Chilling meaning behind 'matrix' hand signal used by 'manosphere' influencers

Louis Theroux is no stranger to controversy, never afraid to ask the tough questions and get up close and personal with some pretty divisive figures.

While Theroux is known for his many years as a BBC journalist, he's more recently branched out to hitch his horse to Netflix.

Now, the release of his Inside the Manosphere documentary has soared up the charts as he tackles the subculture of male influencers.

Even though Harrison "HSTikkyTokky" Sullivan doesn't get the honor of being the 'worst' person Theroux has interviewed, the documentarian has made his true feelings on the manosphere influencer clear. There's been an immediate backlash, with Sullivan seemingly nuking his Instagram, although he wasn't the only influencer featured in the Netflix doc.

Elsewhere in the documentary, Theroux spends time with Fresh and Fit podcast host Myron Gaines, entrepreneur Justin Waller, influencer Ed Matthews, and streamer Nicolas Kenn De Balinthazy, aka Sneako

Even though the infamous Andrew Tate doesn't appear, his presence is felt throughout, and clips of him appear.

Theroux had apparently been in contact with both Tristan and Andrew Tate, with the latter refusing to take part unless he was paid. When Theroux explained that it wasn't possible, Tate reportedly branded him as 'irrelevant'.

Still, Tate's signature 'matrix' hand signal is seen in Inside the Manosphere. Although the name might suggest the 'matrix' takes its name from the Wachowski sisters' infamous 1999 sci-fi movie, the matrix hand signal is thought to be a modern-day mudra that amplifies Andrew Tate's misogyny, and has since been adopted by others like him. According to Azulfit, a mudra comes from Sanskrit and is a symbolic hand gesture that's supposed to have the power to produce joy and happiness. The site explains: "It has been proved that regular practise of mudras not only contribute to one’s overall good health but can be used as a preventive measure as well."

With our hands defining our karma and our fingers being the power points, it's said that performing a mudra provides a link "between individual Pranic force and universal cosmic energy."

Tate's father, Emory Andrew Tate Jr., was known to use the matrix symbol as a personal 'power-up' before taking part in international chess matches, but others say it's linked to the Illuminati. Andrew Tate has denied this connection.

As reported by VICE, Tim Squirrel, an extremism expert from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, suggests the symbol has a ‘two-pronged’ meaning.

Back in 2023, Squirrel stated: "For one, you can show your endorsement of controversial people or beliefs without having to say it outright, allowing you plausible deniability and possibly avoiding consequences like detention or censure."

He went on to explain that it could also imply you have a hidden knowledge: "That you’re aware of what this sign means to you and others around you who are part of the in-group who are in the know, and that’s a very appealing identity marker for children and teenagers.”

With the matrix hand signal running rampant in schools, Squirrel told educators to look out for it being used by young men and them engaging with Tate's content: "Not only does he endorse violent misogyny, based on recent reporting it appears there’s good reason to believe that he has engaged in hideous and brutal violence against women, as well as being an alleged human trafficker.”