Outrage Overload

A Connors Institute podcast

Outrage Bonus – The Manosphere: A Shadow Network of Influence – Havana Mohr-Ramirez

Aired Oct 22, 2025

We’ve used the word “manosphere” before on this show — in What’s Pulling Young Men to the Right? and even earlier in The Crunchy to Radical Pipeline.
But what exactly is it?

In this episode, we dig into the sprawling, loosely connected online world known as the manosphere — where incels, “Men Going Their Own Way,” men’s rights activists, and pick-up artists converge around a shared story of male victimhood and resentment.

Sociologist Havana Mohr-Ramirez helps unpack how these communities operate, the beliefs that bind them together, and the ways they spill over into our politics, culture, and collective psychology. Drawing on insights from Laura Bates (Men Who Hate Women) and Ellis Cashmore (“Is the Manosphere Myth, Media, or Reality?”), we explore whether this phenomenon is a coherent movement — or a digital ghost that still manages to shape real lives and institutions.

Why It Matters

The manosphere isn’t just an obscure corner of the internet.
It’s a growing influence on how young men see themselves, how they think about women, and how they engage with politics and community.

What starts as frustration or loneliness online can harden into ideology — one that feeds polarization, corrodes trust, and, in extreme cases, fuels violence.
Understanding this ecosystem isn’t about shaming men; it’s about asking what’s missing in the real world that makes these spaces so compelling.

Havana Mohr-Ramirez is a PhD student at Ohio State University, studying online extremism, gender, gaming, and digital culture. Her work explores how internet communities shape identity and belief—particularly how young people encounter and internalize messages about masculinity, belonging, and power. Her prior research surrounds community resilience and radicalization pathways.

Episodes in the Series:

🧩 Part 1: The Crunchy to Radical Pipeline — how “tradwife” culture and wellness spaces sometimes slide into conspiracy and control.
🧠 Part 2: What’s Pulling Young Men to the Right? — exploring Gen Z’s growing gender gap and the search for belonging.
💥 Part 3 (this episode): Inside the Manosphere — where all those frustrations find a home in online communities like incels, MGTOW, MRAs, and pick-up artists.