Frouxonaro and cuckservatives: metaphors of virile masculinity in bolsonarista digital activism

Abstract

This article focuses on the use of virility metaphors in the political actions of far-right cyberactivists. It examines the attacks exchanged between agents within the far-right, in particular those targeted against Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian president from 2019 to 2022, by his male followers who share his anti-feminism. It is argued that, in these disputes, metaphors of virility have a dual role: they are a way of interpreting and of evaluating opponents, disputes and men themselves. This role results from the articulation between three elements: i) beliefs and attitudes based on an ideal of virility; ii) a lived experience of being and becoming a man; and, iii), how digital platforms operate. Our hypothesis is that there is an elective affinity between, on the one hand, the form of male socialisation defined as the “men’s house” by Welzer-Lang and, on the other hand, the architecture of digital platforms designed as a competitive, anti-institutional environment in which visibility and reputation are built.