Toxic masculinity is nothing new, but over recent years, the rise of the ‘Manosphere’ has seen a growing trend into a lifestyle and way of thinking that encourages men to push into misogynistic ideals that have contributed to violent attacks and violence against women. It is with this latest subculture of ‘men’s movements’ that a big part of it centres on lifestyle. All of the big names attached to the Manosphere movement are hugely popular influences making millions off the toxic and damaging views that they are spreading to their, often, younger men’s fan bases.
This is all the subject of Louis Theroux’s newest documentary, Inside the Manosphere. And although the documentary certainly lets the men here be the frankly terrible people they are, Louis hands them their own shovel to dig their own holes with, which may work if the documentary weren’t also perpetuating and showing their lavish lifestyles. The problem is that young boys are attracted to and easily swayed by what these men say, and this style of documentary, whether out of fear of too much backlash from these men as subjects, plays it too safe and lets them steer the narrative.
Interviewing four popular ‘manfluencers,’ the same message from all of these men is that men’s rights are under-attack; we were better off when women were mothers and nothing more; feminism is ruining the world, and there is a constant framing, within these men and their circles, that no, they don’t hate women. One of the subjects at one point says that he knows women better than they know themselves, and that because he understands women, and knows what’s best for them, he isn’t a misogynist at all—a completely ridiculous statement, of course. But again, it’s a statement that Louis does very little to push back on.
The documentary filmmaking style Louis Theroux is known for often relies on his ability to sit in silence and let his subjects speak. The problem with all of those in Inside the Manosphere is that the men here are very careful about what they say and have huge trust issues with “mainstream media.” They all believe their forms of media, be that streaming on Kick or making content for TikTok or YouTube, is the only truth, and because of this, quite often, speaking out of silence doesn’t achieve much. They’re all aware that this documentary is trying to show their lifestyle and way of thinking to be the backwards, women-hating, patriarchal-carrying nonsense that it is, and even if they’re aware some of what they say will get some flak when the documentary releases, they’re simply saying what they’ve said a million times before and nothing more.
This film is also weirdly in bed with presenting these men’s lifestyle in a positive light. Slow-motion shots of a subject getting out of an expensive car, plenty of talk about the amount of money they all make, discussions about one-sided monogamy and the number of women they can get, all are part of the lifestyle young boys see online and are attracted to chasing. One of the subjects owns an OnlyFans management group and is profiting off sex work, but talks disgustingly and with downright hatred for sex workers. He is happily profiting off the backs of these women, while saying they’re the lowest form of female in society, and there is real venom in his mouth when he says the words he says. Presenting the real crux of the manosphere problem: it’s misogyny disguised as wanting to fix gender roles in society. It’s a visceral and toxic hatred of decades of women working to reach equal rights, being pitched to boys as a way to fix the simply untrue balance between men and women in our current society.
In an attempt to understand why these men are the way they are, Louis shapes a narrative of their upbringing. Presenting fractured homes and relationships between fathers and sons that’s bred this behaviour, but that’s such a vapid look at the subject matter. Boys have been covering their misogyny and hatred for women as early as primary school, all under the pretence that it’s “just a joke.” And for generations, it’s been “boys will be boys” to sweep anything sour under the rug. Adolescence on Netflix last year did a fantastic job of showing that a loving family can still raise a young boy, unaware of it, who’s entering the manosphere of ideas. With the internet, it’s more than worrying about the type of person your friends and family are raising your son to be, and teaching him what’s right and wrong. All of your hard work can be undone by him watching a couple of YouTube videos and the algorithm sending him deeper into hell.
The documentary, choosing to focus on the relationship with fathers, also takes away from the truth that society, and the patriarchy, isn’t all about teaching boys to hate women. Mothers also raise their sons to believe that they’re not real men unless they can grow up to be financially successful, to provide for their family, be “alpha males” in all of their friend groups, and that chasing a shredded body is part of the checklist for being a “real man.”
Several elements of the manosphere are mentioned briefly, but the surface is barely scratched regarding how deep and influential this group is in the world, especially in the United States. All of these men are huge fans of the Tate brothers, and Andrew Tate appears several times in mentions and clips. The current President of the United States, Donald Trump, is also seen and mentioned, with close relationships to many in the manosphere, and his government is pursuing a plan to undermine women’s rights and place in the world. The can is barely opened when theories about Jewish communities ruling the world and being a huge part of the apparent problem are mentioned. That idea is hugely more concerning, considering recent events like the Bondi Beach shooting here in Australia.
There’s nothing that can save any of the men in Inside the Manosphere from presenting themselves as women-hating, disgusting human beings, but it’s the way in which it’s presented that leaves this documentary feeling very flat.
(Screener provided to Explosion Network.
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