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.
I’m guessing either SSJ didn’t look around the site, or zie assumed WE wouldn’t. Lol
@isidore: Actually, no I didn’t. I read the author’s biography though, and it did kind of smack of “Preachy Western Feminist”. : /
I also saw a very irritating argument from an MRA on tumblr today who tried to argue with another user that feminism should be helping men not get circumcised anymore (and using tons of straw to argue that fact), and that feminism should be helping men with all their problems because “feminists have all the power” and have had it “since the 70s”. : /
Some people these days…
males have huge pride issues…
most fathers I know take great pride on their kids… and they look with great shame at themselves…
they avoid their own because they feel worthless… a common cause most men abandon their families… they feel they are useless… they just go away…
your dad is ashamed, his “indifference” is a facade….one that he will NEVER admit….
he will not bother you with his life… that is his way of thinking…
what good he is for you?
you must understand… all of you daughters of dads…
men are feeling useless…
they fail… they drink
they drink…they fail more…
they get drugs… they fail more…
all they do is a failure…
they embarrass everyone… they are a burden…
they leave…
ask yourself what can a weak man do if he fails?
he will admit his weakness and cry for help?
who will help him?
other males?
the women he suppose to impress with its “abilities”..?
a man knows when he fails…
running away is his acknowledgment… he is a failure…
he is a burden…
society never talks about them…
the ones that fail….
there are no “support groups”… “hot lines”….”happy thoughts”…”empowerment speeches”…
if you are a man… and you fail…
is your fault and your fault alone….
you cannot blame women… you cannot blame other males… you cannot blame “society”…. you only blame YOURSELF….
everything is the man’s fault…
was he born to deal with all this… was he ever thought… is he strong enough…
no one gives a fk….
he is a man…. he is guilty… sooner of later he ends up in jail…
because that is were all guilty men end up…
society don’t want them… no one wants them…
your dad never wanted to leave you… and is not your fault…
in his eyes he is a useless pathetic piece of crap… he is convinced of this… you are better without him…
he may be aggressive and proud next to you and never ever tell you that… he may say that he did not care… or whatever bull he may come up…. he may be silent… he will never say it… he will never admit it…
this is how a man reacts…. you can say is sick… or you can understand it…
if you want your dad back, never ask him “why?”…
just stay with him and talk about weather.. visit him and talk about your life…
do not ever blame him… he already did this to himself because of blame… not because of you… but because he blames itself…
After you told men to “get sensitive” and “show their feelings”…
now you are “sick of their feelings”?
really?
sorry, but you will have to get use to it….
because men, are learning from feminists… to show and express their feelings…
and they just started…
the future is bright… for men
there is nothing wrong for a man to show its feelings…
a feminist once told us that….
yes is exhausting to read about others feelings…
we know…. we do it all the time….
welcome to the new world
where your problems are not the only problems on the planet
get use to it…. really really good
and say a big thanks to feminists they sure make this their main agenda
and yes, if a woman is not guilty of anything because “society”…
then guess what…. neither a man….
and yes, I do believe that men need to openly talk and show their feelings
not because feminists, but because it is a smart thing to do
Oh, FFS, I need to get to work but this is too ridiculous.
OK, “Cock” (just lovely, BTW/sarcasm) please point out anywhere where anyone here has said that men aren’t allowed to be open with their feelings. Please point that out.
Second, yeah, when those feelings men are sharing are anger from aggrieved entitlement because women aren’t sexual objects that are bestowed upon them for being Nice Guys(tm), or women are no longer doormats, or women are no longer unpaid domestic servants, or women are actually getting educations and jobs and supporting themselves, or women aren’t bending over backwards to kiss mens asses? Then yeah, you’re going to get some pushback from that.
Third, men’s feelings have always been privileged over women’s. Women have been expected to be the caring, nurturing ones who provided a “safe haven” for men to come home to. Nevermind what the women were feeling. Women are socialized and expected to put the feelings of others over their own needs. Now, thanks to feminism, women are starting to throw off that dynamic. Don’t like that? Don’t like that women aren’t your emotional doormat anymore?
Lastly, WTF? You go on and on about how men aren’t allowed to express their feelings and how much pain men are in, and then you tell daughters not to try to establish an emotional connection with their fathers? Just talk about the weather and don’t bother him with all that emotional stuff? Seriously?
The trouble with Cocks/Dicks like you is that you never take responsibility for your own actions or choices in life but instead run away from them leaving your families behind to cope with the fall out and then expect your daughters to visit you but please, horror of horrors, don’t talk about what a loser I am. Let’s talk about the weather instead. What weak men you are. Can’t face up to what you’ve done or the situations you find yourselves in. In fact you don’t even seem to want to change your life for the better or in a more positive way but instead prefer to take the easiest route and walk away feeling nothing but enormous pity for yourselves. It’s pathetic.
Hold on, I need to get this out: ELLIPSES ARE NOT FUCKING PERIODS.
Dear divines above, it was like listening to someone who’s out of breath talk. And talk. AND TALK. Breathe, goddamnit!
Funny thing, my biological father abandoned my mother and I because I didn’t have a penis. Yeah, he sure must have felt useless about me not having a penis so he could give me his name.
Reading and actually paying attention are two different things, Cock.
Complaining about having to listen to women’s “feelings” and actually paying attention to what they’re having feelings about are also two different things.
We’ve been used to it. We still have to listen to men winge about not getting the proper amount of blowies from virgins.
Men have been allowed to complain about everything from day fucking one. Women have just now been voicing their own opinions as well. See, where this little “analogy” of yours falls to pieces is exactly where Sparky says it does: Women have always been conditioned to put the happiness and feelings of others before their own, especially if the person in question is male.
Your baseline for comparison here is silence on behalf of women. You’re saying that women talk too much, and men should have a turn to speak. No one’s disagreeing that men should have a turn to speak, but you’ve had the microphone in your hands the majority of the time.
Also, as Sparky said, no one here said men didn’t have problems or weren’t allowed to have feelings and open up about either of those.
Seriously, we’re well aware men have problems too. But a lot of men’s problems come from the exact same place women’s problems do: The idea that everything feminine is bad, A.K.A. The Patriarchy.
Women didn’t cause you problems, men did.
You DO realize that one of the problems feminism wishes to address about toxic masculinity is this right here, right? The idea that men shouldn’t ever open up about their emotions or problems because it’s seen as “weak”?
Facing your fucking problems and attempting to fix them isn’t “weak”, it’s something that needs to be done if you truly want things to be better. You have to stand up and be strong for your family. If you turned away from them in a moment of weakness, then fucking say so. Don’t bottle that shit up until it explodes. That’s a super unhealthy thing to do, and it’s one of the things society teaches men to do. It’s bullshit.
Don’t tell your daughters they’re not allowed to ask why you abandoned them because you’re too scared to talk to them. They deserve to know. They’re in pain too. They have to live with the idea that they were abandoned.
Do you have any idea what that’s like for a young girl? To know her father abandoned her? To see other girls with their fathers and wonder why she can’t have that too? To wonder why she wasn’t good enough for her father?
I’ve been there, and it’s fucking hell. If I ever did meet my biological father face-to-face, you’d better believe I’d ask him “why”.
Slight necro, but I just wanted to say that I actually do have a feminist friend named Katie.
Feminists are hate ideologues.
Their male equivalents are also haters.
Gender Olympics are ruining human relations and fast-tracking Western Decay.
Fast-Tracking Western Decay is the name of my experimental improvisational country band.
Is it time for the Gender Olympics again? I wonder what the opening ceremony will be like?
There will be giant inflatable scented fucking candles and dancers will perform a rousing game of musical misandric hard chairs. Then the Indigo Girls will play and make boners sad with their age and lesbianism. It should be good. The CIA funded tickets just arrived yesterday.
LOL! I hope my tickets arrive soon. Feminist high counsel would have words with me if I’m late.
I’m looking forward to the radical separatist events at this year’s Gender Olympics: Vagina Vault and Robertasled.
As usual, MRAs are expected fo be competitive at douchecanoeing.
*to, not fo. That fentence lookf like a fixfteenth fentury manufcript.
As men drop out & go their own way you’ll see society getting worse. Predator states that have strong families & hegemony will, no doubt look at weak nations. You’ll get invaded, and voila!!
Don’t pretend not to care, you WILL suffer in the future
Sure, men will totally all go their own way, the world will end and the sky will fall on us. /s
Uh, Michael, Australia is a Defcock 2 nation. They’re going to be invading you. Don’t kid yourself that the conquerors are going to issue you your own concubine. More likely, you’ll end up in an Objectivist casserole.
This is just a thinly veiled variation on the old “nice gender you’ve got there” protection racket. Ladies, you’re going to need a man! To save you from men!
Your sales pitch needs a little work.
Have you considered that even if every thing you say is true Michael from Australia that some of us would rather be dead than in that life ? I mean, living like that is not really an incentive, is it ?
Wow, possible misery and servitude in the future versus certain misery and servitude now. What a choice!
@Michael
See, I’m having trouble believing you when you suggest that the silly feminist countries will be invaded by the manly-man family-focused countries, as I’m pretty sure that what you mean by “strong families” is “traditional patriarchal family structure.” Because that’s what MGTOWs have whined for since the start. Here’s one thing: you MGTOWs are not as strong in number as you wish to believe, and the majority of men out there are in agreement with the idea that women are also people and should receive equal treatment. So there really won’t be much of a dent in society if and when (emphasise on if) you lot actually fucking finally DO go your own way (could you just hurry up with that already??).
Here’s the biggest flaw in your prediction – the countries that have strong laws in gender equality and a flexible family structure are doing pretty well for themselves economically and could hold their own in a battle. Examples: USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, France, Germany, etc. Countries that are very patriarchal in their ways…well…they’re not doing so good and never really have done. Burundi, Somalia, Syria, UAE, Iran, Columbia, Peru, Bangladesh, Haiti etc.
Sorry Michael, but it looks like the strongest countries are the pro-feminism ones. And since MGTOWs are such a small group, very little will change if you guys do up and GYOW like you say you will.
So yeah. Pop goes that theory.
Birth rate in Japan is now 1.1 It is being called sexodus. Japanese males opting out are called Herbivore men. Population rates plummeting everywhere feminism has taken hold as these women exit the nuclear family. This is no joke. Big changes in society will continue and accelerate unabated looks like. MGTOW is no joke. Widespread misandry is forcing them to opt out.
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAH
Yeah, because SO many men are GTOW, that we all should worry! Because who will have babies if the men don’t cooperate?!
Oh wait, we can get stuff similar to sperm cells from bone marrow. And men are still donating to sperm banks. And there’s still plenty of men who aren’t going their own way (to occasionally poke their head in and ask if they’ve been missed. No, you haven’t been missed. Leave).
Paul, you misspelled a word. Your penultimate sentence should read, “MGTOW is a joke.”
The idea that birth rates below replacement levels are a problem is puzzling. We are a long way from an underpopulated planet.