Men of the Manosphere

James Blake enters the virtual world of manhood, aka the manosphere. From self-improvement coaches to 'red pill' preachers, these influencers and communities promise young men quick answers to all the challenges life throws at them.

James gets a unique insight as he immerses himself in the world of three young men who share their innermost thoughts on why they have turned to male influencers for guidance and instruction. All are seeking to better themselves and to achieve success in different areas of their lives on and offline.

They are at various stages in their lives and grappling with a range of ambitions: Sam, a 16-year-old who’s swapped real-life friends for online brotherhood as he seeks to fulfil his travel and business goals; Shayne, a university graduate from Liverpool, who says he’s using the red pill as a shield from heartbreak; and Jack, from Northern Ireland, working in the building trade and chasing discipline, status and direction.

As James journeys through this world, he reflects on the various reasons for going online and examines his own experiences. He considers how appealing it is to view and share online material and draw conclusions from it. James discovers that what looks like motivation and mentorship can sometimes hide an insidious message – that young men are not good enough and need to behave in a certain way if they are to get status and success.