Word of Mouth

The Language of the Manosphere


Listen Later

The 'Manosphere' is a group of loosely affiliated mainly young males who have developed a specialised vocabulary to discuss women online in a negative and hostile way. Some of the vocabulary is a response to feminism which some men claim is diminishing their role in society. For other men a failure to attract women has given rise to phrases such as Chad and Stacey and a belief in the 80/20 theory - that 80% of women are attracted to just 20% of men who are Alpha males or Chads.

Acronyms such as AWALT (All women are like that) and MGTOW (Men Going Their Own Way) are also used for the purpose of internet dialogue.
Dr Jessica Aiston of Queen Mary University in London is one of several linguistic researchers who submitted evidence to the UK Parliament call for research into online misogyny. She tells Michael Rosen what that research has shown her and explains some of the terms used.

How did terms like “down the rabbit hole” and “gaslighting” enter the English language? How do other languages adapt expressions like these? Find out in an interactive guide with The Open University’s experts. Visit the BBC Radio 4Word of Mouth page and follow the links to The Open University.

Produced for BBC Audio Bristol by Maggie Ayre, in partnership with the Open University.

Subscribe to the Word of Mouth podcast and never miss an episode: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/brand/b006qtnz

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Word of MouthBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7
  • 4.7

4.7

51 ratings


More shows like Word of Mouth

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,617 Listeners

More or Less by BBC Radio 4

More or Less

877 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,046 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,479 Listeners

The Documentary Podcast by BBC World Service

The Documentary Podcast

1,796 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,767 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,041 Listeners

The Infinite Monkey Cage by BBC Radio 4

The Infinite Monkey Cage

2,088 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

486 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

46 Listeners

The Food Programme by BBC Radio 4

The Food Programme

259 Listeners

Crossing Continents by BBC Radio 4

Crossing Continents

78 Listeners

BBC Inside Science by BBC Radio 4

BBC Inside Science

416 Listeners

Thinking Allowed by BBC Radio 4

Thinking Allowed

298 Listeners

Inside Health by BBC Radio 4

Inside Health

83 Listeners

Moral Maze by BBC Radio 4

Moral Maze

71 Listeners

Curious Cases by BBC Radio 4

Curious Cases

826 Listeners

The Life Scientific by BBC Radio 4

The Life Scientific

238 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

160 Listeners

All in the Mind by BBC Radio 4

All in the Mind

77 Listeners

The Kitchen Cabinet by BBC Radio 4

The Kitchen Cabinet

114 Listeners

Sliced Bread by BBC Radio 4

Sliced Bread

139 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,145 Listeners

Americast by BBC News

Americast

740 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

94 Listeners