‘Adolescence’, manufactured outrage and instructed victimhood: How the discourse on boys’ alienation is fuelled by anti-feminist agendas

Abstract

This article examines the cultural and political discourse surrounding the Netflix series Adolescence (2025), analysing how boys’ alienation is positioned within reactionary, anti-feminist agendas. We argue that while the series has sparked significant debate about masculinity, gender violence, and youth identities, its reception reveals how grievance politics are cultivated. Through a consideration of what we describe as manufactured outrage and instructed victimhood, we discuss how men’s rights groups, media commentators, online influencers and some men’s health advocates strategically frame feminism and gender equity as harmful, re-centring boys as victims. These narratives misrepresent prevention programs, deflect structural critique, and marginalize Indigenous and intersectional perspectives. We conclude by advocating for relational and ethical understandings of masculinity that expose the politics of victimhood and resist the backlash logics shaping contemporary debates.

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