Masculinism and feminism: an online duel

In North America (but not only there), Donald Trump’s return to the presidency of the United States has had a significant impact on online discourse.
Considered by many as the embodiment of ‘strong masculinity’, Trump has often put forward a direct style and a conservative stance that appeals to certain groups advocating ‘traditional’ values. From this perspective, his election legitimises, for some at least, a return to rigid gender models and opposition to feminist and progressive movements.

Social networks then become an arena where these groups find an echo and disseminate their ideas: the image of the ‘virile man’ and protector against a society perceived as too permissive and politicised fuels the masculinist and patriarchal discourse. This dynamic benefits from the polarisation of society and the virality of content, leading to the emergence of influential figures advocating an ‘uncompromising’ masculinity, often seen as a bulwark against recent social changes. This is also true in the French-speaking world.
On TikTok, as on YouTube, the hashtag ‘alpha male’ alone attracts hundreds of thousands of videos, testifying to the growing interest of young men in this type of discourse.

Alongside this content, the term‘masculinism’ is increasingly recurrent in discourse, illustrating the rise of this movement. Defined by Le Robert as the ‘Set of claims seeking to promote men’s rights and interests in society’ and having ‘antifeminism’ as a synonym, masculinist influencers are gathering millions of followers on social networks by spreading ideas sometimes marked by misogyny and conservative positions.

At the same time as the rise of masculinist groups, another movement has been gaining in popularity in recent months: the ‘tradwives’ movement. These women present themselves as proud of their role as ‘housewives’, promoting family and domestic values. They share their daily lives, recipes, household organisation and advice on living together on TikTok, Instagram and YouTube. This movement is appealing to some young women who are looking for guidance in the face of rapidly changing social roles, and who are turning to a vision of the couple based on clear gender roles. Tradwives often reject feminist values, asserting the right to choose a life free from modern expectations of career or financial independence. Their content, often inspired by an idealised era, is nonetheless the subject of debate, with some seeing it as a form of regression for women’s rights.

In response to these traditional movements, the 4B phenomenon, which originated in South Korea, is gaining momentum online, particularly among young women who are tired of the injunctions to couple and marry. The ‘4B’ movement advocates four values: no heterosexual relationships, no marriage, no motherhood and no romantic encounters with men. This phenomenon is developing rapidly, especially after Trump’s election, as a form of resistance to the masculinist discourse.

Spearheaded by online feminists, this movement encourages women to question the need to conform to gender norms and social expectations associated with relationships. This stance reflects a desire to break free from convention, and is finding an international echo.

Another trend on social networks is ‘Tanaland’, a virtual country that only women can enter, where everything is pink and sexist comments are banned.
‘Tana’ is an insult commonly used on TikTok to belittle women. Inspired by the Italian word ‘puttana’ and popularised by a song by rapper Niska, the term has become a preferred choice for men wishing to humiliate women online. As most insults are automatically censored on the platform, this word is frequently used by harassers to get around these restrictions. According to an article in the media outlet Le Parisien, on 1 October 2024, Tanaland had nearly 18 million virtual female inhabitants.

On Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and X, voices from all spheres of gender are contributing to conversations about rights and identities. These voices are particularly important for young people, who find in them resources and examples of diverse identity paths. However, these advances often come up against conservative online movements that advocate a return to more traditional gendered roles. The impact of this diversity is being felt, and social networks, by amplifying these ideas, are becoming places where divergent life choices meet and sometimes clash, reflecting the tensions of our contemporary societies.

By Émilie Guignard.