Lily Bass takes a look at the rise of Andrew Tate, a misogynist influencer, and how destructive these types of men are in our society.
He was nowhere until he was everywhere.
Andrew Tate, former Big Brother contestant and a man who has recently been detained in Bucharest on charges of rape and human trafficking, quickly established fame last year by offering lifestyle advice to men which advocated male supremacy and violence against women. Among his violently misogynistic views is that women are significantly more attractive at 18-19 years old than they are at 25 years-old because they’ve ‘been through less dick’, 99% of the world’s problems would be solved if women went through life with their body count on their forehead, and that women should bear some responsibility for being raped.
Despite now having been banned from TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and Youtube, Tate has accumulated an almost cult like following of both men and young boys. On Twitter, he has over 5 million followers. Many schools have also been urged to teach students on misogyny and the danger of Andrew Tate’s views after a series of emails from parents suggested their child had experienced blatant sexism and misogyny within school.
So, what’s the secret to Tate’s success? Do we not live in a relatively progressive society? Has every man we’ve ever known secretly been rooting for The Handmaid’s Tail to come to life?
Firstly, Tate is nothing new. He is just one of many figures who make up the “manosphere” – an internet ecosystem that combines lifestyle and self improvement advice with casual misogyny. You might be familiar with Neil Strauss’s bestseller The Game, which sold 2.5 million copies and gave dating advice such as ‘isolating the target’ and lowering women’s self esteem by ‘negging’ them with backhanded compliments. His ideas can also be traced back to the men’s movement of the 1970s and 1980s, and we continue to see various ‘religious’ arguments as to why women should bear some responsibility for rape to this day.
Secondly, Tate makes himself seductive to such a large male audience because, fundamentally, he tailors his image to very traditionally male characteristics.
Essentially, he is selling the idea of the infallible alpha male: fast cars, private planes, mansions and, of course, women. There’s also a strong sense that Michael Kimmel’s ‘aggrieved entitlement’ is also at play here. This is based on the idea that due to the amount of change that’s occurred over the last 20-30 years, primarily young white men feel they’ve been moved into the margins of society. What Andrew Tate manages to do is make these men feel seen. He places them back into a society they feel unjustly excluded from with his romanticised idea of manhood.
If there’s any consolation, it’s that with Andrew Tate’s arrest in Romania earlier this year (ironically aided by his Twitter feud with climate activist, Greta Thunberg), the self-professed lifestyle guru’s influence is safely in decline. However, Andrew Tate’s popularity is testament to just how ingrained misogyny still is within our society. Like all systems that need to be dismantled, the topic needs to be tackled through education and should be taught to children in schools from a young age. We should also be careful not to let sexist comments slide, or to validate them with a laugh out of fear of confrontation. Sure, it might be awkward calling someone out, especially if they’re your friend, but what would you prefer: momentary awkwardness or implicitly supporting Andrew Tate?
Design by: Sarim Mangi (Head of Design)
Edited by: Zoe Powell (News and Politics Editor)
