Hypermasculinity is having a moment. Social influencers are pushing a toxic form of manliness, rife with self-improvement products to help men reach maximum strength and virility.
The "manosphere" promises all manner of benefits better bodies, success with women and professional prosperity. But the reality backed by hard scientific evidence is that conforming to an overly narrow definition of masculinity is associated with a host of serious health problems, including cancer, heart disease, suicidal impulses, poor relationships and loneliness.
The University of Alberta's leading expert on misinformation, Timothy Caulfield, hosts a new documentary film called Harder Better Faster Stronger. With a humorous and self-effacing touch, Caulfield explores how a multitrillion-dollar wellness industry has shifted from a holistic health movement, led by the likes of Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop brand, to "a more ideology-fuelled manly' optimization," in the words of the film's promotional blurb.
