Inside the Manosphere: How online influencers are rewriting masculinity

Earlier this month, Louis Theroux released Inside the Manosphere, a documentary examining the rise of online misogyny and the influence of the so-called ‘manosphere’. Renowned for his faux-naïve, observational interview style, Theroux adopts a largely hands-off approach as he encounters five prominent figures within the manosphere movement: Myron Gaines, Sneako, Harrison Sullivan, Justin Waller and Ed Matthews. 

Politically, the documentary could not have been released at a more culturally relevant moment. With the gender war becoming increasingly polarised, and conversations surrounding sexual assault and image- based sexual abuse permeated the mainstream discourse, society must confront one uncomfortable question: how are young men being shaped by the digital spaces that they inhabit- and how are women expected to deal with the fallout? 

What is the Manosphere? 

The manosphere is a network of influencers, forums and websites that promote misogynistic discourse under the premise that men have become disenfranchised from modern society. It is composed of four overlapping communities; pick-up artists, incels, men go their own way and men’s rights activists. While, these groups possess different ideologies, they are united by their hostility towards women and the promotion of traditional gender hierarchies and male dominance.  

Within the manosphere, feminism is often portrayed as the villain, which is responsible for the supposed economic, educational and romantic shortcomings of men. Influencers such as Andrew Tate, Walter Weekes and Sneako, frame themselves as mentors for young men, encouraging their followers to ‘step up’ to their masculinity and escape the ‘matrix’ of modern life, which confines men to subservient and weak roles in society.  

The increased global access to the internet has facilitated the broader reach of manosphere ideology. Today, more than 5.5 billion people are online. In Ireland, 89% of young people aged 16-29 have a social media account. Compared to older generations, social media has largely replaced traditional media, with 45% of young Irish men using online forums or podcasts to understand complex topics.  

These digital spaces often have weaker moderation and fact-checking standards than traditional media. Algorithms, particularly AI algorithms, enable the introduction and reinforcement of damaging ideological content within a vacuum, preventing the nuance of most traditional media. Through repeated exposure, extreme attitudes are at an increased risk of formation and without alternative or neutralising perspectives, are likely to grow more polarised. 

Research suggests that the increased exposure to these communities may be shaping attitudes towards gender. A Women’s Aid Study of 1103 Irish men found that the most traditional cohort of men in Ireland are aged between 18 and 29. In comparison to 42% of men in their 30s and just 29% of men in their 50s, 67% of Irish men aged 18-29 identify as traditionalists. Of this cohort, 53% supported the statement that “men who don’t dominate in relationships aren’t real men” and 70% supported the statement that “women’s issues distract from more important problems”. While the study does do not establish direct causation, the findings raise important questions about how online spaces may shape young people’s understanding of gender and relationships.   

These trends exist alongside ongoing concerns about violence against women in Ireland.  On a national level, 278 women have died violently in the Republic of Ireland since 1996. In 2023, rape crisis helpline calls had risen to 10,773, with 88% of survivors being women and 96% of perpetrators men. The murders of Ashling Murphy and Ana Kriegel reflect just two of these brutal, unprovoked acts of violence against young women in the last decade. While online rhetoric cannot be directly blamed for such violence, the normalisation of misogynistic attitudes in digital spaces raises serious questions about the broader cultural environment in which these crimes occur. 

This documentary explores the impact of the manosphere on young men and the manner in which it commands digital spaces. Rather than aggressively challenging his subjects, Theroux allows viewers to observe their attitudes and lifestyles with minimal intervention. By building rapport with the influencers, the documentary unfolds less like a formal investigation and more like an intimate glimpse into the daily lives and enormous reach of some of the manosphere’s most visible figures. 

Theroux acknowledges the reach of the manosphere throughout the documentary. In several clips, young men approach the influencers, asking them for advice, requesting photographs and sharing the extent to which they have directly impacted them and inspired them in their lives. In an interview, with the Guardian, Theroux acknowledges that this was a primary aim of the documentary, to demonstrate the reach of the manosphere and the extent to which its key figures influence young men, not only when engaging with material online, but in their lives offline too.  

At one point in the documentary, Theroux asks a young man in Florida about why influencers such as Justin Waller appeal to him and what is surprising about his response is not an inherent disdain towards women; but the sense of community that the manosphere provides to his life; the sense that there are people in his corner who provide the template for success and who will encourage him to overcome the challenges that he faces in life and like them, succeed.  

“That mindset of Justin Waller inspires young men- especially young men like myself-that maybe didn’t have that male figure in the house. As a man, nobody is going to give you a handout. If I am living in the street, why am I going to wait for somebody to fix my life when I can fix my own life. “ 

This conversation sparks a central node of the manosphere.  For many young men first encountering its information online, the manosphere does not present itself as misogyny. It presents itself as mentorship.  

What is worrying is that the key figures followed in the documentary don’t care for this influence. When Theroux asked 24-year-old influencer Harrison Sullivan about his moral qualms of profiting from an Only Fans agency while simultaneously deriding their behaviour as ‘disgusting’, he merely claims that “It is all for clout”. When Theroux later asks him about his views on the young boys, most of whom are as young as 13 and 14, that are engaging with his content, he merely claims that they shouldn’t be engaging with it. He later is seen taking photos with boys of the same age.  

Overall, the documentary was effective at bringing to light the concerns and risks associated with manosphere culture. With smartphones and social media becoming increasingly prevalent within our society, the documentary may help to ignite valuable conversations on the role of parents, educators and society at large in protecting our children from exposure to damaging content.  

However, it also raises important questions about the power of online spaces and the responsibility of the platforms, and influencers who shape the digital environments young people inhabit. In a world where many young men are searching for guidance and community, the manosphere has positioned itself as an unlikely mentor. Theroux’s documentary does not offer easy answers, but it forces viewers to confront a difficult reality: if healthier models of masculinity are not visible online, the internet will continue to fill that space with voices that are.