Andrew Tate’s arrest is the logical consequence for alleged illegal activity.
He’s not a victim of cancel culture. His arrest wasn’t a “girlboss” moment of Greta Thunberg’s. His speech isn’t being censored.
Tate was arrested on suspicion of sex trafficking and forming an organized crime group alongside his brother and two women. Legal repercussions happen when people are suspected of breaking the law, even internet personalities like Tate and those involved with him.
The things Tate is accused of are deplorable. Even scarier is the fact that he is encouraging his millions of followers to follow in his footsteps for the sake of money and power.
Tate’s public persona isn’t just “divisive.” It’s dangerous.
Tate and those who follow him clearly pose a risk to women. It’s appalling that an accused sex trafficker has been able to amass such a large, cultish following. Despite being banned from nearly every major social media site, videos of Tate posted by fans still reach billions of views.
Content surrounding Tate has gained traction across the internet in recent years. Whether he’s interviewed on a podcast or referenced in a social media post, whether the purpose is to debunk him or share his message, the impact is the same. More and more people want to know about Tate and what he stands for.
In 2022, Tate was one of the most searched people on Google, according to NBC. Hustlers University, his financial training program, has made millions of dollars from users subscribing for his advice.
Calling Andrew Tate a divisive figure minimizes the impact that his words have, especially on young people seeing his content all over social media. His statements about women don’t just cause disagreement — they can inspire real-world harm.
In various settings, Tate has discussed his mistreatment of people around him. He’s bragged about getting away with allegedly breaking a woman’s jaw in a bar fight, as reported by NBC. He has described in detail how he would allegedly assault a woman accusing him of cheating according to The Guardian.
Tate’s website previously hosted a page detailing how he used emotionally manipulative tactics to convince the women he dated to begin working as cam girls, which he directly profited from.
Multiple times, Tate has described women as property, stating he believes that a woman belongs to her husband in a marriage.
Tate has stated himself that he moved to Romania because sexual assault cases are not taken as seriously there.
Any of these statements alone should raise concerns. All of these sentiments and more coming from one person with a massive following are reasons to fear a rise in misogyny and more widely accepted misogynist behavior.
Tate’s public persona focuses on justifying mistreatment of women.
But Tate does not just prey on women. He also preys on the insecurities of men, especially young men, to build up his own following and earnings.
“The 41 Tenets of Tateism” from Tate’s website share his core beliefs, which he thinks every man should adopt to improve their lives.
These tenets are what Tate views as men’s “sacred duties.” Several of the points focus on strength, control and masculinity. While Tate tasks men with raising “kind, feminine, and virtuous daughters,” he believes sons should be “strong, capable, and honorable.”
Another tenet claims that the rank of manhood can only be achieved when young men are subjected to difficult rites of passage.
In an interview, Tate said he doesn’t believe clinical depression exists. While he believes in PTSD, he shows a lack of basic understanding of mental health issues by affirming that depressed feelings exist but depression as a clinical disease does not.
The alpha male mindset promoted by Tate is not benefitting young men. Toxic masculinity, manipulation and insults that Tate centers in his personal philosophy do not solve any individual problems or crises of confidence.
These notions instead reinforce a societal structure that keeps Tate on top.
He’s built a following — and a base of subscribers that keep him rich — by treating his own life story as a universally applicable lesson for all other men to follow.
Holes left by insecurity are filled with the empty promise of male dominance, something that is unsustainable and unrealistic. Tate would like young men to believe differently.
He’s not alone. The millions sharing his videos and paying for his services are actively supporting a regressive movement, already treating women as inferior.
The misogynists who shout their beliefs from the rooftops are out there; Andrew Tate is proof. Far more common are those who give Tate a platform and support him in silence.
Real harm should lead to real consequences. Recognizing violent sentiments makes accountability possible at every level.
Katie Hettinga can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @katie_hettinga