While largely uninterested in the much-discussed topic of the ‘manosphere’, hearing the news that documentary legend Louis Theroux would be tackling the subject certainly piqued my interest. I knew that, at a minimum, should his investigative skills fail to uncover any new insights I would at least find the usual enjoyment in his famed awkward stare. Sadly, my low expectations of Inside the Manosphere seemed largely to have been proved correct: the 90-minute documentary failed to add any new insights to what has been one of the most dominant conversation topics of the past few years. Theroux, like many other commentators, tackled the topic three years too late, and without the depth, freshness or investigative courage he has otherwise built his career around. It feels more like a flat reiteration of what has already been observed a thousand times: the lead figures of the manosphere are deplorable degenerates who should not have any sway over young men in society. And yet they do. Upon reflection, it was the questions not asked by Theroux, the curious, non-condemning ‘why’ of their success, that was needed.
3:00 PM
Louis Theroux’s missed opportunity on the ‘manosphere’
A familiar diagnosis of the manosphere that overlooks the cultural and moral transformations underpinning its rise
Daniel Turner

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