In the old days, long before any of us were around, if enough people didn’t like someone, they could just call them a heretic and then they would be effective shunned from the community, and potentially executed. In other words, their life is ruined because of an accusation.
In the medieval times all the way until like the 1700s or 1800s, this same concept happened but with “witch” instead. You’ve all heard of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, right? Nineteen people were executed because they were accused of being witches. Did people hold grudges against those who got accused? Probably.
Then, in the 1950s, McCarthyism was on the rise during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Anyone who dared step out of line ran the risk of being branded a “communist” and shunned. Just like with the heretics and witches, all it took was an accusation.
Then in about 2014, Tumblr (and in turn, the rest of the internet) exploded with this social justice crap. Instead of by the content of their character, people were judged by how “oppressed” they were. The more “oppressed” you were, the more you were put on a pedestal. If you said one thing that was misconstrued, or even if someone just didn’t like you, you’d be branded a racist, sexist, homophobe, transphobe, or God forbid all four. If you tried to defend yourself, you’d just be ridiculed and told “that’s something a racist/sexist/homophobe/transphobe would say.” While this accusation wouldn’t necessarily get you executed, it would get you shunned if you were unlucky enough, and no one would want to be around you, even if the accusations aren’t true.
Three years later, the protests in Charlottesville happened, with people of all different political stances clashing with one another in a brawl that resulted in many injuries and one death. While I condemn those who were violent (as everyone should), it resulted in everyone involved who was to the right of Pol Pot being branded a “Nazi”, and some of them got kicked out of their homes, ganged up on and attacked, and shunned by their families. This extended beyond the protests and soon anyone who dared not to constantly whine about Donald Trump was branded a “Nazi”. People called for harassment, doxing and physical attacks on others on the grounds that they were a “Nazi”. All it took was one accusation from one powerful/influential person and you were a Nazi. Ever seen that meme with the book called “Everyone I don’t like is a Nazi: the emotional child’s guide to political debate”? That happened for a reason. Everyone and their mother was being called one.
The next year, especially after incels became thrusted into the spotlight thanks to Alek Minassian, “incel” became the next new insult of choice for anyone who dissented. You disagree with one minor aspect of feminism? Incel! Don’t donate your whole paycheck to e-girls on Twitch and Patreon? Incel! Refuse to get on your knees and submit to the matriarchy? INCEL! In fact, I only ever learned of this forum after seeing IncelTears after hearing countless complaints about “incels” and even getting called one myself. The word incel has lost all its meaning. It’s gone from “involuntary celibate” to “someone I don’t like”. It’s also funny because all the same people who whine about “slut shaming” are the same people to call us incels (or just virgins). Basically, “incel” is just a more sophisticated way of calling someone a virgin, with the added bonus of implying that someone is a hateful misogynist who might commit a mass shooting.
In the medieval times all the way until like the 1700s or 1800s, this same concept happened but with “witch” instead. You’ve all heard of the Salem Witch Trials in 1692, right? Nineteen people were executed because they were accused of being witches. Did people hold grudges against those who got accused? Probably.
Then, in the 1950s, McCarthyism was on the rise during the Cold War between the United States and the Soviet Union. Anyone who dared step out of line ran the risk of being branded a “communist” and shunned. Just like with the heretics and witches, all it took was an accusation.
Then in about 2014, Tumblr (and in turn, the rest of the internet) exploded with this social justice crap. Instead of by the content of their character, people were judged by how “oppressed” they were. The more “oppressed” you were, the more you were put on a pedestal. If you said one thing that was misconstrued, or even if someone just didn’t like you, you’d be branded a racist, sexist, homophobe, transphobe, or God forbid all four. If you tried to defend yourself, you’d just be ridiculed and told “that’s something a racist/sexist/homophobe/transphobe would say.” While this accusation wouldn’t necessarily get you executed, it would get you shunned if you were unlucky enough, and no one would want to be around you, even if the accusations aren’t true.
Three years later, the protests in Charlottesville happened, with people of all different political stances clashing with one another in a brawl that resulted in many injuries and one death. While I condemn those who were violent (as everyone should), it resulted in everyone involved who was to the right of Pol Pot being branded a “Nazi”, and some of them got kicked out of their homes, ganged up on and attacked, and shunned by their families. This extended beyond the protests and soon anyone who dared not to constantly whine about Donald Trump was branded a “Nazi”. People called for harassment, doxing and physical attacks on others on the grounds that they were a “Nazi”. All it took was one accusation from one powerful/influential person and you were a Nazi. Ever seen that meme with the book called “Everyone I don’t like is a Nazi: the emotional child’s guide to political debate”? That happened for a reason. Everyone and their mother was being called one.
The next year, especially after incels became thrusted into the spotlight thanks to Alek Minassian, “incel” became the next new insult of choice for anyone who dissented. You disagree with one minor aspect of feminism? Incel! Don’t donate your whole paycheck to e-girls on Twitch and Patreon? Incel! Refuse to get on your knees and submit to the matriarchy? INCEL! In fact, I only ever learned of this forum after seeing IncelTears after hearing countless complaints about “incels” and even getting called one myself. The word incel has lost all its meaning. It’s gone from “involuntary celibate” to “someone I don’t like”. It’s also funny because all the same people who whine about “slut shaming” are the same people to call us incels (or just virgins). Basically, “incel” is just a more sophisticated way of calling someone a virgin, with the added bonus of implying that someone is a hateful misogynist who might commit a mass shooting.
