The Red Pill Theory: A Commentary on Louis Theroux’s ‘Inside the Manosphere’
Louis Theroux is a highly decorated British journalist and broadcaster known for his level-headed questioning and impeccable comedic timing. He has featured in many documentaries, most notably, ‘When Louis Met… Jimmy’ (2000), ‘My Scientology Movie’ (2015), and ‘Louis Theroux’s Weird Weekends’ (1998-2000). He enters the modern era carrying decades of experience, one of his newest projects being a Netflix endeavour titled ‘Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere’, released earlier in March this year.
Recent award-winning shows, such as ‘Adolescence’ (2025), have solidified male supremacy culture as a source of growing public concern. Theroux’s new documentary capitalises on this surge of discourse.
The angle presented by Theroux is very accessible for those who might never have heard of this community. He provides a broad overview of the values “red-pillers” uphold both in the public eye and in private, highlighting the discrepancies between the two, revealing their contradictory beliefs.
Conversely, viewers who have previously encountered this toxic community found this documentary to be “one-dimensional” and “inadequate” in comparison to the barbaric and sickening views these men preach.
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed… and a Red Pill?
The manosphere is not a new philosophy; in fact, it can be traced back to the 70s when the Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs) were formed in response to second-wave feminism. MRAs argued that men are systematically disadvantaged in comparison to women and are disproportionately punished in a court of law, among many other unsubstantiated grievances.
The MRAs pioneered the digital age of the manosphere, with the Reddit subpage /r/MensRights dating back to 2008. A subvariant of this male supremacy forum is known as ‘The Red Pill’ theory (TRP theory), which became the most popular subreddit within the community in 2013.
Since its sharp rise in popularity, TRP theory has become a prominent philosophy within the male supremacy movement. Terms such as “red pill”, “blue pill”, and “black pill” are symbolically used to categorise men based on what values within the manosphere they subscribe to.
The theory is derived from the 1999 film, ‘The Matrix’, in which the protagonist is offered a choice: to stay in blissful ignorance and choose the blue pill or take the red pill, accept the painful reality of life and “wake up” to the truth. TRP theory Reddit forum, /r/TheRedPill, had 292,649 subscribers at its peak before being ‘quarantined’ by Reddit, banning the forum from appearing in recommendations, subscriber feeds and search results. Despite this ban, redpillers have continued to spread dangerous propaganda, moving to more widely accessible platforms such as Kick and Meta’s Instagram reels to remain in the public eye.
The Red Pill: Image by GDJ (2017), Supplied via OpenClipart (Public Domain)
Red Pill philosophy preaches many derogatory and dangerous values. They describe how men can either be an alpha or a beta, drawing flawed comparisons between human and wolf pack hierarchies. An alpha male is someone who has high social value and is thus socially dominant. He will display characteristics aligned with ambition and drive while also having high sexual market value. These alpha men are men whom women actively choose to have sex with. Conversely, beta males are men whom women use for financial and emotional support in exchange for sex. They have low social value and lack self-confidence, often due to their unmasculine looks and are thus more likely to be manipulated by women for money or support.
This alpha/beta identity binary is the foundation of TRP theory and gives rise to many other derogatory beliefs. However, TRP theory is only one subvariant among the hundreds of misogynistic online communities. TRP theory is the main component of the manosphere dissected in Theroux’s documentary.
Has Louis Theroux Lost His Touch?
Louis Theroux’s distinct interview style gives his work a unique tone and entertainment value. Theroux maintains his signature calm demeanour, asking faux-naive open-ended questions, then moving to uncomfortable, quick-fire questions in an effort to extract as much information from the subject as possible. He is also known for his ability to sit in silence and let an interviewee stir under his scathing blank stare.
However, in his newest work, Theroux’s style sticks out like a sore thumb. These men have amassed followings through social media and know how to work a situation in front of a camera. Theroux’s intense prodding would normally tear down a subject’s pillars of belief, eventually causing their mask to slip, revealing more than they intended to. But the men leading this online culture thrive on controversy and know how to manipulate language and conversation in their favour.
Netflix says that the documentary has “no holds barred”, but Theroux appears to be uncomfortable when criticising their vile ideologies. Theroux points a fragile finger toward traumatic early childhood as a predecessor of male supremacy and offers disapproving looks with awkward silences. However, his attempts at ‘criticism’ did not measure up to the potent vitriol being vocalised and immortalised in the documentary.
Netflix is a widely accessible streaming platform with almost 302 million subscribers globally as of 2026, according to Demand Sage. Hence, there is no saying what demographics Netflix’s algorithm has recommended this documentary to. Without proper context or critical thinking skills, some viewers may not see the irony or contradictions that Theroux works to expose throughout the documentary. Instead, they only reveal where to access this content, possibly leading some susceptible audiences to buy into the flimsy philosophy of male supremacy.
The Manfluencers who are Capitalising on Young Boys’ Insecurities
Throughout the documentary, Theroux and his team follow TikTok influencer HSTikkyTokky, whose real name is Harrison Sullivan, and his posse of like-minded men onto the streets of Marbella, Spain. These outings are always recorded and relayed on HS’s livestream on Kick, which garners an average of 14,080 viewers, according to Streams Charts.
HS agreed to have Theroux and his team shadow him for a couple of days. However, after being confronted by Theroux’s line of questioning, HS attempts to distance himself from Theroux and ultimately ends their first meeting abruptly due to “business” obligations. Later, to much surprise, HS asked to meet Theroux again at his home in Marbella. It seemed that HS’s team saw the monetary gain that Theroux brought with him. They could strategically place him in content and give HS’s audience someone to villainise and mock.
During these streams, we see HS and his gang harassing young women, intimidating and assaulting supposed ‘predators’ and bragging about their wealth. The group is constantly attracting attention from young male fans, with large crowds forming around them, asking for photos with HS. These scenes highlight the intrusive nature of this toxic culture.
While these scenes highlight the intrusive nature of the “alpha man” prototypes, the documentary doesn’t show the consequences of this culture on society. It neglects exploring the effects this culture has on women who are overtly over-sexualised and harassed by these men, nor does it explain how family relationships are destroyed by these philosophies.
Why should we care? It hasn’t breached our shores yet…
With that, I have to disagree. I had my first personal encounter with a member of this niche internet subculture recently. My little social bubble in Melbourne had been infiltrated by this irrational hate, and I couldn’t escape it.
At a family dinner, my cousin started talking about how we were all “stuck in the matrix” and had to escape the “traditional 9-5” to be successful. I never thought anything of it; I just assumed that he was trying to be funny. But then, a month later, at a Chinese New Year celebration, we somehow started a conversation about sexuality. Immediately, he piped up, declaring that he is “not homophobic, [he] just hates gay people”.
The table was left stunned. Unsure of how to approach the situation. When we began to ask why, he deflected our probing with flimsy reasoning, stating that they just made him “uncomfortable”.
It was at this moment that I realised that this bigotry has breached our shores.
While it may remain hidden among the infinite flood of new content in the online landscape, it still exists, and it is breaking out of its vacuum.
It seeps into your algorithm and spreads like a plague, infecting your mind. This vitriol deconstructs sound reasoning and creates its own insecure pillars of hatred and disgust. Slowly entrenching into your everyday life, presenting its true self in throw-away comments and relationships.
Male Supremacy in Australian Classrooms and Beyond
Recently, there has been an influx of stories in the media about young boys who are contributing to youth crime statistics, harassing young women and teachers, or bullying. This wave of male supremacy is even intruding into school life, with female teachers being regularly subjected to misogynistic hand gestures, coded sexual messages and intimidation from young school boys.
Former Australian school teacher Holly Cooper told ABC that during her career as a teacher, she faced relentless harassment from her male students. She was physically intimidated, called derogatory names and sexually harassed by students ranging from kindergarten to Grade 6. Cooper also warned the ABC that “once [they] smell fear”, they will try to “assert their dominance”. Other teachers have reported reading creative writing pieces that entail a gang-bang rape featuring herself as the victim, regularly being called a “sl*t” or a “f***ing c**t” in classrooms, and a pregnant teacher had a student faux stab her belly with scissors and was told that she “can’t take a joke”.
We cannot let this vulgar behaviour go unchecked in schools. If young boys realise that they can get away with this blatant misogyny at such a young age, they will continue to engage with it. Letting them continue on this path of bigotry can later manifest as physical or psychological abuse, possibly leading to significant injury or even death.
Female students are facing similar problems in schools and in everyday life. Personally, growing up in the leafy suburbs of Melbourne, I have been catcalled and wolf-whistled on the street, inappropriately touched by strangers, and sexually harassed by boys who I thought were my friends. While I am not one of the one in five women who have experienced sexual violence in their lifetimes, I know so many women who have become a part of that statistic, which only continues to worsen.
But misogyny doesn’t always come in a neat little package of malice from insensitive men; it can be discreet. Rape culture is everywhere around us. From childhood, young girls are told that if a boy bullies you it is only because he likes you. Sexual violence and abuse are constantly downplayed as “just a joke” and disregarded in society. Most of the time, offenders are not brought to criminal justice, and victims are blamed for their traumatic experiences, being told they “asked for it” or deserved it.
Misogyny is deeply ingrained in our society and justice system, festering beneath the surface, waiting for an opportunity to strike. While we cannot create monumental change overnight, we can start simply by educating ourselves and ensuring young people recognise bigotry as unacceptable, regardless of the situation.
The Root of the Manosphere: Exploiting Vulnerable Adolescence Online
So it begs the question: why do young men turn to this community? How do these heinous values become second nature?
Victims of the patriarchy often become enforcers of it. Theroux identifies that most of the men featured in the documentary did not have stable father figures throughout their childhoods. And hence, these boys are forced to find masculine role models elsewhere.
What often begins as an innocent Google search to understand how to be more confident around women or be more conventionally attractive can quickly become a toxic internet rabbit hole. Manfluencers feed off of insecurities, honing in on them and monetising them.
The economy of the manosphere relies on being an environment where conflict and controversy drive viewership and exposure. HS says it himself in Theroux’s documentary, “I don’t give a f**k, I only do it for the money”, blatantly disregarding the safety and well-being of his young online following.
These men are dangers to society, and their toxic philosophies are quickly escaping their online vacuum. The best we can do is to educate ourselves and the next generation. By starting small and early, we can teach young children about respect and responsibility before they find themself stuck in the manosphere.
References
Blackwood, F. (2026, March 11). The rise of the “manosphere” is being felt in the classroom. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-03-12/how-to-reclaim-the-classroom-from-the-rising-manosphere/106443326
Clarke, N. (2026, March 13). Did Louis Theroux’s manosphere documentary change anyone’s mind? BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy57z4v2z97o
Franklin-Paddock, B., Platow, M. J., & Ryan, M. K. (2025). From Privilege to Threat: Unraveling Psychological Pathways to the Manosphere. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 54(4), 1325–1340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-025-03114-5
Hoare, A. (2026, March 12). Inside the Manosphere: Louis Theroux opts for superficial spectacle over serious scrutiny. The Conversation. https://doi.org/10.64628/ab.uw7fxcrps
Marche, S. (2016, April 14). Swallowing the Red Pill: a journey to the heart of modern misogyny. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/apr/14/the-red-pill-reddit-modern-misogyny-manosphere-menapr/14/the-red-pill-reddit-modern-misogyny-manosphere-men
Marin, S. (2025, July 12). How the “manosphere” is fuelling teen misogyny inside Australian schools. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-07-13/hijacking-adolescence-fuelling-teen-misogyny-inside-schools/105523184
NASASV. (2025, April). Data about sexual violence. NASASV. https://www.nasasv.org.au/data
Pfitzner, N., McCook, S., Phelan, A., Wescott, S., Roberts, S. & Scott, B. (2026). An introductory guide to the manosphere and the impacts for young people, teachers and schools (ANROWS Insights 01/2026). ANROWS. https://doi.org/10.71940/YK8F-CY91
Singh, S. (2025, July 24). Netflix Subscribers Statistics (2025) — Users & Revenue. Demandsage. https://www.demandsage.com/netflix-subscribers/
SteamCharts. hstikkytokky / Kick stats past 30 days. https://streamscharts.com/channels/hstikkytokky?platform=kick
Rape Crisis England & Wales. (2023). What is rape culture? Rape Crisis England & Wales. https://rapecrisis.org.uk/get-informed/about-sexual-violence/what-is-rape-culture/
Ribeiro, M. H., Blackburn, J., Bradlyn, B., Cristofaro, E. D., Stringhini, G., Long, S., Greenberg, S., & Zannettou, S. (2021). The Evolution of the Manosphere across the Web. Proceedings of the International AAAI Conference on Web and Social Media, 15(15), 196–207. https://doi.org/10.1609/icwsm.v15i1.18053
Roberts, S. (2026, March 10). Inside the manosphere’s profitable misogyny. Monash Lens. https://lens.monash.edu/louis-therouxs-inside-the-manosphere-exposes-the-business-model-of-misogyny/
The Matrix (1999, March 31). IMBd. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/?ref_=fn_t_1
Tudum Staff. (2026, March 11). Louis Theroux Goes Inside the Manosphere Documentary: Interview and What to Know. Netflix Tudum. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/louis-theroux-inside-the-manosphere-release-date-news
Willis Shaw, S. (n.d.). Research Brief: Men’s Rights Activists (MRAs). Maura’s Voice Research Fund & ADL Center on Extremism. https://csw.fsu.edu/sites/g/files/upcbnu1131/files/documents/Research%20Brief%20MRAs%20REPUBLISHED.pdf