The Infamous Afterlife of Popular Films: Metaphorical Production of Meaning in the Manosphere through The Matrix

Abstract

The paper explores the audiovisual dimension and film reception within the Manosphere. The starting point is the assumption that online videos exert significant influence due to their affective and emotional impact, as well as their ability to activate interpretive frameworks that people may not even be aware of. This makes them particularly suitable for persuasive processes, i.e., the subtle shaping of attitudes, beliefs, intentions, and behaviors. Within the online video culture of the Manosphere, popular films and series are frequently used as metaphorical resources. From a metaphor-theoretical perspective, they serve as a source domain that is mapped onto a target domain—such as neomasculinist societal critique. This allows for the low-threshold communication of ideological concepts. This phenomenon will be examined in greater detail through a specific case study, particularly considering that popular films themselves already rely heavily on audiovisual metaphor formation, from which they derive much of their impact. Using the example of the recontextualization of The Matrix (1999)—a foundational text of the Manosphere, as argued in the introduction—the analysis will focus on the use and function of popular culture. Prior to this, discussions on the connection between the Manosphere and fandom will be summarized, and The Matrix will be revisited in terms of its metaphor formation.