THE RHETORIC OF HATRED AGAINST WOMEN: A STUDY ON THE REPRESENTATIONS AND DECONSTRUCTIONS OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITIES

INTRODUCTION: The rhetoric of hatred against women, intertwined with hegemonic masculinities in Brazil, pervades social, cultural, and digital spheres, perpetuating gender inequalities and reinforcing a masculine performance grounded in violence, control, and the denial of the feminine. This hegemonic model of masculinity, often described as “toxic masculinity,” not only subordinates women but also sustains practices that legitimize hate speech and violence. AIMS: The general objective of this research was to examine the relationship between violence and hegemonic masculinities, analyzing how hate speech directed at women is reproduced by masculinist groups in contemporary Brazil. More specifically, it sought to map groups engaged with this topic through posts on social media, identify social representations of new masculinities, and critically review the theoretical literature on masculinity and violence. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Using a mixed-methods approach, the methodology was based on Critical Discourse Analysis and on an empirical mapping of content posted on social media platforms (Instagram and YouTube), systematized using a structured form. A total of 31 posts were analyzed according to five categories: religiosity, political positioning, hate speech, incitement to violence, and human rights violations. RESULTS: The most common format was short-form video, often employing ironic, alarmist, or provocative language. Among the content analyzed, 41.9% displayed human rights violations, 32.3% invoked religiosity as a moral justification, and 25.8% expressed conservative political stances. The monitored discourses demonstrate that hegemonic masculinity is reaffirmed through the exclusion, ridicule, and denial of the feminine, coupled with the rejection of any expression that challenges patriarchal logic. FINAL CONSIDERATIONS: The research concludes that “being a man,” as enacted within these groups, depends on the constant affirmation of an identity grounded in the denial of the feminine. Hegemonic masculinity thus operates as a collective, violent social conduct, sustained by discourses of power, resentment, and the preservation of privileges. The rhetoric of hatred against the feminine emerges, therefore, as a reaction to feminist advances in the struggle for gender equality and functions as both a symbolic and material mechanism of control.

KEYWORDS: Hegemonic masculinity; Hate speech; Violence; Gender; Social media.