The YouTube channel of content creator Luis Castilleja, known as “El Temach,” produces content aimed at young male audiences. He describes his content as offering advice on social relationships and personal development. However, some users on social media have pointed out that the themes he addresses reproduce discursive patterns characteristic of the “manosphere,” a term used to describe digital communities whose discourses promote misogynistic and anti-feminist content while reinforcing hegemonic masculinity (Barnes et al., 2025; Del Pino Díaz, 2024; Delgado Ontivero et al., 2023). Although this phenomenon has been extensively studied in English-speaking contexts, it has been less explored in Spanish-speaking environments, particularly in Mexico. This study seeks to fill that gap by conducting a critical analysis of the “El Temach” channel, whose content reflects a combination of elements that, while sharing characteristics with the international manosphere, are adapted to the cultural and social particularities of the Mexican context.

Most research on the manosphere has focused on English-speaking discourses, where patterns such as the minimization of gender-based violence and the promotion of a masculinity based on control and domination have been identified (Han et al., 2023). Although the particularities of these manifestations in Spanish-speaking digital spaces have been studied in Spain (Lacalle et al., 2023), in Mexico there is insufficient research to deeply understand this phenomenon. This methodological and theoretical void justifies the need for a specific analysis of the phenomenon within the Mexican context, given that gender dynamics, popular culture, and power structures differ from those in other countries. Therefore, the general objective of this paper is to analyze the “El Temach” YouTube channel to identify discursive patterns in its publications, aiming to understand how anti-feminist discourses are constructed and disseminated within a specific cultural context.

As specific objectives, the study seeks to: a) describe the channel’s behavioral patterns by analyzing its posting frequency, interaction statistics, and comments; b) detect recurring themes using Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques, identifying semantic and emotional categories in the language used; and c) identify rhetorical elements characteristic of anti-feminist and hegemonic masculinity discourses, such as the generalization of stereotypes, the delegitimization of feminist demands, and the normalization of gender-based violence, while considering the ethical challenges involved in analyzing potentially harmful content. These objectives are framed within an intersectional approach that considers the interaction between gender, culture, and technology in the production of online discourses.

For data collection, tools provided by YouTube Data Tools (Rieder, 2015) were employed to generate datasets on the channel’s publications, including metrics such as view counts, comments, and subscriptions. The resulting corpus consists of 1,809 observations with 29 variables. For data cleaning, only date-indicating variables were converted into time formats recognizable by the R programming language. Descriptive statistics and data visualization were performed using the Tidyverse library (Wickham et al., 2019), which allowed for the identification of temporal trends and content distribution patterns. Transcriptions of the analyzed videos were processed using Assembly.ai, an artificial intelligence service that facilitates audio-to-text conversion, while linguistic pattern analysis was carried out using AntConc software (Anthony, 2024), which enabled the identification of word frequencies, co-occurrences, and other language usage indices. This mixed methodology, combining quantitative and qualitative analysis, provided a comprehensive view of the discourses produced by the channel. It is necessary to clarify that the approach afforded by these methods is partial, as automated transcription does not allow for the analysis of speakers’ accentuations and modulations; thus, future research should approach this material through additional methodologies.

The analysis revealed a significant increase in posting frequency during March 2024, considerably exceeding the monthly average. This finding motivated a detailed comparative analysis of videos published from March 2021 to March 2025, allowing for the identification of changes in the channel’s communication strategy and the evolution of its content. The analyzed content identified anti-feminist rhetorical elements and patterns of hegemonic masculinity consistent with the characteristics defining the English-speaking manosphere, albeit with particularities specific to the Mexican cultural context. For the identification and categorization of these rhetorical elements, the categories developed by Han et al. (2023) and the mapping conducted by McGlashan et al. (2024) were employed.

This exploratory analysis helps to understand the forms Mexican anti-feminism uses to communicate its message and describes the characteristics assumed by manosphere discourse. This knowledge can foster further research to better understand this phenomenon and help construct discourses that promote masculinities that do not perpetuate gender inequalities. Therefore, the underlying intention of this analysis is to strengthen the foundation of discourses promoting equality in society, build critical discursive elements against hegemonic masculinities, and contribute to the construction of new masculinities that promote gender equity. The analysis of these discourses also confirms the patriarchal and masculinist patterns embedded in technology and in certain discourses disseminated on social media (Guzmán et al, 2023). The study also contributes to reflection on the role of digital platforms in the production and dissemination of gender discourses, highlighting the need for an interdisciplinary approach that combines feminist theory, discourse analysis, and qualitative methodologies to address complex problems such as machismo in the digital environment. Furthermore, this research allows for a deeper engagement in discussions about the relevance of digital methodologies, as well as positioning digital humanities in the debate on the ethics of certain digital discourses.