The manosphere: why young men keep falling down the rabbit hole
The new episode explores the manosphere, Louis Theroux’s controversial documentary and how online misogyny increasingly targets young men and boys.
The latest episode of the Local Sex Shop introduces a new permanent co-host. From now on, Maja joins Mikaella behind the microphone, kicking things off with a deep dive into one of the internet’s most controversial corners: the manosphere.
The discussion centres around the recent documentary by Louis Theroux, which follows several influential male lifestyle creators connected to the manosphere. But according to Maja, the documentary only scratches the surface of a much bigger issue.
Before diving into the documentary itself, the episode first breaks down what the manosphere actually is. Rather than one unified movement, the manosphere is described as a network of overlapping online communities, ranging from men’s rights activists to pickup artists and incels. While the groups differ, many share anti-feminist ideas, rigid views on masculinity and a growing hostility towards women.
A major part of the conversation focuses on language. Maja explains how manosphere communities use dehumanising terminology for women, while also normalising violent and misogynistic ideas through memes, jokes and repeated online exposure. Referencing Men Who Hate Women, she describes how quickly this language becomes normalised once people spend enough time in those spaces.
Mikaella, who had less prior exposure to manosphere content, reacts strongly to moments from the documentary itself. Clips from livestream podcasts showed women being publicly humiliated by audience comments, while influencers openly discussed female ‘value’, virginity and dominance. For her, the most unsettling part was not just the content itself, but how casually it was presented to millions of viewers.
The episode repeatedly returns to a key question: why are young men drawn into the manosphere in the first place? According to Maja, many are initially searching for self-improvement, fitness advice, confidence or community. But those entry points can quickly escalate into more radical content. Instead of addressing insecurity, loneliness or mental health in healthy ways, manosphere influencers redirect frustration towards women and feminism.
At the same time, the hosts argue that the movement also traps men in impossible standards. Strength, wealth, status and emotional suppression are constantly reinforced within these communities. Men judge other men harshly, while vulnerability is framed as weakness. Mikaella points out the irony: many manosphere influencers blame society for unrealistic expectations while simultaneously pushing those same expectations onto their audiences.
The conversation also touches on the role of women within the manosphere ecosystem. Some women appear alongside influencers while reinforcing traditional gender roles, often centred around submission, financial dependence and appearance. For the hosts, this reflects a broader cultural shift online, where increasingly rigid ideas about masculinity and femininity are making a comeback.
By the end of the episode, the focus shifts from diagnosis to prevention. Both hosts stress that the manosphere cannot simply be removed from the internet, making education essential instead. Proper sex education, media literacy and stronger conversations between parents and children are all highlighted as necessary tools to stop young boys from disappearing further into misogynistic online spaces.
As recommendations, Maja points listeners towards Men Who Hate Women by Laura Bates, as well as the Netflix series Adolescence, which explores how online radicalisation can affect teenage boys offline.