I don’t like Andrew Tate. I know that I’m not unique in this opinion. I think he is too abrasive and over-generalises a lot yet he only does this in ways which benefits his cut-throat and harsh narrative. The bi-product of this is objectifying women and creating problematic mindsets towards people’s places in society. It is easy to see why schools and the media have worked so hard to ‘cancel’ him and his teachings. Yet due to his power and influence what he has to say cannot be ignored.
Trying to cancel him is simply pushing his fans closer towards him. The protests advocating for Tate's freedom since he was arrested several months ago, to me, have been reminiscent of a cult following.
Tate has told his audience that modern society is ruined, doesn’t value masculinity, traditional gender roles are the way into a better future and that in promoting these values, there will be push back from the mainstream; i.e. 'we are living in the matrix'.
So, any attempts to remove him from his pedestal will only make his fans think that he is correct.
The point is, Tate does have this huge, young and impressionable following. There are reasons for this and if we ignore those reasons then we risk losing a large demographic of boys to Tate’s more extreme views. He has tapped into the minds of young men who have grown up in the age of modern feminism which has led the media to become over-saturated with content regarding toxic-masculinity.
There is enough truth in his words to hook his audience. There is enough controversy to make them stay.
Actually, the majority of young men I have spoken to are not too enraged about his popularity. Many of them will say that they respect his mind as a businessman. I think his bluntness and self accountability regarding progress is what attracts people to him. It is a stark contrast to the media pushing an agenda against systemic oppression. I think in many cases, it isn't his views on women which have made people support him - although it is these that have made him notorious. Naturally, once you have a large following spouting hateful and slut shaming messages about women is incredibly dangerous.
My thoughts on masculinity
To me, masculine energy is all about providing and protecting - just not in the way Tate portrays it.
Masculinity is about doing things which makes a loved one’s life easier: protecting their emotional vulnerability all with the aim to uplift them. It is about practicality. There can be a softness to it, which Tate does not seem to encourage. It brings balance to feminine energy which I believe is all about nurture, compassion and emotional support - not making sandwiches.
Actually, cooking and cleaning is far more physical than 'providing' by sitting in an office all day. Women cooking and cleaning comes from the days when most people earned income through physical labour. If we really are going to stick with gender stereotypes on this - shouldn't men naturally take up a more active role in the household to help alleviate the physical responsibilities on the day-to-day?
Of course men and women both have a mixture of masculine and feminine which varies from person to person. The above is just an appeal to the traditionalists out there.
My issue with Tate’s views is that they are militant, devoid of any empathy and incredibly black and white which is what makes them particularly dangerous.
Tate’s views on women and why it is harmful
Tate’s market is men. Not women. So, just like how certain extreme feminists do not mince their words about how men are trash, Tate is not mincing his words the other way. The problem with this is that society is a patriarchy. There is still an unequal power dynamic between men and women which based on current cultural shifts is unlikely to be overcome anytime soon. Thus, bringing down women and trying to push them back into the home when they only just got out of it, is disrespectful to human liberties.
He is a hyper-traditionalist. The things he says about women being a man’s property, in my eyes, have no place in modern society. As much as he harps on about gender roles, we don’t live in a hunter-gatherer world anymore. There is no reason that women should have to rely on a man to live. He idealises the time in the past where women had no choices without acknowledging the reasons society chose to move past this. He ignores the huge issues of domestic violence and financial dependency which still exist and leaves women trapped in deeply harmful marriages… But again, his audience is men. Not women. So perhaps he feels acknowledging this is redundant.
His ideals on the sexual revolution: shaming women for sleeping around or even interacting with multiple men when I’m sure he does it himself… Do not even get me started on these double standards. How can a man expect to marry a virgin when he himself has indulged in the sexual revolution and slept with 100+ women? Expressing the ideas that men can do what they want in that regard and women can’t - well that isn’t even traditionalist, it’s just misogyny.
Tate does not care about women. He cares about promoting a society in which all women are submissive to a man, a society where all men are vehement protectors and financial providers. He talks about a strong moral code but this moral code is incredibly selfish and all about self fulfilment.
This is where his young audience can become indoctrinated in the most harmful ways. It is where his over-generalisations become the most harmful; branding all women sluts and saying all women should be submissive to their man, all men must be financial providers and protectors from danger... Not everyone wants this - that is why society has moved the way it has. That is not to shame anyone who does. However, to say that is what is right for everyone is disingenuous.
The reason Tate is able to attract such an audience is because he makes somewhat truthful commentary about the ways of the world and uses this to push forward his ideals.
Dating is where we as humans are most connected with our primal side. It is where masculine and feminine balance is most exposed. This is why he has become most known for his views on gender roles: it is the most vulnerable aspect of western culture today because it is where we are most connected to our primal roots.
Thoughts on his detainment
I’m not sure if Andrew Tate is actually a sex trafficker or not. I don’t know much at all about the man other than the few clips and interviews which I have watched. As I’ve said, he is incredibly abrasive and guarded. Either way would not surprise me.
However, I do know that Tate greatly values discipline, law and order. In an interview with Piers Morgan, he states that he cannot comment on the treatment of women in Afghanistan because he does not live there and therefore cannot make a true judgement. If that is the way that they choose to run their society, it is none of his business.
On that note, I am applying the same logic to the Romanian justice system:
Under Tate’s own philosophy, how can I possibly say if his detainment is good or bad, regardless of his culpability?
How do you decide if it is a failing system which we should be enraged about and when it is none of our business?
Why is all of this relevant?
It comes back to my point: there are reasons that Andrew Tate has managed to become as notorious as he has. He is clearly a good businessman - he has identified a gap in the market and pounced. He is smart and as such, will likely continue to have this platform. So, as painful as it is, if you see that your friend or your brother or cousin - whoever, is a fan of his, you should listen to their reasons why and let their opinions be heard to ensure that they don't begin following Tate to a detrimental degree.
Listen to some of Tate’s philosophies for yourself. I guarantee that there will be at least one thing he says that you can agree with. Tate is delivering a message to young men which they want to hear in a way in which they are listening. Shutting him down completely won't work, it will only help him maintain his popularity. Instead, ask questions, find out exactly what it is about Tate that resonates with them. Have a level conversation about it. There is certainly hypocrisy in his teachings which you can use to your advantage if you can identify them.
Ultimately, no one should agree with 100% of what anybody else says. In fact, Tate himself I’m sure would advocate for this in all of his preaching about being your own man, having honour and being tough. Part of Tate's appeal is the fact that he says the things no one else will say. In that sense he is encouraging critical thinking and reflection on the ways of the world. Use this to your advantage and encourage your loved one to form their own views; citing the fact that if they are identical to Tate's - they can't possibly be formed from independent thought.
Tate uses truth in his commentary to build his argument. This is what makes him compelling. You cannot tear him down through blind insults. You need to fight his intellect: i.e. engage with his content - as painful as it may be. Whether your aim is to bring him down or not, it's important to question any point of view. Meet in the middle: that is how change is made.
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