Summary

In 2024, conservative-leaning online spaces emphasizing traditional masculinity gained mainstream influence, driven by figures like Joe Rogan and trends like the “tradwife” movement.

Platforms like X, under Elon Musk’s ownership, became hubs for anti-“woke” sentiment, while podcasting further amplified right-wing ideas.

This cultural shift mirrored Trump’s election victory and reflected backlash against progressive gender norms.

Though some view these spaces as promoting traditional values, critics warn of growing misogyny and radicalization in the “manosphere.”

The rise of such spaces highlights deepening political polarization online.

  • ccunning@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    Gamergate is precisely when I noticed the start.

    Even then it was peripheral to my interests so I was slow to realize its significance.

    I was today years old when I found out Bannon was involved but am 0% surprised to find out. In fact it makes it all make more sense.

    • givesomefucks@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      Here’s a decent article:

      https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/07/steve-bannon-world-of-warcraft-gold-farming.html

      But the craziest part is what got Bannon the money to farm WoW gold, was he got a good chunk of Seinfeld syndication rights.

      He used that money for the gold grift, then after finding:

      What Bannon found was a world “populated by millions of intense young men” who may have been socially maladroit, but were “smart, focused, relatively wealthy, and highly motivated about issues that mattered to them.” While these were the same players who destroyed IGE’s business model, Bannon saw something he could use. “These guys,” said Bannon, “these rootless, white males, had monster power. It was the pre-Reddit.”

      He then took that money. And that knowledge about that group to:

      Bannon would go on to aggressively court this audience when brought on to help Andrew Breitbart build out his ultra-right-wing news-and-entertainment site. It was Bannon who hired Milo Yiannopoulos, recognizing him as someone who could whip up disaffected gamers. (Indeed, Yiannopoulos — who previously had no interest in gaming — rode Gamergate and its attendant rage to fame and page views.)

      So basically we could blame trump and everything fucked up on Larry David, and while I’m not a fan of Curb, I feel like I’ve seen enough that Larry would find the humor in it.

      The important part though. Is the far right are actually doing the groundwork and trying to get the youth on their side, and have been for decades. Dems just don’t do that as a party.

      Bill and Obama had amazing youth outreach, and they easily served two terms despite not delivering on campaign promises.

      Biden and Hillary didn’t really put effort into the youth, and we don’t really have a large political machine that runs constantly, just huge pushes every four years of “vote for me or they’ll win!”.

      People who are surprised with recent elections are just looking at too small of a timescale.

      It’s why I’m so hyped for the chance of Ben Wikler for DNC chair, he understands all that stuff and wants to turn the DNC into something that’s constantly running and working instead of a mad push every four years where no matter how much is raised, the party always ends up bankrupt the day after an election.

      We need long term planning and strategy, not treating every election like nothing else matter.

      Dems focus on the battle, Republicans focus on the war. And that’s why they keep winning despite most Americans disagreeing with them.

      • Snowclone@lemmy.world
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        1 day ago

        The Seinfeld bit isn’t true. Larry David himself went through the catalog and couldn’t find any funding from him or to him.