The ‘manosphere’, as popularised by US conservative podcasters, has made masculinity cool again – and Donald Trump’s election victory legitimised it. No wonder the usual suspects in the mainstream legacy media companies are up in arms about it; they are haemorrhaging viewers and influence to men with microphones.

Legacy media is on life support and Australia’s national broadcaster, headed by Kim Williams, is no exception. Recently, Williams became the latest in a string of Australian public officials and political figures to take on the manosphere and lose. When asked about podcaster Joe Rogan’s great appeal with male audiences, he launched a scathing critique:

‘People like Mr. Rogan prey on people’s vulnerabilities. They prey on fear. They prey on anxiety,’ he said. ‘I personally find it deeply repulsive, and to think that someone has such remarkable power in the United States is something that I look at in disbelief. I’m also absolutely in dismay that this can be a source of public entertainment when it’s really treating the public as plunder for purposes that are really quite malevolent.’

Williams’ nonsensical rant was quickly reposted by Rogan himself with the caption, ‘LOL WUT’ and Elon Musk who added, ‘From the head of Australian government-funded media, their Pravda,’ referring to the official newspaper of the Soviet Union.

The manosphere has grown in size and impact for some time but experienced its ‘coming of age’ during the 2024 presidential campaign. Podcasters now have the power to chart the course of history, with key influencers playing the role of kingmakers. Ideas championed in the manosphere were once derided and pushed to the fringes of society and the dark corners of the internet, but they are now front and centre.

Collectively, influencers like Joe Rogan, Theo Von, Tucker Carlson, and others have tens of millions of followers. This represents a shift away from legacy media – CNN currently has an average total day viewership of 367,000 while Joe Rogan’s podcast alone has 17.4 million subscribers. In Australia, ABC audiences have plummeted in recent years. According to the ABC’s 2024 Annual Report, the weekly reach of ABC TV news and current affairs was down 4 per cent, and in the five-city metropolitan markets, its radio reach fell 4.1 per cent in 2023-24 compared to the previous year.

Through long-form, unscripted conversations, podcasters like Rogan have delivered a degree of authenticity that simply cannot be matched by tightly controlled, bloated media companies that until only recently monopolised the airwaves. Podcasters also address relevant but controversial topics that legacy media stations refuse to touch.

The manosphere is pro-men, pro-ice baths, and pro-fitness. Discipline, self-control, and personal responsibility are celebrated by figures like Joe Rogan alongside the less palatable aspects of masculinity like violence and strength. This darker side, which often elevates sexism, misogyny, and male supremacy, is best encapsulated by Nick Fuentes’ viral tweet, ‘your body, my choice’.

For better or worse, there has been an online reaction against the anti-male narrative which has become increasingly pervasive in education, culture, and media. This also marks a return to traditional values and the emergence of a school of thought that is critical of feminism.

Today, third-wave feminism is a zero-sum game. The advancement of women has come at the expense of men. In education, Australia’s Respectful Relationships program describes masculinity as ‘socially constructed’ and condemns ‘male privilege and power’ while promoting a ‘process of disruption that eventually moves away from binary notions of gender’.

Moreover, a survey commissioned by the Institute of Public Affairs found that feminism is a fundamental source of disagreement between young men and women. Forty-five per cent of respondents agreed that women are given preferential treatment over men, with twice as many men agreeing than women. The rise of affirmative action and gender quotas in certain sectors supports this mindset.

Feminism aside, conservatism is back in vogue as a value system because it was able to provide answers to a number of the key problems facing society today. The feminists might rage, but the political pendulum has swung away from them.

If the rise of the manosphere means that men start to reject radical feminism and embrace positive masculine traits, society will be all the better for it. However, the darker side of the podcasting world could dominate – making it an instrument for ill rather than good. Regardless, the manosphere is here to stay and marks a cultural correction and the ceding of media hegemony to the right. The battle for hearts and minds is not won in TV studios anymore; it is won in podcasts and on streaming platforms.

Brianna McKee is a Research Fellow and the National Manager of Generation Liberty at the Institute of Public Affairs