I think it's a real phenomenon.
The basic issue is that women are choosier about sex than men. A woman may find herself in a position where there's no men available that she wants, but it's pretty hard to find a situation where there are no men willing to fuck her. There are a substantial number of men, however, that consider a low quality woman better than no woman.
It's quite possible for a substantial mismatch between sexless men and sexless women to exist because "sex" is not a yes/no. Consider a situation where half the men are getting sex on average twice a week and half are getting no sex at all, while the women are getting sex on average once a week.
The internet has made the problem much worse.
First, internet dating. It greatly enlarges the dating pools, thus setting up a situation where a fairly small group of good-looking men are being chased by a large pool of average women. The good looking guys get matches, the rest of them get little and the ones at the low end of the looks scale probably never get anything but scammers.
Second, it's brought the incels together and echo chambers amplify positions.
You're assuming balanced classes. Most of the classes I took were 90%+ male.
This would work if the women also followed it. It falls apart in the reality that women are able to in the short run punch above their weight. They're unlikely to marry someone above their level but they can get sex above it.
There's also the problem of some of the women at the top end of the scale being drawn off by the guys who bring money rather than looks to the table.
Some get lucky where attraction develops between people who already are around each other, but as more and more relationships get started on the internet the problem is only going to become worse.
The basic issue is that women are choosier about sex than men. A woman may find herself in a position where there's no men available that she wants, but it's pretty hard to find a situation where there are no men willing to fuck her. There are a substantial number of men, however, that consider a low quality woman better than no woman.
It's quite possible for a substantial mismatch between sexless men and sexless women to exist because "sex" is not a yes/no. Consider a situation where half the men are getting sex on average twice a week and half are getting no sex at all, while the women are getting sex on average once a week.
The internet has made the problem much worse.
First, internet dating. It greatly enlarges the dating pools, thus setting up a situation where a fairly small group of good-looking men are being chased by a large pool of average women. The good looking guys get matches, the rest of them get little and the ones at the low end of the looks scale probably never get anything but scammers.
Second, it's brought the incels together and echo chambers amplify positions.
There are a few realities of the situation to recognize. If a man wants a sexual partner, whether for the moment or longer term, he needs contact with a woman. The more the better. This is why high school and college are so nice. A man comes in contact with a great number of women, through no effort of his own. They're everywhere, for the time being, and the key words are "effort of his own." Once a man enters the working world, he won't be herded into large rooms filled with women his own age. He has to put forth some effort. This transforms something which once looked difficult into something impossible.
You're assuming balanced classes. Most of the classes I took were 90%+ male.
I was probably around age 14 when someone explained the 1 to 10 scale to me. While the 10 scale is demeaning to women, it's real lesson for men is, don't try to punch above your own weight. All important lessons for men are expressed as sports metaphors. Any man who ever assessed a woman's position on a scale, did it only to determine his position, relative to her. A 6guy could have a shot at a 7woman, maybe an 8, but he knows the 9s and 10s are out of reach. There is an inherent problem in filling an arbitrary scale with subjective data.
The incel wants a woman above his number, which is all the 2s and up, but he's not willing to pursue a 2 or a 3. He wants a 6 or higher. There are plenty of 2 men who seek a 6woman, or higher, and succeed. This is mainly because they don't worry about the middle school game called the 10scale. That's just reality.
It's pointless to explain any of this to an incel. Perception is reality so his world is very real to him, even if we know it's an illusion of his making.
This would work if the women also followed it. It falls apart in the reality that women are able to in the short run punch above their weight. They're unlikely to marry someone above their level but they can get sex above it.
There's also the problem of some of the women at the top end of the scale being drawn off by the guys who bring money rather than looks to the table.
Some get lucky where attraction develops between people who already are around each other, but as more and more relationships get started on the internet the problem is only going to become worse.