I approached a woman in a pub. It was vital step toward becoming a good man

March 31, 2026 — 4:00pm

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Louis Theroux’s Netflix sensation Into the Manosphere should make every parent and educator in Australia deeply uncomfortable.

It shows a generation of young men being drawn toward online voices that promise power, certainty and identity – while stripping them of empathy, connection and respect.

I’m urging that we focus compassionately on boys – especially in schools – because I’m worried sick about them. I abhor their development into hollow young men who are either too scared or too arrogant to approach a young woman in a pub and kickstart a relationship.

And despite the risk of coming off as that old, white guy who mines his own history for all the answers, I want families and schools to unite in building boys who become men who nervously approach women in pubs … just like I did.

The fear I felt from a high-stakes interaction at Leggies bar in 1990s Frankston was more valuable than it seemed. It equipped me with the courage and vulnerability to navigate relationships as I matured into a man because I had to face potential rejection, recover from it and try again.

Calling men........

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