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In response to the broadcast of Louis Theroux’s “Inside the Manosphere”, a number of men and boys’ experts and thought leaders gave their views.

Summary below with full quotes further down

Nick Isles, Director of the CPRMB, “Just like the snake oil salesmen of the 19^th Century - these influencers are peddling lies, disinformation and hate to sell third party products.”

Dr Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor in the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, specialising in sexual behaviours and assessment in children and young people, and member of the CPRMB Advisory Panel, “Most young men and boys do not hold these views and many actively reject them.”

Sonia Shaljean, Founder of Lads Need Dads CIC, and member of the CPRMB Advisory Panel, “What I saw was not strong men, but often wounded boys who seemed to be trying to convince the world and perhaps themselves, that this is what strength looks like.”

A young man from Lads Need Dads, “Many of us want success in life, but not at the expense of respect for others. Real role models are the men who quietly teach values.”

Dr Christina Wilkins, researcher in contemporary film, television and literature at the University of Birmingham and author of Male Mental Illness in Contemporary Culture, “It seems to try and undermine the credibility or 'authenticity' of these influencers whilst not really critically digging down into why they are successful.” 

Professor Ben Hine, Professor of Applied Psychology, University of West London, specialising in domestic abuse, gender and family psychology, and member of the CPRMB Advisory Panel, "If we are serious about addressing the appeal of these online spaces, it is not enough simply to expose them; we also need to understand the conditions that make their messages resonate with some boys and young men in the first place."

 Full Quotes

Nick Isles, Director of the CPRMB, “Watching Louis Theroux on the Manosphere made me feel sad. The people he interviewed - the manosphere influencers - are to a man simply grifters. As one of them said' I am a businessman.' And as another commented pointing to a sports car he drove, 'I know this doesn't mean success.' 

However apart from sadness and anger the overwhelming sense I had was sorrow for the young, largely teenage and young adult men, who these other men are exploiting by peddling lies, falsehoods and hate. It is the fear every teenage boy and young man has inside them that these leeches feed off. And the programme was revealing at hinting at the reasons why the manosphere influencers are influencing in this way. For they too had been exposed to that same fear and even neglect. 

When Jeremy Rifkin wrote The Zero Marginal Cost economy at the turn of the millenia he presaged an age where anyone can start a business online. And this is what we saw in this programme - just like the snake oil salesmen of the 19^th Century- these influencers are peddling lies, disinformation and hate to sell third party products (Only Fans performers sites; robber brokerages; gym chains and the like) to the gullible and ignorant and young. 

Even the influencers own lives showed up what they peddle for the charade it is -the boy/man who needs mum in his life still to look after him; the misogynist whose girlfriend leaves him; the Miami Tate befriended influencer who is at heart a family man while pretending he isn't, desperately trying to create a life for his children that he never had by exploiting people who, like him, are growing up or have grown up in chaos.

These may be lost souls but the people they effect are not. It is these young boys and men that we need to do more to protect by using our existing laws to prosecute hate speech; by creating new legislation where needed and through the tax system (reformed if necessary) to confiscate monies earned through activity which harms. Perhaps an influencer tax is in order?”

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Dr Sophie King-Hill, Associate Professor in the Health Services Management Centre, University of Birmingham, specialising in sexual behaviours and assessment in children and young people, and member of the CPRMB Advisory Panel, “This documentary offers an important and timely examination of the misogynistic influencers operating within the manosphere, highlighting the ways in which they promote extreme gender hostile narratives while simultaneously exploiting the insecurities of vulnerable men and boys. It also shows how these spaces can target women, reinforcing harmful dynamics that have real world consequences. 

However it is crucial that we do not treat this as a uniform picture of all men and boys. The behaviours and ideologies showcased here represent a small but highly visible subset of online actors. Most young men and boys do not hold these views and many actively reject them. A growing number of boys feel caught between conflicting social expectations and it is precisely this sense of uncertainty and vulnerability that makes them susceptible to these influencers in the first place.

 Understanding this landscape is complex and requires a nuanced approach, we must call out the harms of misogynistic content while also recognising that many young men are seeking belonging, identity and guidance in online spaces where the loudest voices are often the most extreme. Effective prevention means addressing the root causes of this vulnerability, supporting boys with healthy models of masculinity and ensuring they have access to credible, supportive spaces that counteract harmful narratives rather than amplify them.

The documentary didn’t appear fully examine the direct adverse impact these influencers have on women and girls, nor the ways in which their narratives also negatively affect men and boys.”

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Sonia Shaljean, Founder of Lads Need Dads CIC, and member of the CPRMB Advisory Panel, “Watching Louis Theroux’s The Manosphere, I was left with a deep sense of sadness. What I saw was not strong men, but often wounded boys who seemed to be trying to convince the world and perhaps themselves, that this is what strength looks like.

Underneath that bravado, I saw something else - unresolved pain. Many of these men appear to still be carrying wounds from growing up without affirmation or guidance. When that pain isn’t acknowledged or worked through, it can shape the way they see themselves and their relationships with women. When boys grow up without affirmation, it can leave deep questions around identity, belonging an self-worth.

That is why the real work has to happen much earlier. We need to support boys -particularly those growing up without fathers - before the online world shapes their understanding of what it means to be a man. In some ways, these online spaces can begin to function almost like a digital gang - offering belonging, identity and validation to boys who are searching for direction. If we want to counter that influence, we have to offer something better: positive male role models, real mentorship and safe spaces where boys can talk, grow and be affirmed.”

A young man from Lads Need Dads, “Most young men aren’t like the influencers shown in the documentary. Some online personalities use extreme views and big egos to gain attention and make money, but that doesn’t represent how the majority of boys think. Many of us want success in life, but not at the expense of respect for others. Real role models are the men who quietly teach values, responsibility and character– often offline, through everyday relationships. Social media can amplify the loudest voices, but it doesn’t reflect the full picture of young men today.”

Dr Christina Wilkins, researcher in contemporary film, television and literature at the University of Birmingham and author of Male Mental Illness in Contemporary Culture, “Generally, I think it showcases the views of the influencers and tries to undermine them, rather than suggesting all boys think that. There are a couple of segments showcasing the media links between young boys and this content, but to me it is about the nature of the internet. It doesn't really delve into the reasons why boys and young men might be engaging with this content. Instead, it seems to try and undermine the credibility or 'authenticity' of these influencers whilst not really critically digging down into why they are successful.” 

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Professor Ben Hine, Professor of Applied Psychology, University of West London, specialising in domestic abuse, gender and family psychology, and member of the CPRMB Advisory Panel, "Louis Theroux’s documentary Inside the Manosphere tackles a pressing and increasingly visible issue: the influence of online spaces that promote highly regressive and often toxic narratives about masculinity. The programme does a compelling job of illuminating and exposing the more extreme elements of these communities, including conspiratorial thinking, misogynistic attitudes toward women, and hostility toward minority groups. By placing these views under scrutiny, the documentary effectively demonstrates both the absurdity and the potential dangers of the ideology circulating within parts of the online manosphere. For anyone raising or working with young men, it provides an important and often unsettling insight into the kinds of messages some boys are encountering online. At the same time, one opportunity that feels missed is the absence of discussion around positive models of masculinity. We rarely see portrayals in mainstream media of constructive male role models—men who embody resilience, responsibility and service to others—and yet those examples are just as important in shaping how boys understand what it means to be a man.

However, while the documentary is strong in showing what is happening, it largely misses an opportunity to explore why it is happening. There are brief suggestions that these movements represent a backlash against feminism or a defence of declining male power, but this interpretation risks being overly simplistic. A deeper examination would also consider the broader social, cultural and economic context shaping young men’s lives today, alongside the psychological vulnerabilities that can make some particularly receptive to these narratives. Feelings of loneliness, status anxiety and a lack of clear pathways to meaning or identity can leave some young men searching for answers, and online influencers can appear to offer simple explanations and a sense of belonging. In addition, many boys report feeling excluded from wider gender conversations, often framed primarily as the problem rather than as people who may also have problems. If we are serious about addressing the appeal of these online spaces, it is not enough simply to expose them; we also need to understand the conditions that make their messages resonate with some boys and young men in the first place."

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