Louis Theroux, the highly respected documentarian, spent much of 2025 filming and interviewing some of the largest figures in social media for his documentary, “Inside the Manosphere.”
The manosphere is something that has grown significantly in the last handful of years with Tristan and Andrew Tate spearheading the movement.
The manosphere can be best described as a collection of blogs, podcasts, forums and websites promoting traditional masculine values, while disparaging feminist values as well as promoting hateful rhetoric towards minorities and opposition leaders.
Theroux interviews include Harrison Sullivan, Sneako, Myron Gaines, Justin Waller as well as mentioning others in association while not doing a full on interview with them.
Each of them describe themselves as role models, or self-help influencers for young men through their online courses and illegitimate business ventures. Gaines has their own podcast/talk show, Sullivan streams online and at the time Sneako was banned on platforms for hate speech.
The manosphere almost exclusively lives in the digital world on mainstream platforms like TikTok, Instagram, X and even YouTube. Alternate streaming platforms with less restrictions on speech like Rumble and Kick have become a popular hub for this content as well.
While Theroux spent time with Sullivan, who goes by “HSTikkyTokky” on social media, Theroux found himself being used more as a source of clout for Sullivan and his entourage rather than a participant in meaningful, developed conversations about the content being fed to the next generation of boys and the harm being caused to society at large.
Sullivan makes much of his money by managing OnlyFans models, which he himself finds “repulsive” and “sub-human.” The contradiction is on full display and it tells someone all they need to know about these figures.
While Theroux was in New York City interviewing Sneako, clips of boys aged roughly between 12 to 16 showed them saying “F women” and “F the jews,” both messages Sneako and figures in the manosphere have promoted in the last handful of years.
The interviews all seemed to echo the same couple of messages. The first being “put your head down and work,” then the second being “make money, get women.”
Along with the men being interviewed, Theroux spent time interviewing Gaines’ now ex-girlfriend Angie, and Waller’s long-term partner Kristen for their insights on their own lives.
In each of the interviews Theroux mentioned the one-sided monogamy relationship structure Gaines and Waller promote where their partner is monogamous but they can have relations with whoever they want.
It was clearly a touchy subject for the women who both aren’t involved in what their partners do, but it was obvious both Angie and Kristen were at a loss for words in some capacity for how they feel about it.
It’s speculated Angie and Gaines broke up for this reason. On the other hand, Kristen had a different idea regarding their relationship structure. Kristen reasoned it makes her feel good knowing other women want her man.
In her point of view, having two daughters with him means she “won” in the end, and it doesn’t make a difference to her knowing her partner is wanted and actively sought out by other women.
In my mind, this type of thinking can come from a place of low self-esteem, something each of the men interviewed lacked as well.
That is the place where this problem starts from in my eyes. As time goes on raising children will only become more difficult, while raising a boy right might be the thinnest line a parent can balance.
That’s something the documentary didn’t really cover and many wish it did. At the end of the day, it’s the women who suffer from not having good men the most. There’s a reason everyone says the dating pool is terrible no matter the age demographic, and this is a contributing factor to it.
Many boys are growing up right now and are unsure about where they stand, or what to do. So when a group spouts the message, “make money, get women, nothing is your fault” comes along, of course someone who’s confused will follow suit and fall into the trap.
The documentary does tell you what you need to know about these figures, but not how they are affecting and influencing millions of boys around the world. Everyone knows the manosphere will never go away, even if these figures do.
