GENDER roles. Toxic masculinity. Violence against women and girls. Male violence against women and girls. All topics which were on everyone’s minds in the wake of Netflix’s latest documentary, ‘Louis Theroux: Into the Manosphere’.
It aired almost a year to the day that Netflix’s ground-breaking drama ‘Adolescence’ took the world by storm, reigniting conversations and fuelling debates online.
What’s undeniable is a clear link between the two programmes, where each informs the other. The manosphere is a series of online communities promoting misogyny and toxic masculinity; Owen Cooper’s performance as Jamie Miller, the anger and confusion of teens, and the death of a 13-year-old schoolgirl is what has happened when those ideologies began to be adopted in real life.
These subjects are heavy and difficult to get into, and they can often feel like a conversational minefield. But after watching ‘Into the Manosphere’, many braved the potential backlash to share their views.
Megan Toni said: “I thought this documentary was good, but I wish it dove a bit deeper into the impact this kind of content is having on their intended audience of young men, and by extension young women.
“I think it did a good job of demonstrating why these men have ended up how they've ended up, (absent fathers seemed to be a theme), but could have better highlighted the dangers.”
It was said the female figures in the documentary, particularly the partners of the male figures, also suffer, and that the impacts of the manosphere in women’s lives could have been explored further.
Some viewers suggested some of these ideologies could have been explored with a deeper look into female content creators on Only Fans and figures such as Bonnie Blue, saying they “push narrow, often harmful ideas about gender, relationships and self-worth” to young adults and teenagers.
Many said they were fearful to think how accessible the manosphere and harmful content is online, and that it was shocking that the key figures in the documentary were consistently approached by young fans looking to be in their early teenage years.
Ems J.Goodson said: “What scared me most was how many really young kids are going up to them glorifying them in the street even though they said their target audience isn’t kids. Isn’t this just grooming of a different kind?
“As a mum of boys, it’s scary.”
Ken Donald said: “I saw a bunch of young men, on both sides of their phones’ cameras, who are desperately trying to fill the void where they wanted their dads to be.”
Speaking exclusively to the Gazette, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, MP for Clacton, said he hadn’t seen the manosphere documentary but had watched Adolescence.
When asked what he thinks about toxic masculinity and violence against women and girls, Mr Farage said: “There’s plenty of violence against women and girls, but not all of it comes from young, white, British boys. You’ve got other cultures in this country where women aren’t even second-class citizens.
“So I think a sense of perspective and a sense of balance on this is really, really important. And if we overdo the attack on so-called toxic masculinity, we’re in danger of stopping boys being boys.
“Of course, there is some appalling behaviour, but I think if we start to condemn masculinity as such, we’re making a very, very big error.”
Mr Farage added he feels the reason Andrew Tate has become so popular with so many young kids is because they “feel they’re not allowed to be blokes”.
Previously, he has said Tate has made some “pretty horrible” remarks, but also that he feels Tate is an “important voice” for emasculated boys.
Speaking to the Gazette, he said: “[Andrew Tate] is an important voice for lots and lots of young men, and the fact that he is shows you the depth of the problem.
“It doesn’t mean I support what he’s doing. I’m telling the truth that he’s become a very interesting, quite a big conductor for a lot of young men, and that is a reaction against effectively being told they can’t be boys.”
He added that Tate’s more positive messaging tells young boys to be fit, to not take drugs and to make the best of themselves.
“That’s the best of it,” Mr Farage said. “The worst of it, well, that’s pretty clear, isn’t it?
“The worst of it is this idea that women are possessions if you’re an alpha male.
“There’s a lot of bad with it, but I just think that a lot of boys are being told, ‘You can’t say this, you can’t do that, you can’t be a boy’. And that’s where I think we’ve gone wrong.”
Oxford Languages defines "boys being boys" as a phrase used to express that mischievous or childish behaviour is typical of boys or young men and should not cause surprise when it occurs. The phrase has been increasingly used in conversations around masculinity, toxic masculinity and misogynistic behaviour.
Sir James Cleverly, MP for Braintree, emphasised the importance of young boys having strong and good role models, highlighting that violence against women and girls is preventable.
Speaking to the Gazette, Mr Cleverly said: “During my time in London politics, serving as a youth ambassador under Boris Johnson, I saw first-hand that strong male role models are not a luxury for boys, they are essential. This was reinforced during my time as Home Secretary.
“When structure, discipline and guidance are absent, boys look elsewhere for identity and belonging, and not always in the right places. That gap has consequences, not only in youth crime, but in the wider conversation around violence against women and girls.
“This is not inevitable. It is preventable.
“Positive male role models set standards, demonstrate respect, and show that strength lies in responsibility and self-control. That is why sport, cadets, Scouts and other youth organisations matter. They provide belonging, purpose, and access to men who lead by example.
“If we are serious about tackling crime and violence against women and girls, we must be serious about ensuring boys see what good looks like. For many, that influence is decisive.”
The manosphere documentary comes as the UK government rolls out a £20million programme to tackle misogyny in schools, focusing on training teachers and early intervention, healthy relationships and consent.
The government hopes that tackling the early roots of misogyny will prevent young men from becoming violent abusers.
Under plans revealed in December, schools will send high-risk students to get extra care and support, including behavioural courses to tackle their prejudice against women and girls.
The violence against women and girls VAWG government strategy was published following statistics which showed nearly 40 per cent of teenagers in relationships are a victim of relationship abuse, and more than 40 per cent of young men hold a positive view of Andrew Tate.
The strategy is the largest crackdown on violence against women and girls in British history.
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Pam Cox, MP for Colchester, said: “For too long, this country turned a blind eye while online misogyny spread unchecked. I’m proud to be part of a government taking much needed action to protect girls, challenge dangerous attitudes and step in before abuse begins.
“Parents in Colchester deserve reassurance that their daughters are safe, which is why I am proud to support the government's work to tackle Violence against Women and Girls - giving young people the tools they need to build healthy, respectful relationships and a future free from abuse.
“The government is also bearing down on perpetrators and supporting victims through changes to how the police and courts work.
“Programmes on TV help to shine a light on the actions and attitudes that some people hold, but it’s up to all of us to take action to ensure that both girls and boys grow up in a country that supports and protects them.”
