The so-called ‘Manosphere’ refers to the online community of self-proclaimed ‘alpha males’, who work to reinforce hypermasculinity whilst claiming that modern society is rigged to adversely impact men. The manosphere leans into traditional gender roles, claiming that the feminist and LGBTQ+ movements have rendered men valueless.

What is more troubling, however, than the ideas themselves, is the diffusion of these narratives amongst young men. At their core, the content creators behind the manosphere are businessmen, and they are selling the concept of success, wealth and community to vulnerable young men who are searching for belonging. Whilst the influencers who dominate the documentary are a cause of genuine concern, focus needs to turn towards the many young men and boys in our own lives who are being enticed by life the manosphere sells.

Audiences are lured in with images of prosperity, and then fed them shock content intending to incite outrage. The creators manipulate algorithms to reach audiences of young men, and once they have them hooked by promises of riches, they begin to impose their misogynistic beliefs upon them, claiming the hardships their audiences have faced have been a direct result of feminism. By employing the ‘red-pill theory’, the influencers convince their audiences that anything in opposition to the beliefs of the manosphere is a manipulation, all whilst manipulating the very same audience themselves.

Through documentaries such as this, we can begin to see how the manosphere profits from the vulnerabilities and insecurities of its young male audience in order to push harmful and hate-filled ideas, and why these influencers have gained such a large following in recent years. It reminds us that education and support is paramount to ensuring that both men and women have opportunities to grow and live in an equal world, and that we need to shine a light on this phenomenon before it becomes any more harmful.