Podcast Summary

Podcast: New Books Network
Episode: Cynthia Miller-Idriss, "Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism" (Princeton UP, 2025)
Host: Lillian Barger
Guest: Cynthia Miller-Idriss
Date: February 27, 2026

Main Theme and Purpose

This episode centers on sociologist Cynthia Miller-Idriss’s new book, Man Up: The New Misogyny and the Rise of Violent Extremism, in which she argues that misogyny is a foundational motivator of violent extremism—an element too often ignored in security and policy circles. The discussion spans the links between gender-based violence, mass violence, the rise of online misogyny, and how structural and cultural factors reinforce these dynamics, with insights into actionable responses.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Background and Motivation for the Book

• Miller-Idriss’s career began in comparative education, studying school responses to hate and anti-Semitism, primarily in Germany (01:48).
• The shift to studying extremism in the US was catalyzed post-Charlottesville, realizing a need to connect misogyny to patterns of violent extremism.
• She notes a personal and professional reckoning:

  “I open the book with sort of an apology to the field in the national security side for not paying attention to this more vigilantly, more thoughtfully. Earlier...” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (01:48)

2. Scale of the Problem & Overlooked Patterns

• The majority of mass attackers in the US (60% since 1949) have a record of domestic or intimate partner violence—a number likely underreported (03:52):

  “It's very, very hard to find a case of a mass shooter or an ideological shooter in the US...who does not have a history in some way of abusing women or the LGBTQ community.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (04:54)

• Misogyny and hostile sexism consistently emerge as top predictors for support for political violence in US and multiple other countries.
• Law enforcement may recognize misogyny as a character flaw but fail to accurately link it to ideological radicalization (05:50).

3. Siloed Approaches in Academia and Policy

• Gender issues, domestic violence, and extremism are handled by different academic fields, agencies, and government departments, hampering holistic understanding and intervention (07:37):

  “One of the problems we have is the siloing of expertise and...interventions into really different agencies...that don't always communicate with each other.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (07:37)

• Mass violence and hate crimes are categorized differently from local or interpersonal violence, further entrenching these silos (08:40).

4. New Misogyny & Its Online Manifestations

• Structural gender barriers have shifted to cultural and digital forms. A surge in online misogyny parallels the rise of social media since ~2011 (13:10).
• Both young males and females are subject to intense digital peer pressure and gender policing, often without adult oversight or intervention (18:16):

  “Content that tells [boys] that they should be taking testosterone...they have to be over 6ft tall...Even considering shin lengthening surgery or jaw enhancing surgery...” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (19:42)

5. Complexities Around Mothering and Female Roles

• Host asks about the paradox of mothers having a huge influence yet misogyny proliferating (17:17).
• Miller-Idriss: Some women actively perpetuate traditional roles; most more subtly and unintentionally reinforce gendered power structures, often compounded by economic or logistical realities. Most crucial is a lack of dialogue with kids about what they see online (18:16).
• She emphasizes the importance of parental and societal discussion of online influences and violent or misogynist content (20:48).

6. Feminism, Backlash, and Generational Shifts

• Although more Gen Z women now identify as feminists, Gen Z men are less supportive than previous generations, partly due to anti-feminist online narratives (22:14):

  “Gen Z men are now less likely than older generations to say they are feminist or support women's rights...because of online narratives...that feminism and women's rights have gone too far.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (22:14)

7. Crisis of Masculinity and Manipulation

• Data confirms serious male loneliness and disaffection, but online actors weaponize these grievances into scapegoating and misogyny rather than pursuing structural remedies (24:16):

  “There is a real crisis…But there's absolutely no reason why a crisis of manhood or masculinity would have become a crisis of misogyny. But that's what happened.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (26:54)

8. Right-Wing Politics, Authoritarianism, and Normalization of Misogyny

• Authoritarian and far-right politicians in the US and abroad often target gender studies and women's rights as radical or threatening (“too woke”). This normalizes and legitimates misogyny in mainstream discourse (28:00).
• Notable examples:
  • Viktor Orbán’s closure of gender studies departments, Donald Trump’s misogynist remarks, and Mark Zuckerberg praising “masculine energy” in corporate America (28:00-31:19).

9. Elite Abuse, the Epstein Case, and Justifications

• The Jeffrey Epstein scandal is cited as an example of elite male impunity and the normalization of predatory sexual standards (32:54).
• Online male supremacist spaces use “sexual market value” rhetoric, promoting control over ever-younger women (33:43):

  “Andrew Tate says he prefers young women, like 18, because they're more malleable, they're more manipulative. You can have easier control over them.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (34:20)

10. Nature Versus Culture Arguments

• Evolutionary and biological justifications for male violence or desire for younger women are frequently invoked to excuse bad behavior (36:24).

11. Where Do We Go From Here? Interventions and Solutions

• Miller-Idriss highlights promising Men’s Wellness initiatives (like Next Gen Men, The Good Men Project, Walking Talking Men) that help men develop healthier emotional and social lives and combat misogyny (37:32).
• Big global collaboration on solutions (Aquamundo, Women of the World, Christchurch Call Foundation), focusing on digital literacy, healthy masculinity, and addressing gaps in male educational attainment.
• Her lab develops digital media literacy programs for K-12, aiming to help youth recognize and reject manipulative or misogynistic online content (39:15).
• Young people express strong desire for open dialogue about online experiences rather than bans or punishment (42:00).

  “Those two things produce tremendous amounts of desire from young people for conversation about their online worlds in structured ways with adults who can help them navigate the violence they see, the harmful content they see.” – Cynthia Miller-Idriss (41:51)

• Education must keep pace: sex ed should address not only consent but healthy relationships and real vs. online sexual norms (43:12).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• “It's very, very hard to find a case of a mass shooter ... who does not have a history in some way of abusing women or the LGBTQ community.” – Miller-Idriss (04:54)
• “One of the problems we have is the siloing of expertise and...interventions into really different agencies...that don't always communicate with each other.” – Miller-Idriss (07:37)
• “Misogyny [is] the law enforcement arm of the patriarchy... it polices gendered norms and expectations to keep everybody in their place.” – Miller-Idriss (15:16)
• “There's absolutely no reason why a crisis of manhood or masculinity would have become a crisis of misogyny. But that's what happened.” – Miller-Idriss (26:54)
• “What the far right has done is successfully positioned itself, particularly in youth culture... as the counterculture to that boring triggered mainstream.” – Miller-Idriss (32:14)
• “A lot of what we're seeing right now in the pushback against feminism is a direct backlash to the MeToo movement.” – Miller-Idriss (34:31)
• “Teaching critical thinking skills and also opening up dialogue about what they are seeing online and giving them space and places to process it...because they're seeing it no matter what.” – Miller-Idriss (43:12)

Important Timestamps for Reference

• [01:39]–[03:40]: Miller-Idriss’s background and book’s origins
• [03:52]–[05:39]: Domestic violence statistics and links to mass violence
• [07:37]–[09:55]: Analysis of field silos and structural problems
• [13:10]–[17:17]: “New misogyny,” digital culture, and impacts on youth
• [18:16]–[21:53]: Female influence, parenting, and online pressures
• [22:14]–[24:16]: Shifting feminist identification and male backlash
• [24:16]–[27:52]: “Crisis of masculinity,” exploitation by political actors and profiteers
• [28:00]–[32:54]: Authoritarianism, normalization of misogyny, right-wing politics
• [33:43]–[34:31]: Epstein, “sexual market value,” and male supremacist discourse
• [36:24]–[37:32]: Evolutionary/biological excuses for misogyny
• [37:32]–[43:12]: Solutions: men’s wellness movements, digital literacy, gen Z perspectives
• [43:12]–[44:47]: Critical thinking, education, media’s impact on youth sexuality

Conclusion

Cynthia Miller-Idriss provides a critical, data-driven look at how misogyny serves as a core motivator and predictor in violent extremism, and how online culture amplifies dangerous gender norms. She stresses the need for cross-disciplinary understanding and prevention, open and informed conversations with young people, and the importance of addressing both structural grievances and toxic cultural narratives in the fight against extremism and violence.