THE INCEL PHENOMENON: NEOLIBERALISM, OEDIPAL CRISIS, AND MASCULINITY

Introduction. The rise of the incel (involuntary celibate) phenomenon offers a lens through which to examine the intersection of neoliberal commodification and psychoanalytic theory. Incels, predominantly men expressing frustration over their inability to form sexual or romantic relationships, are marked by toxic discourses of misogyny, entitlement, and alienation. This essay argues that the incel phenomenon is largely a byproduct of neoliberalism, where consumption and commodification have seeped into personal relationships [2]. Neoliberal culture's promise that one can "buy" anything, including love, sex, and validation, feeds incels' sense of entitlement and frustration when these expectations are unmet. Utilizing Lacanian psychoanalysis, and the work of Slavoj Žižek [13–16], Michel Foucault [4–7], and Gilles Deleuze [3], this essay explores the psychic structures underpinning incel ideology, particularly the collapse between the Imaginary and Symbolic orders [13–16].