The disturbing '80/20 theory' featured in Netflix's Adolescence, explained.

If you just binged Netflix's thought-provoking series Adolescence then there's a good chance you've had to Google quite a few terms mentioned.

The four-part limited series inspired by true events is about a 13-year-old boy Jamie (Owen Cooper) murdering Katie, a girl from his school. The series has shone an important light on how misogynistic online rhetoric is shaping the way these boys view women and girls.

One term that is popular in Andrew Tate's 'manosphere' and incel communities is the 80/20 theory, which gets a mention in two pivotal episodes.

Watch the trailer. Post continues after video.

In Episode 2, Detective Bascombe's son Adam explains to his dad that Jamie's views were influenced by the notion that "80 per cent of women are attracted to 20 per cent of men."

Adam said in the episode that this means, for the 80 per cent of apparently undesirable men, they have to 'trick' women to go out with them.

The subject surfaces again in Episode 3 as clinical psychologist Briony interviews Jamie about what motivated the murder.

Jamie admits that he's been influenced by incel ideologies and the "80-20 thing," as he describes it, which contributed to the way he approaches girls at his school. Jamie's belief in the 80/20 theory would lead to him targeting fellow student Katie, who he had initially thought wouldn't date him because he was 'ugly'.

Jamie initially denies he murdered Katie in the series. Image: Netflix. 

He confesses to strategically targeting Katie when she was vulnerable, explaining that he invited her to a carnival after she had been shunned as a 'slag' by her classmates.

"I just thought that she might be weak," he admits. "I thought when she was that weak, she might like me."

Katie declined Jamie's invitation and went on to bully him online by calling him an incel.

The 80/20 theory fuels Jamie's sense of entitlement and anger, particularly when he is rejected by Katie. This ultimately leads to a violent outburst against Katie, culminating in her murder.

Like most of the topics raised in Adolescence, the 80/20 theory is scarily a very real thing and has been rising in popularity in misogynistic communities.

What is the 80/20 theory portrayed in Netflix's Adolescence?

The 80/20 rule was first posed as a Pareto principle that suggests that approximately 80 per cent of outcomes stem from just 20 per cent of causes. This concept takes its name from Vilfredo Pareto, an Italian economist who noted in 1906 that a mere 20 per cent of Italy's population owned 80 per cent of the land.

Despite its noble roots, the theory has since been misappropriated by incels.

In these toxic communities, they posit that 80 per cent of women are attracted to only the top 20 per cent of men.

Jamie's father has to confront the consequences of his son being radicalised. Image: Netflix. 

This belief contributes to men's feelings of inadequacy and resentment towards women, whom they perceive as being 'too picky.'

In these incel narratives, alpha males are often portrayed as the top tier of men, typically referred to as 'Chads' in incel discourse. These attractive and dominant men are considered the 20 percent, as they monopolise the attention of women, leaving less desirable men, or incels, without any romantic or sexual opportunities.

The subtext of the theory is that these incels are entitled to sex from women.

Why is the 80/20 theory in Netflix's Adolescence something to be concerned about?

The theory is often used to justify misogynistic views by suggesting that women are 'picky' and only interested in a small percentage of men. This narrative fuels resentment towards women, portraying them as withholding sexual attention from men who feel entitled to it.

The 80/20 rule is sometimes used as an excuse for personal failures in dating, rather than encouraging self-improvement or more understanding of these men's own shortcomings. This can prevent individuals from addressing their own issues and developing healthier attitudes towards relationships.

By these men having a nihilistic approach to dating where rejection is expected, this only continues the vicious cycle as they don't try to improve upon themselves or widen their own ideas of who is 'dateable'.

This ideology is used to justify feelings of resentment and anger in men who feel they are being overlooked by women, shifting the blame from the men's behaviour to women's supposed pickiness

The theory also enforces a feeling of hopelessness for men seeking romantic partners. This only exacerbates the loneliness epidemic, mental health pressures and rising suicide rates amongst men.

And of course, it's worth noting that the theory is simply… untrue.

If you've ever looked around at friends, family members and co-workers, you'd see that women date all sorts of men, including men who could be considered less attractive than them.

Like most of incel culture, this is just another theory to heighten resentment in men towards women to justify misogyny.

Feature image: Netflix. 

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