA: Men’s Rights Activist
MRM: Men’s Rights Movement
MGTOW: Men Going Their Own Way MGHOW: Man Going His Own Way.
Ok, so what do those terms mean?
MRM: The Men’s Rights Movement: A loosely defined, but largely retrograde, collection of activists and internet talkers who fight for what they see as “men’s rights.” Unlike the original Men’s Movement, which was inspired by and heavily influenced by feminism, the self-described Men’s Rights Movement is largely a reactionary movement; with few exceptions, Men’s Rights Activists (or MRAs) are pretty rabidly antifeminist, and many are frankly and sometimes proudly misogynistic. Those who oppose the MRM are generally not against men’s rights per se; they are opposed to those who’ve turned those two words into a synonym for some pretty backwards notions.
MGTOW: Men Going Their Own Way: As the name suggests, MGTOW is a lot like lesbian separatism, but for straight dudes. MGTOW often talk vaguely about seeking “independence” from western and/or consumer culture, and a few MGTOW try to live that sort of zen existence. But most of those who embrace the term have a deep hostility towards and/or profound distrust of feminists and women in general. Many MGTOW refuse to date “western women” and some try to avoid women altogether. I think the Man Going His Own Way acronym MGHOW adds another layer of confusion to an already awkward acronym, so I use MGTOWer instead.
Some other terms and acronyms you’ll run across here:
Anglosphere: Countries in which English is the primary language, or, more narrowly, those countries that used to be British colonies. They are full of evil Western Women (see below).
Incel: Involuntarily Celibate. A term, and identity, adopted by some dateless guys (as well as some women, but it’s the men we’ll focus on here). While there is nothing shameful about being dateless, or a virgin, or having a really long dry spell sexually — most of us have been there at some point — the term “involuntarily celibate” seems to suggest that the world owes incels sex, and that women who turn down incel men for dates or sex are somehow oppressing them. For those (male, straight) incels who are genuinely socially awkward or phobic, this can be a self-defeating stance that can lead to bitterness towards women. And often does.
Mangina: Derogatory term used by MRAs, MGTOW, etc. to describe guys who disagree with them — e.g., me. You can figure out the various connotations of this term yourself.
The Manosphere: The loose collection of blogs, message boards, and other sites run by and/or read by MRAs, MGTOW, and assorted friendly Pick-up Artists. The primary source of material for this blog.
NAWALT: Not All Women Are Like That. Dudes in the manosphere make so many ridiculous and untrue generalizations about women that they’ve come up with their own little acronym to describe the most common reaction to their nonsense: “not all women are like that.” Remarkably, many seem to think that making a reference to NAWALT is actually some sort of clever rebuttal of their critics.
PUA: Pick-up Artist. PUAs are obsessed with mastering what they see as the ultimate set of techniques and attitudes — known as “Game” — that will enable them to quickly seduce almost any woman they want. There is a vast literature on “game” online, though PUA (insofar as it is not complete bullshit) is at its essence simply a male version of the age-old ploy of “playing hard to get.”
Western Women: Also known as WW. Evil harpies, at least according to many in the manosphere. Contrasted with “foreign women,” a term that (in the manosphere, at least) sometimes refers to all women outside the Anglosphere, but often refers to a subset of these women from poor and/or Eastern countries, mostly Asian, who are regarded as more pliable and thus more desirable to haters of “Ameriskanks” and other WW.
So, if a woman says she does not need a man in her life, she is seen as a strong independent woman. If a man says he does not need a woman in his life, he is seen as someone who has a deep hostility towards and/or profound distrust of women.
How convenient and how logical…………….
Many women don’t WANT a man in their lives. Big difference to ‘need’ and btw, women are called man hating bitches when they want to go it alone and we don’t come out with such disgusting, filthy things like ‘cunt whore, pussy purse, riding the cock carousel’ and other derogatory phrases like you lot do. Some of the things you say about women’s genitals are beyond SICK. I’ve read them. You sound bloody deranged when you say it and it’s like some kind of childish game that a spotty, adolescent virgin would think of to do in their spare time ie make up as many demeaning expletives as you can. Bet it makes you feel better as well which is even more pathetic.
RE: John
If a man says he does not need a woman in his life, he is seen as someone who has a deep hostility towards and/or profound distrust of women.
Orrrrr that he’s gay. Or ace. Or just plain not interested.
The guys who we talk about here are misogynists. Not because they don’t rig their self-worth on a woman, but because they say horrible misogynistic things. This isn’t that tricky.
We don’t denigrate the MGTOW movement because we are averse to the idea of men not needing women. We denigrate the movement because it’s extremely misogynistic and hateful.
Ok, apparently I need to say this again. My brother’s not dating, my level of caring? Nope, none, nada. Why? Cuz he doesn’t go around claiming women are terrible and drove him away.
Simple really.
Digital_Spy, Where did I say disgusting, filthy things like ‘cunt whore, pussy purse, riding the cock carousel’? I have no idea what the heck you are talking about. Don’t use your own weird projections unto other people.
LBT, Argenti Aertheri, I know of female friends who prefer not to have relationships with men and the comments they give about men are not always, and I put that mildly, very nice. I respect that and I have no problems with that. But I find it a bit hypocritical when society accepts that behavior from women but not from men.
Take it up with society? Not the feminists who think that similar decisions made by people of varying genders should get similar results?
Like, no shit there are assholes. Water is wet.
You clearly missed where women choosing not to have heterosexual relationships get shit too. And note the connotations between “bachelor” and “spinster”.
@John
You are being a bit of a hypocrite, here. First, you don’t want to take accountability for other MRA/PUA types using words like “pussy purse” but yet you expect us all here to apologize to you for the not very nice comments your female friends say about men. It is entirely possible that you need to educate yourself about the sorts of things the MRM says about women. And then maybe you should make new friends if you don’t like the way they talk about men.
Has no problem with women despising men and making that a reason for dissociating from men. Is averse to people who are against men who dissociate themselves from women.
I think I know who the real hypocrite is here. >_>
@Ally
what?
That was directed at John. He says that he doesn’t like the double standard against men (which doesn’t really exist, but for the sake of argument let’s assume it does) but has no problem with the idea of women not wanting to associate with men due to anti-male bias.
I apologize for the lack of clarity!
Ok, thanks Ally. Maybe it’s too late but I just had a hard time wrapping my mind around that 🙂
Digital_Spy, Where did I say disgusting, filthy things like ‘cunt whore, pussy purse, riding the cock carousel’? I have no idea what the heck you are talking about. Don’t use your own weird projections unto other people.
I never meant you personally you moron.
Wow, John’s a real genius. Comes into a thread defining terms like MGTOW, doesn’t read it, doesn’t read any threads on the site seemingly, and gets in a snit when he’s told just how MGTOWs talk about women.
Hey John, let me simplify it for you. MGTOW aren’t just choosing not to date, marry, cohabit, etc. Nobody here would have a problem with that. The point about them is that they’re misogynists. All those terms Digital_Spy mentioned? That’s how these guys talk about women. They aren’t GTOW at all: they’re obsessively hating on women, and women’s bodies in particular, on the internet. They treat GTOW as some sort of threat or punishment for women for not catering to their every whim. We’ve said many a time to the self-proclaimed MGTOW who troll here: go your own way and stop whining like a little kid saying “I’m running away from home! I really am! LOOK AT ME!”
Digital_Spy, read again what you wrote and see for yourself that you were indeed addressing me when your wrote those words. Otherwise go back to school and learn how to write……;-)
Alice. You seem to be a strangely odd hypocrite yourself. You write that if I have a problem with women who say negative things about men, then I “should make new friends if you don’t like the way they talk about men”. In that case, my advice to you: if you have a problem with MGTOW, just ignore them. Practice what you preach.
Ally S. I am not averse to you. What I do, is noticing the double standards in society that I find really fascinating.
Oh, John. I AM ignoring MGTOW. Can’t you tell? This is me ignoring you.
John, you still don’t get it. MGTOWers aren’t our friends. They’re idiots we laugh at. In case you’d missed it, this is a MOCKERY site. It exists to mock misogyny. Is there any part of that you don’t understand?
You’re basing this statement on the assumption that I don’t hate the MGTOW movement solely because it is extremely misogynistic and hateful. Which isn’t true.
Kittehserf, maybe I am mocking this site …..;-)
Then you’re doing a really bad job of it, aren’t you?
Also, what does it say about you that you have to mock the idea of mocking misogyny? It just comes down to you being a misogynist or being a troll for its own sake.
It doesn’t make you look witty, or like a worthwhile person.
This is a very silly website. If any of you people want to know what the evil misogynist bogeymen at AVFM really think, then simply go have a look and form your own opinions. I have visited avfm and manboobz and I can tell you avfm is way more grown up.
Why not post some sensible questions on their forum and see what happens…
“This is a very silly website. If any of you people want to know what the evil misogynist bogeymen at AVFM really think, then simply go have a look and form your own opinions. I have visited avfm and manboobz and I can tell you avfm is way more grown up.”
Then please invite those grown ups to engage in conversation with these ‘children’ and educate them.
“Why not post some sensible questions on their forum and see what happens…”
Hey,feel free to do so,nobodies stopping you on this silly website.We need more people like you to educate these women.
Oh, could we necro a thread hoping nobody replies?
“This is a very silly website. If any of you people want to know what the evil misogynist bogeymen at AVFM really think, then simply go have a look and form your own opinions. ”
Dude, you think we haven’t gone and looked there? They do not look any less horrible over there than they do anywhere else. Because they are.
The silliness of this website is a feature, not a bug. The tagline isn’t “Misogyny. I analyze it carefully and debunk it with science.” Because misogyny has already been debunked elsewhere, so here we just mock it.
FTFY