Kyle, with his namesake and bodybuilding sculpture, is a tanned, chiseled face from Kyle University (his tagline is “Teaching Boys Manhood”) who looks and sounds like many of the people in the so-called manosphere. At least, that’s what I think when I first see a social media video (and maybe even a second or third time).
Kyle, who declares himself to be a “high-value man” and who not only takes off his ridiculously tight shirt but boasts a bulging pec that looks like he’s in danger of starting his own nation-state across the room, is like any other Andrew Tate-esque gurus, displaying pearls of misogynistic wisdom.
“London 7, Miami 5,” he unflinchingly assesses the girl across the table during a date. “How do you sell yourself to me?” he asked another. “If I send an eggplant emoji and she doesn’t send me a picture of her nipples, I’m out,” is one of the many dating rules he lays out on camera, described by another person as “gigachad” in the podcast video. For those who don’t know the terminology, a “giga chado” is considered the ultimate idealized version of a hyper-masculine and attractive man.
Nevertheless, for anyone who has happened to algorithmically scratch the surface of an online world where Patrick Bateman-worshipping alpha male influencers promote toxic hyper-masculinity, ridiculous goal-oriented lifestyle advice, and extreme appearance optimization known as LooksMax, even this will feel a little too ridiculous after just a few views.
As Kyle claims in one clip, “I don’t talk to my mom. She’s a 4/10. She needs a boner.” In another, he offers to march, declaring that he’s “a lion in a world of dolphins and you need to be a wolf to follow me.” Perhaps the turning point was when Kyle declared his love for the “Barbie” movies, noting that he left the theater after the “happy ending where Ken took over Barbie’s world.”
Of course, it’s all satire. But given the state of what’s out there, the skirt is a very fine line.
Kyle University is the brainchild of 22-year-old British director Noah Caplan, who told Variety that there is “about a 50-50 split” between those who think Kyle (played by American bodybuilder and former gladiator Mike O’Hearn) is real and those who are in on the joke. But given the numbers involved, the number of people who weren’t perverted — including, he claims, “several well-known Red Pill critics,” many of whom leave comments “agreeing with Kyle” every time he silences a woman — is significant.
Less than two weeks after being published on social media, Kyle University now has over 40 videos, with more being added every day, and has reached 30 million organic views. The majority of its viewers come from Instagram (early optimism that it would succeed on manosphere-friendly TikTok was dashed when the platform banned it on its first day; Kaplan suspects that videos of Kyle saying “dumb warning!” and asking a girl “how many shards of glass would you walk over to see his dick” violated its rules).
Coincidentally, the “Barbie” video was one of Caplan’s worst performances, despite being one of her favorite jokes. “Obviously, that alienated about 60 percent of our audience,” he says. Worryingly, the most popular clips are the most misogynistic.
But for all it pokes at and parodies the manosphere, Kyle University doesn’t just exist to garner laughs or cause comical mayhem. These videos were shot over several days in London a few months ago and are a proof of concept for Caplan’s feature directorial debut, all part of a highly elaborate and carefully constructed campaign to raise awareness, support and funding.
Those who arrive at Kyle University’s website from a social media platform will be immediately greeted with “Impressionable,” a six-minute proof of concept, rather than the details of Kyle’s course on how to be a man. The film is described as a coming-of-age comedy by Caplan, who spent years trying to break into the industry by convincing British TV legend Danny Dyer to star in his debut short film at the age of 17.
The plot centers on a British teenager and how toxic masculinity and red pill culture affect him, and is based on the young filmmaker’s own experiences watching his friends get drawn into that world. He claims that while there are worthy goals aimed at highlighting both the absurdities of the manosphere and what real role models should be, it was all done with a light touch that was not didactic.
The film also stars O’Hearn (who Caplan said he “spammed while appearing on Instagram Live”) not as Kyle in the video, but as a fictional bandana-wearing movie star, an Arnie-esque “last action hero” beefcake whose full name is “Kyle (With an Eye).”
Still image of “Impressionable” proof of concept. Credit: Sarah Shevlin
artist
The word “memorable” has been brewing in Caplan’s mind for a while, going through several twists and turns with each new development from the manosphere (like the recent spread of Look Max Thing and figures like collarbones). However, towards the end of 2025, with little progress made, he decided to fabricate Kyle University and put it in the driving seat.
“Basically, I wanted to create something that would prove that there was an audience and an appetite,” he says.
Thankfully for this young man, he knows how to build an online audience. After a variety of jobs, including unscripted TV work (“When I said work, I was getting tea,” he says) and cleaning gym pools, he founded Yoof, a social-first talent management agency. He currently represents a range of content creators in the UK, some of whom have appeared in Kyle University’s videos with O’Hearn. Caplan’s job is literally to create an online audience.
Ironically, he said that through his company, he has been working on marketing campaigns with the same major studios that ignored his cold calls about the film years ago.
But Kyle University and “Impressionable” couldn’t have made a fuss at a better time.
Thanks to “Adolescence” and Louis Theroux’s Netflix documentary, the manosphere has been dragged into the mainstream conversation. What once lurked in the shadows online has become a hot topic, sparking global concern among parents and politicians. Coincidentally, Kyle’s video was shot around the same time Theroux’s Inside the Manosphere was released, and Caplan was concerned that he should have cut the video sooner to capitalize on the headlines.
Just when he thought it might be too late to take advantage, “Obsession” and “Backrooms,” the young first-time director’s films that were already building an audience online, landed and turned the film industry upside down.
“Suddenly, the idea of a 20-year-old director became very interesting to everyone,” Caplan says. Within days of posting his first Kyle University video, Kaplan began receiving “really exciting emails” and “a ton of DMs with agents, sales, producers, production companies.” The door that was once firmly closed to Gen Z newcomers is now squeaking open, and inquiries are coming in from people who didn’t respond to previous emails.
“I just want to talk to anyone and everyone, and I don’t think there’s a better time than now,” he says. “We have successfully built an IP that engages tens and tens of millions of people, so we hope this will be the next original IP coming from social media.”
But before a deal can be signed, Kyle University’s campaign still needs to be completed, and more videos will be released (all posted by Caplan, who says he is “effectively a one-man operation, so he often has to take time off from pubs to post the next video”).
But Kyle’s story takes a slight turn, and our torn gigacha becomes more introspective, showing what Caplan calls “the insecurities and layers behind the machoism.” He acknowledges that this will likely cause him to lose views, or at least blunt his previously sharp trajectory, but it could “spark more conversation in the comments section.”
Because the purpose of Kyle University is not to simply joke at the expense of those drawn to the manosphere, but to use the same toolkit of those preaching within and the absurdity they spew to create something funny that can pull people in a different, more positive, and ultimately “memorable” direction.
“When you create that ecosystem, you’re basically replicating the algorithm,” Caplan said. “And it’s working now because instead of sending them to online courses, we send them to kyleuniversity.com where they can learn about movies.”
There are a few more weeks left in the campaign, and once that’s over, “we’ll see if the hype becomes reality,” Caplan said. And even if he doesn’t get the attention he hoped for — at least from the industry — he’ll make some noise again.
“I came up with the idea of sending a bunch of bodybuilders in full Kile (with an I) outfits, complete with bandanas, near where the major studios were handing out Kyle College admissions packages,” he says. “I want to do something really cheeky. I want to create a character that you would dress up as for Halloween.”
