6th November 2023
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Whilst Theroux’s on-screen presence cannot be denied, the glossy sheen Netflix provides undermines the real danger ‘red pill’ content presents.
In his new 90-minute documentary, launched on 11th March on Netflix, 3-time BAFTA award winning documentarian Louis Theroux explores the depths of the ‘manosphere’ – the side of the internet that self-brands as ‘antifeminist’, whilst also claiming to be ‘giving men the cheat codes to win at life’ (Theroux, 1:20).
What the documentary can be praised for is Theroux exposing the contractions of each influencers’ life, and therefore the foundation of the manosphere ideology, with many subjects boasting to having “one-way” or “one-sided” monogamous relationships (where their wives and partners remained faithful to them, whilst they actively pursued other women, 20:00; 29:00), and others who said that OnlyFans models were “disgusting” (48:00) yet promoting such content on their own accounts.
Furthermore, Theroux attempts to rationalise how social media entices young men into the manosphere, noting that many of the top content creators in the space have poor or no relationships with their fathers and lacked male role models growing up. It is implied that lacking male role models leads young men to turn to social media for guidance, which often begins with values centred around fitness and leading a healthy lifestyle, and spirals into controlling and aggressive behaviour.
This behaviour, albeit the brunt of which is aimed towards women (as seen with Icy, a woman who booked women to appear on the ‘Fresh and Fit podcast’, hosted by Myron Gaines), was directed at people of all genders, sexual orientations, and religions. What began as a documentary centred on the men leading the content creation space, soon became pivotal in highlighting the associated homophobia and antisemitism, going even as far as assaulting men on the street and accusing Jewish elites of using “vibrations that are gonna negatively bring you down” (Ed Matthews, 1:15:00).
However, this documentary does fall flat somewhat. With Theroux transferring from the BBC to Netflix, the overall appearance of the documentary is far more glossy, with each main subject given a 10-second window to promote their main asset, with Sullivan choosing to flex in the gym, Justin Waller parking a yellow and black Lamborghini, and even Theroux taking a drag from a cigar. Whilst some may argue this window into the luxurious lifestyle these men advocate for helps to illustrate why their content is so appealing, instead it adds weight to their view that they know best as they have amassed millions of pounds and dollars by spreading a money-first content with misogynistic overtones.
Furthermore, the documentary fails to criticise how under the guise of “clip-farming” (1:20:00) men in the manosphere choose to humiliate those around them, including by spreading explicit material without consent obvious to the viewer. What is acknowledged is Sullivan’s lack of responsibility for his audience and how he chooses to spread manosphere content instead of being a more positive role model, such as one many of the subjects required in their own adolescence.
Overall, Theroux successfully begins to pick away at the manosphere and the lives that the leading figures lead. However, without speaking to any women freely, without the interference or presence of the man they are connected to, it is hard to understand whether the full effects of the content the men make can be recognised. But, when men refer to their partners as “great, really helpful”, and promptly tell them to clean, or claim to “love women” (25:00) yet still believe they know what women want more than women do themselves, as multiple participants do, it becomes clear to the wider audience that perhaps the manosphere cannot just been seen through the lens of what are these men saying, but what they aren’t.
This carelessness about how damaging social media rhetoric can be really pinpoints the mindset of the manosphere and despite Theroux’s best efforts to highlight the hypocrisy of this, this lands a little too late within the documentary to savour any taste of resistance. Although Theroux does ask some awkward questions, and the film is worth a watch, this Netflix-ified version of his documentaries results in viewers wishing to dig deeper into the roots of the manosphere and interrogate where it is going, not just see how it has toxically manifested today.
*All timings are approximate.
‘Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere’ is available on Netflix now.
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