The deadly rampage in Isla Vista, like many other mass shootings, has spurred discussions of gun control and mental health. But it has also started a robust discussion of how his views reflect a culture of misogyny and destructive gender ideals.
Writer Noah Berlatsky explores these toxic ideas of masculinity in a recent piece for the Atlantic. He says misogyny like Rodger's is directed not only at women but at femininity wherever it is found in our culture: virgins, homosexuals or anyone who doesn't fit the testosterone-fueled vision of masculinity held up as the ideal.