What Does 'Moid' Mean? The 'Femcel' Slang Term Purportedly Used By The Wisconsin School Shooter Explained

The internet slang term "moid" is in the news this week following the Madison, Wisconsin school shooting. There's an unfounded rumor being spread that the shooter, 15-year-old Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow, was a so-called "femcel" who allegedly used "moid" in a supposed manifesto.

The meaning of "moid" is intertwined with femcels, the female equivalent of "incels," who believe in radical feminist ideologies that are largely anti-male. In turn, the use of "moid" is related to misandry.

So, what does "moid" mean exactly? Where did it come from and why are people saying that the Wisconsin school shooter used it? Let's explain.

What Does 'Moid' Mean?

"Moid" is a portmanteau of "male android." It's a derogatory word for men used by involuntarily celibate women to label guys as unintelligent and route, akin to robots and NPCs.

A precursor term called "foid" (a shortened version of "femoid") is the inspiration for the term "moid." Male incels are the ones who coined "foid" on 4chan in the late 2010s.

What Is A 'Femcel?'

"Femcels" are the female version of incels, meaning women who are involuntarily celibate. Femcels have existed online since the early 2000s, on lesser-known messageboards like "Loveshy women," a 2004 Yahoo! group.

As incels became increasingly prevalent in pop culture and international news throughout the 2010s, so did femcels. The slang term became integrated into mainstream memes during the rise of other feminine phrases like "girlboss" in the early 2020s.

Where Does 'Moid' Come From?

In 2018, Redditors on the since-defunct /r/TrueFemcels subreddit started using "moid" to describe men negatively. The term was commonly used to portray men as evil and degrading to the women they seemingly trapped in relationships.

Why Do Some Think That The Wisconsin Shooter Used 'Moid?'

After Monday's tragedy, when Madison, Wisconsin teenager Natalie "Samantha" Rupnow opened fire at the Abundant Life Christian School, the shooter's manifesto was hidden by a Google Docs error made by her. Many internet users wanted to be the first to leak the document.

One X user posted a screenshot of a Discord message that they alleged was an excerpt from Rupnow's manifesto. The text used the term "moid" and namedropped controversial Twitter user RadFem Hitler, known for her misandrist takes.

The rumor that the Discord screenshot started was spread online in viral tweets, many of which highlighted the use of "moid."

However, the Discord screenshot has not been corroborated by reliable sources and some believe that the original poster faked it because they have a vendetta against radical feminism.

So, no, it's unconfirmed if the shooter used "moid." Plus, in a different alleged manifesto leak, shared by X user @Slatzism, the text praises multiple, male neo-Nazis and does not use "moid" anywhere.

Regardless, the idea that the Wisconsin shooter was an anti-moid femcel has sparked a wave of misinformation and memes, trying to skew the motive of the seemingly typical alt-right shooter.

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For the full history of Moid, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's entry for even more information.