White Lotus star Theo James blasts manosphere for ‘meaningless bravado’
Theo James of White Lotus fame hopped on to Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show for an interview. They sat down and discussed the manosphere and male body image. It’s an unexpected subject of conversation from a mainstream actor but a welcome one, especially in today’s political climate.
In the episode, Smith asked James about male identity and the manosphere. It’s a fitting theme, since James often plays leading man roles in his films. “We’re living in a time now of the manosphere,” Smith said, which James thought was “terrifying.” “I think what we always forget is that toxic masculinity affects men, too, in a negative way. How do you see it affect men in a negative way?” Smith asked.
“It’s a lot about deep-seated insecurity, ultimately,” James said. “Men who feel that they need to be performative or misogynistic—it’s about them not feeling good enough, essentially. But it’s hidden with meaningless bravado.” Because what is the manosphere if not a pit of festering male insecurity?
A surprising commentary on capitalism
“Then on top of that is what we’ve reached at the moment: cataclysmic capitalism, where you have everyone rewarded with wealth.” James unexpectedly extended his commentary into capitalism and communism.
“Now, capitalism is the dominant force. And if you are celebrated, no matter what you are—if you are stinking rich and driving around in flashy cars. That has been epitomized by Trumpism and everything that goes with that,” James commented. Essentially, the rich are idolized, even if they have despicable morals.
Although Trump is the example here, the template extends to the podcast bros who shame women and spout misogynistic nonsense—and yet gain a following anyway because they appear to epitomize capitalistic success. When in reality, those with wealth and power should not always be treated as role models. Morality and wealth do not have a direct correlation, and there are enough anecdotes of multinational companies poisoning people and trafficking children for their own gain and sadistic pleasure.
Empathy is ‘not cool’
James continues, “It’s terrifying to have a son. People get lured into this idea very easily, and you don’t have to be ‘hyper woke,’ but it’s about a base level of empathy and some semblance of morality.”
But even empathy has been demonized by the dominant political force. Some far-right-leaning figures have even perverted the idea of empathy, making it seem as though empathy could make a person easily manipulable.
“It’s cool to be, ‘Fuck you, I earn a lot of cash…’ But at the end of the day, there’s a deep emptiness within that, as we all know. And eventually, those people will find out, if they haven’t already,” James said. In the end, the divisive rhetoric is neither beneficial nor productive for men to listen to. Rather, it perpetrates the ‘male loneliness epidemic’ that they also complain about.
Because what self-respecting person would choose to be around someone so insufferable? A person who seeks connection and yet would act as though they care about nobody but themselves? It’s a tall order, and men can’t be helped if they can’t come to terms with their emotions.
James says he tries “to be open about mental health” with his friends. It’s one of the very few ways to encourage men to be authentic with themselves.
Having mainstream figures like James stand up and talk about the toxicity of the manosphere is another way to fight its growing influence on boys. But ultimately, fostering an open environment and challenging ideas may be the most effective strategy to combat the manosphere. What’s caused by isolation and insecurity can be cured with community and a hefty dose of reality—but only if they’re willing to open up.
(featured image: Josh Smith’s Great Chat Show)
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