What Is an Incel in Netflix’s Adolescence?

Netflix’s Adolescence tells a dark tale of a young boy, Jamie, who is accused of his classmate’s murder. The crime-drama series introduces and explains several important terms and themes relevant to today’s society. One crucial term that has come up is “incel.” This is a word that fans may have constantly seen, heard, or talked about in the online sphere. As such, they are wondering what this word means.

So, what is the meaning of “incel” in Netflix’s Adolescence? Here are all the details.

The term ‘incel’ in Netflix’s Adolescence, explained

Incel is a shortened term of the words involuntary celibate. Incels are a community of men who are frustrated with their unsuccessful attempts to attract women sexually. They then blame their failures on women and their rejection.

In the series, “incel” is used as either a joke or an insult. The protagonist, Jamie Miller, was called this term by classmate Katie, whom he is accused of stabbing. Katie had spearheaded a cyberbullying campaign against Jamie.

Jamie, whose school has boys and girls split into groups called “us” and “them,” is perplexed at the idea of men and women sharing platonic friendships.

Incel culture is a primary theme of the series. Series co-creator Jack Thorne revealed in his article for The Guardian that one of his colleagues, Mariella Johnson, had suggested he look into the topic. This happened while he and Stephen Graham had been working on the story, focusing on Jamie’s motive for stabbing Katie. Here, he also explained how he quickly understood the “manosphere,” which he did not expect.

“One of the central ideas – that 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men – would have made adolescent me sit up and, frankly, nod,” Thorne added. “The path then becomes: what do you do to upset that equation? How do you manipulate and harm in order to reset a female-dominated world that works against you? If you believe one part of the logic, the other half becomes conducive.”

Adolescence is currently streaming on Netflix. Stephen Graham, who co-created the series, stars in it. Other cast members include Owen Cooper, Bidi Iredale, Austin Haynes, Amelie Pease, Christine Tremarco, Faye Marsay, Ashley Walters, and Liam-Hawkins Finnegan.