Like most people with a Netflix subscription, I recently watched the latest doco from Louis Theroux called Inside the Manosphere.

Subscribe now for unlimited access.

Login or signup to continue reading

It explores the growing popularity of people like Andrew Tate: influencers who promote a toxic form of masculinity that's filled with a deep hatred for women, a deep love of all things materialistic, with generous servings of homophobia and anti-Semitism on the side.

The documentary explores what's driving the appeal of these influencers, particularly among Gen Z. It posits everything from a crisis of masculinity and the rise of social media through to misinformation and political polarisation.

It's a great documentary, but it misses one key driver of these problems: an economy and government policies that aren't delivering for young people.

To be fair, not everything these influencers promote is bad, at least not on face value.

They encourage young men to get fit, eat healthy, and avoid addiction to alcohol, cigarettes and pornography.

They encourage them to be self-reliant, to avoid a victim-mentality and to pick themselves up off the ground.

They tell them that they have all the tools they need to succeed in life.

These are great messages. Unfortunately these messages come wrapped-up in toxic and inconsistent packaging.

When they talk about 'success', they talk about money, Lamborghinis, luxury apartments, Rolexes and how fit they look.

When they encourage self-reliance and entrepreneurship, they hawk dodgy crypto schemes and get-rich-quick financial products.

When they encourage health and fitness, they hawk steroids, peptides and fad diets.

When they warn against pornography addiction, they simultaneously promote OnlyFans accounts.

When they warn against a victim-mentality, they simultaneously say that men are victims and that women, feminism, the gay........

© Canberra Times