4 Comments
User's avatar
Karen Effie's avatar

This is fucking tragic and I am riveted, which is odd because the characters aren’t exactly likeable. You should be getting a heap of attention with this

Expand full comment
Paul Wilson's avatar

Thanks, Karen. That’s high praise.

I wish this was science fiction, but it’s not.

The TV series Adolescence is just the tip of the iceberg. It’s not just alienated teens we need to be concerned about.

AI companion companies talk about how the loneliness epidemic represents a multi-billion dollar market opportunity in their investor press releases.

Expand full comment
Karen Effie's avatar

What I noticed was that both Jared and his mom are kinda perpetually traumatised by living in a body. You

Vividly describe smells and sounds that bodies make. The narrative enters Jared’s disgust. They both respond by neglecting themselves and trying to find solace elsewhere. Another readymade response for Jared would become to a gym bro, or get into what I call “ Bro Stoicism” - both of those look healthier but also have major pitfalls. I will be interested to see if Jared can get himself out of this

Expand full comment
Paul Wilson's avatar

Yes, you’re exactly right that one part of the broader ‘Manosphere’ is the gym bro culture of self-improvement which can be healthy or become toxic (steroids). Incels often pejoratively call this ‘looksmaxxing’ or trying to come a Chad and attract women. So it can be demeaned as ‘blue pill’ and is prohibited to promote on Incels.is per their site rules.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Looksmaxxing

The ‘black pill’ wing of Incel culture is very much grounded in biological determinism and feeling traumatised by living in a particular body, and that there is no hope of improvement and just to accept it. That is what the GeneticDeadEnd poster in the Incels.is forum is speaking from.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_pill_and_blue_pill#In_the_manosphere

And you will get to see Jared’s journey and the answer to your question.

Expand full comment