Memes inspired by a cult sci-fi film have developed into a global subculture in which men claim their victimhood and promote misogyny online. https://p.dw.com/p/4zkDl Three young men on the street in Mallorca, Spain Just how mainstream have "manosphere" concepts like the red pill become?Image: Clara Margais/dpa/picture alliance ADVERTISEMENT In the 1999 science fiction film, The Matrix, hacker Neo is faced with a decision. Resistance fighter Morpheus presents him with two pills. If Neo swallows the blue one, everything will remain the same — a comfortable life in a fantasy world. If he swallows the red pill, he will see "true reality" — a dystopian world in which humans are enslaved by machines. Neo chooses the red pill, which brings knowledge, but also pain, loss and struggle. A film still of Morpheus from the 2021 sequel to <i>The Matrix</i>A film still of Morpheus from the 2021 sequel to <i>The Matrix</i> A film still of Morpheus from the 2021 sequel to The MatrixImage: Murray Close/Capital Pictures/IMAGO Users in online forums have been employing this metaphor since the early 2000s. First among self-proclaimed "pick-up artists," who propagated the conquest of women via questionable techniques, and later among US men's rights activists. This gave rise to the "manosphere," various digital arenas in which misogyny, conspiracy theories, and self-optimization ideals have merged. Common claims on these platforms include the allegation that feminism has taken over society to keep men down, or that gender roles are biologically determined and women are supposedly "programmed" to long for dominant, physically superior men — even as they devalue or aim to control them. A US export The United States is considered to be the ideological center of this subculture. It was there that red pill forums gave rise to "incel" culture. Incel stands for "involuntary celibate," and refers to digital communities of men who identify with this term and interpret it as discrimination. Their activities have been the focus of research since at least 2014, when the Isla Vista shooting left six people dead. The perpetrator left behind a manifesto and videos in which he outlined his misogyny and hatred of sexually successful men. Many of these themes, from complaints about women's superficiality to self-portrayal as incels, remain associated with the red pill scene today. Andrew Tate speaks to media after being placed under house arrest in Romania in 2024Andrew Tate speaks to media after being placed under house arrest in Romania in 2024 Andrew Tate speaks to media after being placed under house arrest in Romania in 2024Image: Alexandru Dobre/AP/picture alliance Figures such as Andrew Tate show how strongly this subculture has become intertwined with the mainstream. The British-American former kickboxer has gained millions of social media followers with his musings about male dominance. He is also now facing allegations of human trafficking and rape. The fact that conservative commentators on US broadcaster Fox News use the term "red-pilled" in the same way as celebrities such as Elon Musk or Kanye West shows how the movement's concepts have seeped into political language. Digital dissemination The mechanisms of the social media platforms themselves plays a special role in this trend. Algorithms used by YouTube and TikTok reward provocative content, including anti-feminist rhetoric. Many red pill influencers deliberately exploit this system by combining self-improvement tips with misogynistic messages, allowing them to reach a young audience far beyond the scope of their scene. TikTok and Telegram app icons on mobile phone screenTikTok and Telegram app icons on mobile phone screen The red pill movement has harnessed the power of algorithmsImage: Frank Schneider/imageBROKER/picture alliance In Germany, these concepts gained visibility on YouTube and Instagram around 2019. Fitness and business influencers such as Karl Ess picked up on terms and narratives from the red pill scene — often under the guise of self-optimization and advice on achieving success. Meanwhile, research such as the Leipzig Authoritarianism Study 2024 points to a growing prevalence of anti-feminist attitudes in German culture. According to the study, a quarter of German society holds a consistently anti-feminist worldview. Such attitudes often form a bridge to extremist milieus in which anti-feminist ideology is central. In an attack that took place in Halle in 2019, for example, a right-wing extremist murdered two people after attempting to break into a synagogue. Investigation revealed how the attacker's ideology was informed by red pill and incel content merged with right-wing extremist conspiracy narratives in online forums. Worldwide appeal Red pill ideology has become a global phenomenon. In Brazil, for example, influencer Thiago Schutz, known as "Coach do Campari," mimicked Andrew Tate to gain hundreds of thousands of followers before making headlines with threats against an actress. Researchers point to structural issues that may have contributed to his rise. Since 2010, debates on gender equality in Brazil have become increasingly politicized and pushed out of schools. Formal educational offerings have increasingly been replaced by influencers and conservatives who link red pill content with traditional moral values.