For those of you too old (“mature”) for TikTok, you will be unpleasantly unsurprised to learn that Gen Z (while generally far more progressive and radical than prior generations) has found a new angle for thinly veiled misogyny. As the push for gender equality has grown, so too have the efforts of internet trolls and bros to undermine any meaningful dialogue around feminism.
A decade ago, the guys of America came together to decide that any men who stooped low enough to treat women as something other than a potential sexual conquest were destined to end up in “The Friendzone.” The perils of this horrible place? Being stuck in a friendship with a woman who will not sleep with you.
The rhetoric around “The Friendzone” (and the vitriol that accompanied it) was such that many men on the brink of publicly condoning feminism were discouraged to speak out when it mattered, all for fear of being seen as a beta and getting relegated to the sidelines. The gap between human rights for all people and a sexless hellscape was simply too tight for many men, and so they acquiesced, deciding not to show public support for women.
After many years of meaningful activism and progress (generally led by everyone but men), we are once again attempting to discredit legitimate attempts at discourse by young men and boys. The term “simp” (and the acronym it represents) describes any boy who is nice to women, the assumption being that this reflects his underlying wish for their interaction to lead to sex. Post the wrong comment or like the wrong video, and you are at risk of entering “Simp Nation” in the eyes of the guys. Anything from agreeing with women to expressing distaste for misogyny will get you canceled by the boys.
This leaves the men of the day with an important choice — you can succumb to the meager pressures of being called a ‘simp’ and take away your own voice, or you can stand resolute and ignore the goading. Given that women are routinely called much worse names for simply existing, I challenge you to endure the taunts and do what is right instead of what is popular. The teasing is temporary, but the knowledge that you let yourself and your community down will haunt you for years to come.
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