I appreciate especially the focus on the "system that is designed to keep us angry at each other" because that makes some people a lot of money. I do not understand the focus on so many podcasts that seem to little more than a pooling of ignorance and a magnification of misunderstanding. Thanks for the clarification (so I don't need to research).
Exactly bro. The podcasts are fascinating not for what they say, but for how well they perform. They've cracked a code. They sound authoritative, keep it conversational, never let a fact interrupt the vibe. The platforms reward that formula because it's cheap to produce and generates hours of engagement. Expertise is expensive and often boring. Confidence is free and endlessly entertaining. Happy Happy Tuesday to you :)
Exactly Nick. What's different now is the targeting precision and the scale. In Barnum's day, you had to get people into a tent. Now the tent finds you, figures out your specific insecurity, and serves you a custom pitch 40 times a day. The con is old. The delivery system is new. And it's VERY GOOD at what it does.
Happy Tuesday back at ya. In my life I have no social media accounts, I pay to avoid ads on the Web and TV, or I time shift to watch live TV with ads that I skip.
In other words, I mostly lead an ad-free life. Is this the reason I am so cheerful? It doesn’t hurt…
Right on point. I monitored this phenomenon, early in the century. It hasn't changed. It's just expanded. This same model goes back to Napoleon Hill. (How about that, "patent meds" good dig.) My solution is the same every time. Don't play the game. Kudos.
It's so true! Napoleon Hill is the perfect eg -"Think and Grow Rich" was the original MLM for mindset. Sell the dream, sell the gap, make sure the thing NEVER closes.
"Don't play the game" is the only winning move as far as I could see.
I'd love to see angry, unleashed Neela. This was a great read. I've ignored this manosphere crap because those pathetic asshats got nothing I need to know.
But this spin of non-stop anger and fear of not being enough as the ongoing goal to feed everyone's bank accounts is one I hadn't thought of before. Love the link to the diet industry.
Amazing, in a very sad way, how these amazing tools that allow people to connect with others from down the street or around the globe have become weaponized to sow division by a small group of (this sounds so old-fashioned to type) oligarchs who have an insatiable need for "MORE."
As always, wonderfully written. Though now I'm a bit sad. Have a great Tuesday!
The sadness is that I feel sorry for these guys who will never know what it’s like to connect with a woman as a friend, partner, lover. While my picker seems to be broken and I arrive in each relationship with an expiration date, I know I’ve had that and will again.
I've stopped watching all documentaries ever since I discovered that nearly all of them have their own agenda and often only tell one side of the story.
Fair point Will. Every documentary is an argument in disguise. The question I ask now is, what's the underlying agenda, and are they honest about it? Theroux's film wanted to say "look how bad these guys are," which... sure. But it didn't interrogate why the platform gave them reach, or who profited. That's the story that matters, and it got two minutes of airtime.
Once again, a masterpiece! On a side note, several of your posts define with elegant wording an inner feeling I have, that is how I feel alien. At times reading your articles is like visiting a museum where there are the works of the 1920s-1930s, please take this as a compliment as in your are capturing the spirit of time like nobody else I read. Another side note: most of the authors I pay for premium content, are women.
I think a lot of us feel that way right now, like we're watching a world that's supposed to make sense but increasingly doesn't. The 1920s-30s comparison had the same quality in that people could feel the old order dying, but couldn't yet see what was being born.
I love that you support me and others like me. Thank you for always taking the time.
Thank you pointing out the issues with the Manosphere documentary! While watching it, I often felt like Louis was just doing a "look at the bullshit these clowns have to say" thing and less of investigative/critical journalism.
There was one particular scene where one of the students of some influencer says that he doesn't believe in depression, but then goes on to say that his brother unalived himself. That scene has been mocked and memed across many leftist/feminist pages on Instagram, and I find that very insensitive. Sure you can make fun of those lobotomized influencers, but not everything needs to be treated that way. This whole topic needs to be approached with care and a better strategy.
You're right that masculinity was never the product, because the fact that countless OnlyFans creators are actively fueling the manosphere and go on podcasts with some of these influencers proves that point. They know what they are doing, but they do it for content anyway. They know it puts other women at danger, but they wouldn't care.
They know how the algos work and everyone is just cashing in on it.
On a side note: paying someone insane amounts to be told what to do isn't very "alpha male" of these subscribers to begin with, but they can't see this irony.
I made the mistake of spending more than two seconds watching one of those videos that popped up in my TikTok feed.
Now half the damn videos I see are from these “experts.” I was much happier when my TikTok feed was motivational content about exercise and AI cat videos. 😅
This is exactly how it happens, though. You stop to look at one car crash, and suddenly the algorithm decides you're really into car crashes and would probably enjoy 49 more per day.
The worst part is that getting your feedback is going to take WORK. You're gonna have to actively "not interested" your way out of the rabbit hole.
It's so silly, and this whole thing is predicated on unformed minds. Once you get some world experience, you can see through this bullshit easily. But till then, the only way they - courtesy of the algorithm - can cure themselves of their supposed (manufactured) deficiencies and inadequacies is by aspiring to be some man dodo who has claimed to have 'made' it. Disgusting. By the way, you can peel this onion even further - Andrew has the platform, so he makes millions of it. No different from the religious leader who does the same, but they haven't monetized it digitally, the kickbacks are just under the table.
Exactly. The whole thing preys on people who haven't developed the pattern recognition yet. Once you've seen a few grifts, they all start looking the same.
Andrew Tate is just a televangelist with a Bugatti instead of a private jet. The digital monetization just makes it scale faster and reach younger, more vulnerable people.
The difference is that we used to at least pretend the religious version was about salvation. Now we don't even bother with the pretense. We live in depressing times, bro.
I watched that doco - and honestly - I had no idea these people existed. I am a very literal person and obviously very sheltered of something. The whole concept of these people and their ideologies wriggling their way into politics is what really scares me.
They say these things for the attention (followers) and the money that comes from promoting rage.
They say no content idea is good without tension. And these people - these men - promote tension.
It is a huge subject Neela - thank you for bringing it up. And sorry I am late to the party. Life. You know! 😀
Wow! I’m so grateful for the Substack algorithm that lead me here. No, wait! It wasn’t an algorithm, rather two human beings, Priya, who recommended you, and me-who chose to read your amazing essay. Wait! Three, it was a connection of three: You, the writer, Priya, the recommender, and me, the reader. Is this what human connection feels like online?
I’ll be forwarding this to my clan, which consists of 5 men and three women. I call that my family. Maybe not big numbers, but important people, people I actually have some influence with.
Beautiful! Yes, she’s mine as well. Geez; I need to do some Substack business to get back to my memoir. I want to continue to be a writer with writers, you know?
I've been trying for days to generare real time video contents for the Publication. And all I hit is: (monthly, annually, free trial) on all platforms even ones with a 10 seconds hackable website.
Then I move to health research and I get same feedback. I move to social data sources and bam! same thing. And I've resolved to say that subscription marketing the the world's silent grandest way to hitting Forbes. It's all targeted marketing. They know all your feeds, they system figured you out and you're yet to figure yourself out.
I've been tempted to click join. I like getting the full scoop. But how can I afford $49.99 or $99.99 monthly when gasoline for basic transportaion in my country just got to $3 per litre and rent is no longer for the weak hearted. So I retrace.
Everything valuable is locked behind a monthly fee, and somehow you're the problem if you can't afford it while juggling $6/ gas and rent that requires a second income.
It's a fustercluck everywhere.
Love you too sis. Happy Ash Wednesday ♥️ I hope you have a wonderful Easter :)
OMG, Neela, I promise you this made me scream. It's a macro analysis of a challenge I highlighted last year on LinkedIn about women changing their gender marker to male just to game the algorithm. Mine focused on algorithmic bias + identity performance. But I love that yours takes a more robust approach and examines the monetization of insecurity. It's sad though and I have the same question, are we fighting each other while the system profits?
I appreciate especially the focus on the "system that is designed to keep us angry at each other" because that makes some people a lot of money. I do not understand the focus on so many podcasts that seem to little more than a pooling of ignorance and a magnification of misunderstanding. Thanks for the clarification (so I don't need to research).
Exactly bro. The podcasts are fascinating not for what they say, but for how well they perform. They've cracked a code. They sound authoritative, keep it conversational, never let a fact interrupt the vibe. The platforms reward that formula because it's cheap to produce and generates hours of engagement. Expertise is expensive and often boring. Confidence is free and endlessly entertaining. Happy Happy Tuesday to you :)
All advertising is based on inadequacy and insecurity, that can all be fixed if you just swallow this pill | buy this car | take this course.
Who is the audience for such schemes? P.T.Barnum said one is born every minute.
Exactly Nick. What's different now is the targeting precision and the scale. In Barnum's day, you had to get people into a tent. Now the tent finds you, figures out your specific insecurity, and serves you a custom pitch 40 times a day. The con is old. The delivery system is new. And it's VERY GOOD at what it does.
Thank you so much for the restack, Nick.
Happy Tuesday!
Happy Tuesday back at ya. In my life I have no social media accounts, I pay to avoid ads on the Web and TV, or I time shift to watch live TV with ads that I skip.
In other words, I mostly lead an ad-free life. Is this the reason I am so cheerful? It doesn’t hurt…
I have gone through great lengths to keep social media at arm’s length.
GREAT lengths.
I love your style, Nick.
Your life is more or less bullshit-free.
Right on point. I monitored this phenomenon, early in the century. It hasn't changed. It's just expanded. This same model goes back to Napoleon Hill. (How about that, "patent meds" good dig.) My solution is the same every time. Don't play the game. Kudos.
It's so true! Napoleon Hill is the perfect eg -"Think and Grow Rich" was the original MLM for mindset. Sell the dream, sell the gap, make sure the thing NEVER closes.
"Don't play the game" is the only winning move as far as I could see.
Thank you so much for taking the time.
I'd love to see angry, unleashed Neela. This was a great read. I've ignored this manosphere crap because those pathetic asshats got nothing I need to know.
But this spin of non-stop anger and fear of not being enough as the ongoing goal to feed everyone's bank accounts is one I hadn't thought of before. Love the link to the diet industry.
Amazing, in a very sad way, how these amazing tools that allow people to connect with others from down the street or around the globe have become weaponized to sow division by a small group of (this sounds so old-fashioned to type) oligarchs who have an insatiable need for "MORE."
As always, wonderfully written. Though now I'm a bit sad. Have a great Tuesday!
I said some variation of "you've GOT to be kidding me" for 1 hour straight while fast-forwarding the Manosphere lol
Sorry for the sadness, Bryant.
I appreciate you taking the time.
The sadness is that I feel sorry for these guys who will never know what it’s like to connect with a woman as a friend, partner, lover. While my picker seems to be broken and I arrive in each relationship with an expiration date, I know I’ve had that and will again.
Empathy is rare in 2026, Bryant!
Appreciate how you can feel for others while still being honest about your own journey.
I've stopped watching all documentaries ever since I discovered that nearly all of them have their own agenda and often only tell one side of the story.
Fair point Will. Every documentary is an argument in disguise. The question I ask now is, what's the underlying agenda, and are they honest about it? Theroux's film wanted to say "look how bad these guys are," which... sure. But it didn't interrogate why the platform gave them reach, or who profited. That's the story that matters, and it got two minutes of airtime.
Thank you so much for taking the time.
Once again, a masterpiece! On a side note, several of your posts define with elegant wording an inner feeling I have, that is how I feel alien. At times reading your articles is like visiting a museum where there are the works of the 1920s-1930s, please take this as a compliment as in your are capturing the spirit of time like nobody else I read. Another side note: most of the authors I pay for premium content, are women.
Hey Marco
How is your week going?
I think a lot of us feel that way right now, like we're watching a world that's supposed to make sense but increasingly doesn't. The 1920s-30s comparison had the same quality in that people could feel the old order dying, but couldn't yet see what was being born.
I love that you support me and others like me. Thank you for always taking the time.
Thank you pointing out the issues with the Manosphere documentary! While watching it, I often felt like Louis was just doing a "look at the bullshit these clowns have to say" thing and less of investigative/critical journalism.
There was one particular scene where one of the students of some influencer says that he doesn't believe in depression, but then goes on to say that his brother unalived himself. That scene has been mocked and memed across many leftist/feminist pages on Instagram, and I find that very insensitive. Sure you can make fun of those lobotomized influencers, but not everything needs to be treated that way. This whole topic needs to be approached with care and a better strategy.
You're right that masculinity was never the product, because the fact that countless OnlyFans creators are actively fueling the manosphere and go on podcasts with some of these influencers proves that point. They know what they are doing, but they do it for content anyway. They know it puts other women at danger, but they wouldn't care.
They know how the algos work and everyone is just cashing in on it.
On a side note: paying someone insane amounts to be told what to do isn't very "alpha male" of these subscribers to begin with, but they can't see this irony.
Hey Sameer
Happy New Week.
That suicide scene getting memed into oblivion was gross. It is behaviors like that which prompted this article. People are awful.
As you said, everyone's chasing the same bag. We should do our part and stop participating.
Thank you so much for taking the time.
I made the mistake of spending more than two seconds watching one of those videos that popped up in my TikTok feed.
Now half the damn videos I see are from these “experts.” I was much happier when my TikTok feed was motivational content about exercise and AI cat videos. 😅
Happy Easter Monday, Marcus
Nooo, not the AI cats! 😭
This is exactly how it happens, though. You stop to look at one car crash, and suddenly the algorithm decides you're really into car crashes and would probably enjoy 49 more per day.
The worst part is that getting your feedback is going to take WORK. You're gonna have to actively "not interested" your way out of the rabbit hole.
Thank you for taking the time.
It's so silly, and this whole thing is predicated on unformed minds. Once you get some world experience, you can see through this bullshit easily. But till then, the only way they - courtesy of the algorithm - can cure themselves of their supposed (manufactured) deficiencies and inadequacies is by aspiring to be some man dodo who has claimed to have 'made' it. Disgusting. By the way, you can peel this onion even further - Andrew has the platform, so he makes millions of it. No different from the religious leader who does the same, but they haven't monetized it digitally, the kickbacks are just under the table.
Happy New Week, bro
Exactly. The whole thing preys on people who haven't developed the pattern recognition yet. Once you've seen a few grifts, they all start looking the same.
Andrew Tate is just a televangelist with a Bugatti instead of a private jet. The digital monetization just makes it scale faster and reach younger, more vulnerable people.
The difference is that we used to at least pretend the religious version was about salvation. Now we don't even bother with the pretense. We live in depressing times, bro.
Thank you for taking the time.
I watched that doco - and honestly - I had no idea these people existed. I am a very literal person and obviously very sheltered of something. The whole concept of these people and their ideologies wriggling their way into politics is what really scares me.
They say these things for the attention (followers) and the money that comes from promoting rage.
They say no content idea is good without tension. And these people - these men - promote tension.
It is a huge subject Neela - thank you for bringing it up. And sorry I am late to the party. Life. You know! 😀
I know Cecilia lol
Happy Tuesday to you.
I didn't know these idiots by name either, but there are literally thousands of these guys online on YouTube and TikTok, platforms which I avoid.
It feeds into each other. Everything trickles down from the top, and our politicians set a bad precedent.
Thank you for taking the time cecilia.
Thank god I don’t have anyone like that in my family. God. The arguments would be loud!!
Wow! I’m so grateful for the Substack algorithm that lead me here. No, wait! It wasn’t an algorithm, rather two human beings, Priya, who recommended you, and me-who chose to read your amazing essay. Wait! Three, it was a connection of three: You, the writer, Priya, the recommender, and me, the reader. Is this what human connection feels like online?
I’ll be forwarding this to my clan, which consists of 5 men and three women. I call that my family. Maybe not big numbers, but important people, people I actually have some influence with.
Hi Mary
I hope your week is going well.
Priya is my sister from another mister.
I am so happy you are here.
You are in the right place if you are seeking that human connection.
I look forward to interacting more.
Thank you very much for taking the time and for sharing as well.
Happy Friday in advance…….
Beautiful! Yes, she’s mine as well. Geez; I need to do some Substack business to get back to my memoir. I want to continue to be a writer with writers, you know?
It’s one of the nicer platforms to build a community and cool online friendships.
Do it, Mary.
I will be here to cheer you along….
You got past the spectacle and into the machinery. “The customer cannot graduate because graduation ends the revenue” is the line.
100% Regina
I hope your week is going well.
Thank you for taking the time.
This is a stellar piece which punches you in the gut! Your writing is hard hitting, propulsive and an education. Thank you!
On a lighter note, I am curious to read a version of this where you’re angrier 😁
I wish I could share a Hulk GIF here.
You won’t like me when I’m angry hahahahaha
Thank you for stopping by, sis.
Always, a pleasure ❤️
On the nose!
thank you Ali.
Happy April :)
I've been trying for days to generare real time video contents for the Publication. And all I hit is: (monthly, annually, free trial) on all platforms even ones with a 10 seconds hackable website.
Then I move to health research and I get same feedback. I move to social data sources and bam! same thing. And I've resolved to say that subscription marketing the the world's silent grandest way to hitting Forbes. It's all targeted marketing. They know all your feeds, they system figured you out and you're yet to figure yourself out.
I've been tempted to click join. I like getting the full scoop. But how can I afford $49.99 or $99.99 monthly when gasoline for basic transportaion in my country just got to $3 per litre and rent is no longer for the weak hearted. So I retrace.
Happy Ash Wednesday sister. Love you ♥️
This is it, sis.
Everything valuable is locked behind a monthly fee, and somehow you're the problem if you can't afford it while juggling $6/ gas and rent that requires a second income.
It's a fustercluck everywhere.
Love you too sis. Happy Ash Wednesday ♥️ I hope you have a wonderful Easter :)
It's painful.
But we keep going. Love you too ♥️
Have a good weekend in advance sis ….
Love you more ♥️
OMG, Neela, I promise you this made me scream. It's a macro analysis of a challenge I highlighted last year on LinkedIn about women changing their gender marker to male just to game the algorithm. Mine focused on algorithmic bias + identity performance. But I love that yours takes a more robust approach and examines the monetization of insecurity. It's sad though and I have the same question, are we fighting each other while the system profits?
Funkeeeeee
I saw that test happening.
Wanna know something?
It happens on Medium, too.
I sure wish that we would stop fighting each other.
Only then will this mess get sorted out, and then we can go back to fighting each other lol
Thank you for taking the time, Funke.