The Manosphere, the new supervillain valiantly being fought by feminist acolytes, noble researchers and virtuous politicians alike. A spectre, that hangs eerily over the heads of our boys; its shadowy tentacles, eminating from their phones and penetrating their soft, impressionable psyche, with the loud, crass, misogynistic rambling of ex-kickboxing champs, pseudo intellectuals, and outrage merchants. And that certainly exists – and remains an annoying problem, that buzzes around our heads like an unswattable fly. But that’s not all that’s found within the vaguely formulated ‘manosphere’, which appears to be a concept of rhetoric, not reason, to smear any and all voices for men and boys, well intentioned or not, with the unwashable tar of virulent misogyny and fear. A word for society to clutch its pearls over, like we did over ‘Reefer Madness’ of the 1930s, the ‘Satanic Panic’ of the 80s, ‘Super Predators’ of the 90’s, and now this… tHe MaNoSpHEre!! I am sure I’m considered part of it, whatever it is, and you probably are too. But anyone who knows anything about the groups that are placed within it; MRAs, pick up artists, Red Pillers, Incels, and MGTOWs, know they have so little in common, to unite them under a universal banner, is a betrayal of reality. Do people realise that Andrew Tate represents, quite literally, everything incels hate? Do people care that MRAs feel constantly embarrassed by the childish rhetoric of Red Pillers? So… what is the Mansophere? Where is it? Who is it? And why is everyone so infatuated? It feels more like a terrifying lovecraftian monster, trying to gobble up your boys, than it does anything scientifically legitimate, or serious. Well, good news – OFCOM, the UK’s official regulator for online safety have waded in to find out; trawling through Manosphere spaces, reading the literature, analyzing the posts, and talking to (a small sample) of 39 people within it. And here’s what they found… So, what do you think the manosphere is? ~ OFCOM Study Guardian Images by Tawskeem Hakak, Woliul Hasan, Amal S, Alan Labisch, and Frank Flores.

2025-06-18