Expert reveals worrying 'manosphere' code words after Netflix's Adolescence exposes hidden meaning of emojis
An expert has revealed which emojis and codewords we need to look out for following the release of Philip Barantini's Adolescence.
The most popular Netflix show in the UK follows 13-year-old murder suspect Jamie Miller - played by Owen Cooper in his first ever acting role.
The one-shot series sees Jamie being taken into custody after a teenage girl from his school is killed.
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Stephen Graham takes on the role of Jamie's father Eddie Miller, and Top Boy actor Ashley Walters plays detective inspector Luke Bascombe.
During the investigation, detectives are working to figure out the hidden meaning of emojis and online phrases used in text messages between Jamie and his friends.
Robert Lawson, an Associate Professor in Sociolinguistics at Birmingham City University, has explained what some of these emojis mean in the 'incel' world.
An incel is defined as 'a member of an online community of young men who consider themselves unable to attract women sexually, typically associated with views that are hostile towards women and men who are sexually active'.
Red and blue pill
In Adolescence, DI Bascombe's son Adam explains what the 'red pill' means: "The red pill is like 'I see the truth.' It's a call to action by the manosphere.
"She's saying he's an incel dad. She's saying he always will be. That's why they say you're an incel, they're saying you're going to be a virgin forever."
Lawson said in a column for The Conversation: "In the manosphere, those who have been 'red-pilled' see the world as it really is, understanding the so-called 'real' nature of women’s behaviour and dating preferences."
Chads and Stacys
Lawson says that those fully invested in the manosphere 'can be clearly seen in the caricatures of Chads and Stacys'.
"Chads are the 'ultimate alpha' – the ultra-masculine, virile, powerful and sexually attractive man to whom Stacys and other women flock. The term 'gigachad' refers to the most alpha of alpha males," he said.
"Stacys are an idealisation of femininity – a hyper-attractive, sexually desirable, promiscuous but vapid woman.
"She is ultimately unobtainable, especially to men who are not Chads. Simultaneously the objects of disdain and desire, Chads and Stacys highlight a clichéd view of men and women, rooted in stereotypes and pigeonholes rather than in reality."
Cuck
The professor states that 'cuck' is shortened from 'cuckhold,' which means a man's wife has been unfaithful.
"The term is strongly associated with a subgenre of 'humiliation pornography', in which a man derives sexual pleasure from watching his female partner have sex with another man," the sociolinguistics expert said.
"Cuck is often used as an insult, especially since the idea of allowing one’s partner to have consensual sex with other men goes against heteronormative notions of male sexuality, control and ownership."
(N)awalt
(N)awalt stands for '(not) all women are like that', according to Lawson.
"Awalt is used to suggest women are all vapid, insincere, sexually promiscuous, driven by emotions rather than rationality, motivated by financial gain and more. Awalt is also deployed to emphasise the claim that men are everything women are not – moral, rational, intelligent, loyal, honourable and individualistic," he added.
Topics: Adolescence, Stephen Graham, Netflix
Anish Vij