Marc Fennell confronts the manosphere in The State of Man – Award-winning journalist Marc Fennell investigates the online movement shaping how boys and young men see themselves in new ABC documentary series The State of Man, premiering Tuesday 13 October at 8pm on ABC TV, with all episodes available on ABC iview.
Across three episodes, Fennell follows the algorithmic pathways that can carry young people from apparently harmless self-improvement content to extreme and divisive ideas, examining the influencers, platforms and industries behind the manosphere.
How the manosphere reaches young men
The series arrives amid growing concern about the effect online personalities can have on boys and young men. Its focus on recommendation systems and the commercial forces behind social media content gives the issue a distinctly Australian television treatment, while asking what happens when these ideas move beyond screens and into everyday family life.
Fennell’s investigation was sparked by a moment at home: online recommendations led his own children from Pokémon videos to manosphere material. He then immerses himself in the same online world, following the trails many young men encounter as content about fitness, finance and self-improvement evolves into more extreme and anti-equality messages.
The State of Man examines how platforms can amplify those messages, who stands to benefit and how a global industry can exploit the vulnerabilities of young men. The consequences, the series argues, reach well beyond the screen, affecting girls, women, families, relationships and wider society.
Confronting, surprising and personal, the documentary also considers potential solutions to a complex social issue, as Fennell investigates the forces shaping modern masculinity.
Behind the series
The State of Man is a Helium Pictures and New Mac Production developed and produced with the ABC. It received development assistance and production funding from Minderoo Pictures, with Screen NSW supporting post-production, digital and visual effects. VicScreen also supported development.
Fennell is journalist and producer. Melissa Maclean is executive producer and director, with Mark Fennessy, Luke Clark and James McPherson executive producing. Kalita Corrigan is ABC commissioning editor and Susie Jones is ABC head of documentary and specialist. ABC Commercial distributes the series.
The three-part documentary begins Tuesday 13 October at 8pm on ABC TV, with all episodes streaming on ABC iview.
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