What phrases in Louis Theroux's Netflix Manosphere doc mean as 'red pill, blue pill, black pill' goes viral

The release of Louis Theroux's new Netflix documentary, Inside the Manosphere, has sparked an outpouring of scathing dialogue about the influencers featured, causing creators like Gaines and HSTikkyTokky to fire back angrily.

The exposé premiered on Netflix on March 11, with the documentarian and cult hero, Theroux, bringing his awkward charisma and individualistic inquisition, as he delves into the divisive subject matter of the manosphere and the concerning vernacular employed by those within the circle.

The backlash has flagged concerns about the influence of certain online communities peddling hardline views, particularly if friends or family members frequently consume this content.

One warning sign can be the sudden use of unfamiliar or coded language.

Popular terms within the manosphere

According to Metro, there are several key phrases linked to the 'manosphere' that people should be aware of. For example, the term 'Matrix,' inspired by the film The Matrix, is used to claim that 'society is structured to suppress men and maintain existing power structures.'

Other common terms include 'red pill,' 'blue pill,' and 'black pill.'

A 'red pill' describes someone who believes men are oppressed in society, while a 'blue pill' refers to someone who rejects that idea.

The more extreme 'black pill' mindset goes further, sometimes involving beliefs that justify violence to create change.

Some ideas draw from older theories, like 'Briffault’s Law,' based on a 1927 quote by Robert Briffault: “The female, not the male, determines all the conditions of the animal family.

"Where the female can derive no benefit from association with the male, no such association takes place.”

While this may apply to certain animal behaviour, critics argue it has been misused online as a sweeping and misleading claim about human relationships.

There are also many derogatory labels used to describe men. A 'simp' is someone seen as overly submissive to women, while a 'soy boy' refers to a man considered weak, based on the false idea that soy consumption lowers testosterone.

'Cuck,' short for cuckold, is used as an insult implying weakness, and a 'beta male' is positioned as inferior to the dominant 'alpha male.'

On the flip side, some terms are framed as compliments. A 'sigma male' is portrayed as a lone, monosyllabic, and independent figure, often compared to characters like Ryan Gosling in Drive.

'Chad' refers to a stereotypically attractive and 'sexually successful' man, commonly mentioned in incel communities.

Related to this is 'mogging,' meaning to outshine others in attractiveness.

Slurs used against women

Women are often targeted with sexist language in these spaces.

'Body count' is used to judge women based on their sexual history, while 'prime' reflects the belief that women are most valuable between ages 18 and 25, after which they are seen as less desirable.

Another term, 'AWALT,' stands for 'all women are like that' and is typically used in a negative, generalising way.

Finally, some phrases reflect unhealthy attitudes toward dating and relationships.

'Value exchange' describes relationships as purely transactional, while 'alpha f***s beta bucks' suggests women seek out 'alpha' men for sex but choose 'beta' men for financial stability.

Similarly, the term 'sexual marketplace' reduces people to a 'sexual market value,' ranking attractiveness on a scale from one to 10.

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