Deconstructing Misogynistic and Manosphere Ideology in Netflix Series Adolescence: A Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

This study examines the discursive construction of misogynistic masculinist ideology in purposively selected Episode 3 of Netflix’s Adolescence. Drawing on theories of hegemonic masculinity, gender performativity, and ideological interpellation, the analysis explores how masculine authority is sustained through denial, conversational control, emotional escalation, and the normalisation of harm. The findings demonstrate how masculinity is reproduced as reasonable, ordinary, and emotionally justified, even in moments of aggression and entitlement. By foregrounding the subtle mechanisms through which power is rendered invisible, the study contributes to feminist media and discourse studies by highlighting how contemporary streaming shows normalises misogynistic masculinity under the guise of realism and psychological complexity.

Keywords: Hegemonic Masculinity, Ideological framing, Gender Performativity, Feminist Critical Discourse Analysis.