The Matrix red pill metaphor has been adopted by online forums since the early 2000s. Self-proclaimed pick-up artists and US men's rights activists popularized the term and shaped the 'manosphere.' The manosphere comprises digital spaces combining misogyny, conspiracy theories, and self-optimization rhetoric. Common claims include that feminism dominates society, that gender roles are biologically determined, and that women are 'programmed' to prefer dominant, physically superior men while devaluing men. The United States functions as the ideological center where red pill forums contributed to the rise of incel culture. Incel communities portray sexual exclusion as discrimination and have been linked to violent acts such as the 2014 Isla Vista shooting.
Users in online forums have been employing this metaphor since the early 2000s. First among self-proclaimed "pick-up artists," who propagated the conquest of women via questionable techniques, and later among US men's rights activists. This gave rise to the "manosphere," various digital arenas in which misogyny, conspiracy theories, and self-optimization ideals have merged. Common claims on these platforms include the allegation that feminism has taken over society to keep men down,
The United States is considered to be the ideological center of this subculture. It was there that red pill forums gave rise to "incel" culture. Incel stands for "involuntary celibate," and refers to digital communities of men who identify with this term and interpret it as discrimination. Their activities have been the focus of research since at least 2014, when the Isla Vista shooting left six people dead.
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