The TV series that confronted prime minister Starmer with misogyny
27 March 2025
The latest talk of the town is the British Netflix series Adolescence, which follows the arrest of a 13-year-old boy accused of fatally stabbing a teenage girl. In just four episodes, acclaimed for their continuous single-shot filming, the series explores the young boy's arrest, trial, school life, motives, and the impact on his family. The series slowly reveals how the character adopts misogynistic views and the dangers of young men being exposed to them.
Even British prime minister Keir Starmer binged the series, saying that the "toxic masculinity worried him" and that the UK "may have a problem with boys and young men that we need to address".
NGOs and activists have long highlighted the danger of the 'manosphere', the online space spreading misogynist ideologies, especially among adolescent men. The ideology has been directly linked to the killing of women in the UK and the US, with influencers like Andrew Tate contributing to its spread.
In January, organisations pushed for the manosphere to be recognised as a form of terrorism in the UK, but the security minister prioritised other threats. Across Europe, two women are killed by male (ex-)partners, yet, convictions for gender-based violence remain low. Only Cyprus, Malta, and Croatia use 'femicide' in their legislation, legally acknowledging the gendered nature of the killing of women by men.
 | Elsie Haldane The show's success shows, much like the #MeToo movement, the importance of culture in putting issues on the public agenda. Whether Starmer's new interest in tackling misogyny will translate into policy change remains to be seen. |
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