Have you ever heard of the manosphere and RedPill subculture? If not, I envy you. On the other hand, I invite you to read and find out what young men are truly seeking online and the threats it poses.
Born in the USA, the RedPill movement is a subculture inspired by the movie Matrix. The protagonist, Neo, finds himself in a dilemma: if he swallows a blue pill, he will have a comfortable life in a fantasy world, but if he swallows a red pill, he will see “true reality”.
Since the early 2000’s, online users began to use this movie as a metaphor for the world we live in: feminism took over society and decaractized men out of their masculinity and dominance. Fabio Mariano da Silva, Master in Law and Maculinities, and PhD in Social Sciences from PUC-SP, explains how that resonates in young men:
“This passage from individual frustration to collective hatred is a classic mechanism of radicalization, which leads boys, young men, and adults to be co-opted through digital platforms, but also through a discourse that ends up shaping the social imagination about the need for another model of man.”
According to the study Culture and Extremism, terrorism is more likely in cultures that are fatalistic, tight and rigid in gender roles valuing masculinity. This concept gives us a branch to figure out why men, especially young, are more likely to reproduce extremist misogynistic content, portraying a scary scenario for women who fear the spike in feminicides.
In Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere, all the interviewed streamers seem to share indignation at capitalism’s wheels and the exhausting struggle for survival- the reality that the red pill would reveal. But the most ironic thing is that they’re part of the game, as they sell scamming platforms that promise men’s independence and entrepreneurship.
“Many influencers in the manosphere criticize the system, feminism, modernity, and even capitalism, yet they operate exactly like neoliberal entrepreneurs of attention. They turn male frustration into a product: courses, mentoring, podcasts, subscriptions, events, closed communities, and monetization through engagement. This shows that Red Pill is not just a gender ideology. It is also a market. Misogyny becomes a business model.”, adds Fabio Mariano.
Some examples of this “masculinity mercantilization” take place in Brazil among Legendários and the brand new O Farol e a Forja, a course led by Juliano Cazarré, a Brazilian actor, that promises to help men understand “what’s happening with themselves and to the men around them” in a society that “neglects the male role”.
Legendários and O Farol e a Forja unite Christian spirituality, tradition and masculinity to shelter frustrated and lost men who seek a purpose based on their masculinity:
“When women achieve legal protection, public presence, sexual autonomy, economic autonomy, and political voice, men accustomed to positions of advantage may perceive this as a threat. Men still struggle to live in non-hierarchical relationships.”, adds Mariano.
According to backlash theory, developed bySusan Faludi in Backlash: The Undeclared War Against Women (1991), the rise of minority movements like feminism, that decentralize white elite men, precedes reactionary counter-movements like “Straight Rights” and “What About Men?”, turning social equality discussions into masculine victimization.
Why are men identifying with the RedPill movement?
As we lose the grasp of reality, immersed in hyperconnected digital spaces, feeling lonely and misunderstood becomes part of a whole generation. The simple explanation offered to a complex feeling shared by young men is the rivalry with women, and therefore, returning to a structure where men retain control and power:
“The redpill movement grows because it finds boys and young men at a moment of deep insecurity, loneliness, emotional frustration, and lack of belonging. Instead of helping these young men deal with rejection, fear, desire, shame, or the feeling of failure, this discourse provides a culprit: women.”- explains Karen Scavacini, psychologist and specialist in mental health and founder of the Institute Vita Alerte.
Populism – a concept that society is divided into “pure people” and “corrupt elite” – turns these feelings into a shared value within a community, fomented by emotionally charged, miscommunicated content that captivates a resentful public.
The reality is that everyone, especially men, is beginning to realize that the traditional, binary and conservative structure isn’t working anymore, alongside capitalism, the true villain that RedPill community should be really fighting against. Sexism does not affect only women, it also represses men’s feelings and individuality, building resentment and an impossible façade to sustain forever.
Should we worry about this emerging trend?
Adolescence is a scary phase in which hormones, anger and intensity get all mixed up into a ball of uncertainty. Add one more ingredient, manosphere, and you have a menace to society.
The main public that admires hypermasculinity influencers, as seen in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere, is young men, from a very young (and messy) age, who build an aggressive and vengeful repertoire and worldview. An example portrayed in Adolescence, a Netflix miniseries represents how this situation can be deadly.
How can we intervene professionally to avoid this outcome? Karen Scavacini details the ideal approach:
“The first step is not to confront this young person by simply saying ‘you are misogynistic’ or ‘you are wrong.’ That may shut down the dialogue even further. The first step is to understand what function this discourse is serving in his life. Is he trying to belong? Is he trying to cope with rejection? Is he angry? Humiliated? Isolated? At the same time, to welcome does not mean to validate violence. It is necessary to listen to the pain without legitimizing misogyny.”
Professional and parental orientation can guide young boys as they struggle through emotional and complex situations that can lead to extreme solutions online, and other social spheres, like schools, can promote safe spaces that hear and reassure this target group:
“Boys need to learn that feeling sadness, fear, or insecurity does not diminish their masculinity. In terms of public policy, we need media and digital literacy education in schools, rights-based and respectful sex education, teacher training to identify signs of radicalization, accountability for platforms, and mental health programs also aimed at boys.”, complements Scavacini.
The manosphere and RedPill subculture are a backlash to an unsustainable capitalist structure that maintains inequality and exploration through populism and gender wars. In the end, this deadly distraction keeps us away from teaming up and solving this shared despair.
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The article above was edited by Camilly Vieira.
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