Louis Theroux has revealed why he can somewhat 'relate' to the subjects of his latest documentary which delved deep inside the manosphere.
He filmed with a series of controversial influencers, including streamers such as HSTikkyTokky and Myron Gaines, for the Netflix show which was released earlier this month.
These polarising figures have received a lot of heat since the documentary first aired - and Theroux didn't shy away from calling them out while the cameras were rolling, either.
After spending several weeks in their company, the renowned journalist has confessed that he has previously held similar feelings to some of those who featured in Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere.
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During an appearance on Chris Williamson’s Modern Wisdom podcast a couple of weeks ago, Theroux - who is a father-of-three boys - explained why he believes he was 'an incel before it was fashionable'.
For those who don't know, this term refers to an 'involuntary celibate' male, who is typically frustrated by their lack of sexual experiences and the rejection they receive from the opposite sex.
The Anti-Defamation League defines incels as 'young, heterosexual men who blame women and society for their own inability to form romantic or sexual attachments'.
These kind of guys deal in toxic masculinity and play on the insecurities a lot of lads feel - encouraging young men to buy into the idea that women are to blame for all of their shortcomings.
One former incel recently revealed how he ended up subscribing to these 'radical beliefs' after 'constant years of rejection'.
Theroux reckons that this kind of thing also 'exists among women, but in a different form'.
"It's not something I've studied, but my instinct would be that there's a kind of Kim Kardashian, maybe even Bonnie Blue sort of adjacent realm of induced insecurity about looks that involves the upselling of sponsored content and questionable beauty products," he told Williamson. "I'm not a huge fan of the whole Instagram look."
Theroux went on: "I feel like that there's a whole new female archetype that's being hatched that is... I quite like people to look natural, for want of a better term. But I get that I don't get to set the the beauty norms."
He suggested that to a lot of people, social media has become a way 'to compare your insides with other people's outsides'.
The renowned broadcaster admitted he wasn't immune to these emotions himself, as he then discussed how feeling unpopular in his younger years left him feeling frustrated.
"I joke that I was an incel before it was fashionable," Theroux said. "Like, I can relate. I can relate to the feeling of like, 'Wow, why am I the only one with a dance card with no names on it?'"
He reckons that The Smiths frontman Morrissey hit the nail on the head with his lyrics in 'How Soon Is Now', which refer to feeling isolated and desperately longing for human connection.
"That could be the incel anthem," Theroux continued.
He then pointed out that it appears that figures in the manosphere tend to only have an influence on teenagers, rather than fully grown men.
According to the documentarian, he saw children as young as nine compliment some of the influencers involved in his recent production.
"They're kids and young men who are trying to figure out where they fit in in life," Theroux said. "And in a world where many of the old entitlements and certainties have been eroded...
"They're looking for some sort of parasocial relationship or sense of connection. They want big muscles and a big fast car and lots of money. And that sort of speaks for itself, right?"
Despite taking an opposing stance to views shared by HSTikkyTokky during Inside the Manosphere, Theroux said he does not 'dislike' the social media star.
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere is available to stream now on Netflix.
Topics: Netflix, Louis Theroux, Documentaries, Celebrity, Celebrity News, HSTikkyTokky
Olivia Burke