Red Pills, Raw Meat: The Manosphere’s Influence on Men’s Health and the Environment

In Lana and Lilly Wachowski’s 1999 hit film The Matrix, protagonist Neo famously opts to take the red pill, waking up to the “truth” about the world, which turns out to be a simulation controlled by machines. Since then, the Wachowskis, who are both trans women, have openly stated that the film serves as a metaphor for the transgender experience.

However, not everyone interprets the red pill symbolism in the same way. A rising anti-feminist movement known as the manosphere has co-opted the term “red pill” and given it a radically different meaning. For many in the manosphere, “taking the red pill” signifies waking up to the belief that mainstream society—particularly feminist ideologies—distorts reality, preventing men from understanding their true nature and power.

‘The Matrix’ | Warner Bros.

According to the Cambridge Dictionary, the manosphere refers to “websites and internet discussion groups that are concerned with men’s interests and rights, often connected with opposition to feminism or dislike of women.”

This kind of thinking has far-reaching consequences. It promotes toxic masculinity, normalizes misogyny, undermines gender equality, and, in some cases, radicalizes young men. New research shows that manosphere ideology is even influencing young people’s diets—raising concerns about both their health and the future of the planet.

The link between the manosphere and meat

A new report from environmental action nonprofit Hubbub, titled “High Steaks: How Young Men are Beefing Up Their Diets,” notes that young men in the UK between ages 16 and 24 are three times more likely than the general population to have increased their meat intake in the last year. 

RELATED: Butter Lovers and Seed Oil Haters Are Both Wrong, New Research Confirms

One key reason, it suggests, is the growing influence of online influencers—aligned with the ideals of the manosphere—who push the belief that eating meat is masculine and that meat consumption equals strength and fitness. This can be seen in the uptick of raw meat and carnivore diet videos, many with millions of views, on TikTok and Instagram. 

It’s not just a problem in the UK. In the US, 2024 research from the Pew Research Center found that one-fifth of young American adults are increasingly getting their news from male, right-wing social media influencers. 

“While much of the public conversation assumes Gen Z is leading the shift toward plant-based eating, our research tells a different story, particularly among young men,” says Alex Robinson, Hubbub CEO.

Many of these content creators mimic the views and opinions of the likes of Jordan Peterson and Andrew Tate. Both are notoriously misogynistic and prominent voices in the manosphere, and both have publicly advocated for carnivore diets. In a nutshell, that means eating nothing but foods like meat, butter, and lard. “I eat beef and salt, and water. That’s it, and I never cheat. Ever. Not even a little bit,” Peterson once told Joe Rogan on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast.

This idea that meat is manly isn’t new. It’s been around for decades. In the 2018 documentary The Game Changers, for example, Arnold Schwarzenegger, who now follows a plant-forward diet, explains how prominent meat messaging was in the bodybuilding community. “I’ve lived in that world,” he says. “They show these commercials—burgers, George Foreman with the grill, and epic sandwiches—this is great, great marketing for the meat industry, selling the idea that real men eat meat. But you’ve got to understand. It’s marketing. It’s not based on reality.”

Pexels

The Game Changers, which featured several prominent plant-forward athletes, including Schwarzenegger and Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, helped to push the message that meat isn’t necessary for optimal athletic performance.

But it seems there is still work to be done. Hubbub’s research showed that only 17 percent of men felt comfortable eating plant-based foods with friends and family. 

Cutting down on meat

“Meat has long been tied to traditional ideas of masculinity, and that association has strengthened in recent years thanks to online echo chambers and the rise of the so-called ‘manosphere,’” said Robinson. “That’s creating a real challenge. We can’t make cutting down on meat feel like another battle in the culture wars.”

‘The Game Changers’

After all, the stakes are enormously high. The meat industry is a leading driver of the climate crisis, due to its monumental contribution to things like deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. This has led many experts to call for a drop in meat consumption for the planet.

In fact, in 2022, researchers from the University of Bonn stated that meat consumption must drop by 75 percent in rich countries for the world to meet its climate goals.

But the risks with meat-heavy diets aren’t just planet-related. Nutrition experts have also warned people away from this way of eating due to the health risks.

“In a strict carnivore diet whereby no plant foods are allowed, the body is stripped of any opportunity to have phytonutrients that protect us from cancer and many chronic diseases,” Angel Luk, RD of Food Mysteries, previously told VegNews. “These phytonutrients are exclusively found in plants.”

In a bid to help young men move away from meat, intervention and education are key. Hubbub has launched several campaigns and projects, one of which was an eight-week challenge called Meat Your Match, for example. The idea was to encourage young male participants, particularly those active in fitness and bodybuilding, to reduce their meat consumption by half. The initiative also aimed to challenge the cultural association between masculinity and meat eating. The results were positive: around 80 percent of participants halved their meat intake, and 86 percent planned to maintain the lifestyle change.

“We need to meet young men where they are and show that plant-forward food isn’t a sacrifice, it’s about tasty, healthy choices that are better for them and the environment,” said Robinson. “The fitness industry and influencers in this space could play a really positive role here.”