A review by whothehellisimmy
Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates

5.0

This book is one I think everyone should read. Laura Bates puts herself in the shoes of a young man entering manosphere forums in order to bring to light the true horror that lies beneath. If you don't know what an incel, MRA, PUA, or MGTOW is, boy do I envy you. Those online groups are all about hating women, even though it may not seem like that on the surface. Once you get deep enough into those forums, you'll quickly find posts advocating for the rape, murder, or abuse of women. I had to stop and put this book down multiple times because some of the things uncovered were so horrible I had to take a minute to take it all in. Bates also covers how these groups' online rhetoric can have dangerous offline consequences - such as mass shootings by the likes of Elliott Rodger, who is hailed as a hero on the forums. She also covers how young impressionable teenage boys are increasingly more likely to come into contact with its rhetoric and take it in as gospel truth due to social media's unwillingness to sacrifice their view counts in order to protect people. As a teenage girl myself, it shocks and sickens me to see how misogyny is so rife within society, and how it's even seeped into the minds of boys around my own age and younger. One thing I am glad for is the final chapter of this book - Men Who Hate Men Who Hate Women - which covers the side of society fighting against these misogynistic groups. It gives me hope to see that there are people who don't believe those hateful online groups and actively want to stop giving them a platform. Overall, this book is incredibly poignant and one everyone should read at least once in their life. Misogyny is not a joke. It is real, and it is hurting women.