Andrew Tate Sucks, So What?

The views expressed in this article are the views of the authors themselves and do not necessarily represent the views of Raptor Report or Gallatin High School.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual harassment or assault, please visit www.rainn.org/resources for information on how and where to get help. 

We recognize that the material in this piece may cause strong emotions and distress. We urge you to reach out to your school counselor or a trusted adult to continue the conversations started in this article.

In recent months, it has been hard to go a day on social media without seeing Andrew Tate or a shocking headline related to him. The social media personality has gained quite a following with his inflammatory comments and luxurious lifestyle. For those unfamiliar, Tate is a 36-yearold originally from Romania who went from relative obscurity to worldwide fame in a matter of months during the summer of 2022.

His content gained traction on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where he posted videos with one common theme: women’s inferior place in society. He holds many controversial opinions: that women are a man’s property, shouldn’t be allowed to drive, and belong in the home. While more than half of Americans say that the country still has work to do on gender equality, according to Pew Research Center, Tate’s regressive views on the role of women have gained significant attention and support. So why does his grotesque message resonate with some fans, especially young men, and what are the implications?

Tate began his kickboxing career in 2002 at the age of 15. From 2002 to 2013, he won many titles, including four world championships and 74 other fights. He withdrew from professional kickboxing at the age of 27 due to injuries. After leaving his kickboxing career, Tate started an online webcam business with his brother Tristan. The brothers hired women to perform shows online for viewers who paid a fee. Many criticized the operation for using women to build the brothers’ wealth while they simultaneously degraded women on their social media platforms. Others claimed that the women faced emotional and physical abuse under the employment of the brothers and that it was a toxic environment.

Later, in 2016, while appearing on the hit British TV show Big Brother, he was kicked off after only five days following a leaked video of him hitting his ex-girlfriend with a belt. While on the show, he also faced accusations of homophobia, racism, and sexism from contestants and viewers.

After his appearance on Big Brother, Tate started his online coaching business, Hustler’s University, which promised to teach young men how to make money online and improve their dating lives. Much of the dating advice focused on how men can achieve dominance in relationships and get women to like them. The website shut down in 2022 due to public backlash over Tate’s comments and accusations that the business was a pyramid scheme.

While Tate had been active on social media for much of his career, he rose to prominence in 2022 by posting numerous videos stating what would become his all-too-familiar opinions on women. In one such video, Tate recalls, “I was getting on a plane, and I could see through the cockpit that a female was the pilot, and I took a picture, and I said, ‘most women I know can’t even park a car.’” He is also known for comments such as, “I think the women belong to the men,” and “Females are the ultimate state symbol.” However, Tate’s views are not limited to women. On mental health, Tate has said that “depression is not real,” and when speaking about his success, he remarks that “everyone has a Lambo or a Ferrari; it’s easy.” His seemingly out-of-touch views have resonated with many online fans, especially teenage boys. However, outside of the bubble he has created, Tate’s opinions have not been well received. Critics claim that Tate’s content promotes a harmful, misogynistic rhetoric that is shaping the next generation of husbands, fathers, and brothers. Major social media networks seem to agree with this criticism, as Tiktok, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube have all banned him or otherwise limited his ability to post. This is in addition to a previous 2017 ban on Twitter following a post in the midst of the Harvey Weinstein trial where Tate said that victims of sexual assault “must bear some responsibility.”

More recently, scrutiny focused on Tate has expanded beyond social media and into the real world. On December 29, 2022, Romanian authorities arrested Tate and his brother on charges of rape and human trafficking related to his online webcam business. While the brothers deny any wrongdoing, many online users point to his past comments as evidence that he would engage in behavior that is harmful to women. Prior to his December arrest, Tate had moved back to Romania from the UK, citing the country’s “more lenient” sexual assault laws.

Even with his recent arrest, support for Tate has remained high among some communities, especially those composed of young teenage boys. This phenomenon may be hard for some to understand, but ultimately it makes sense. Perhaps many young men believe that they can achieve Tate’s lifestyle full of exotic cars and models on his arm if they follow his belief system. Another explanation is that many young men who may be experiencing difficulty in their dating lives believe that Tate’s convoluted ideology is the key to finally finding a relationship. Kayla McGeartyAnderson, an English teacher at GHS whose son is a 6th grader at Chief Joseph Middle School, had some insight to share. She expressed that her son and many of his friends may only be seeing certain aspects of Tate’s content, such as the fancy cars and attractive women. She also noted that her son believes that Tate stands for “working out, working hard, making money, and paying for everything for your girlfriend.” While these beliefs might seem harmless on the surface, we believe that this could simply be a ploy to lure young men in and then expose them to more harmful ideologies. McGearty-Anderson stated that she previously had no concerns about her son watching Tate’s content because it seemed harmless. Only after learning about his recent arrest and history of extreme rhetoric did she become concerned about the influence it would have on him. While her son has not adopted any of Tate’s misogynistic views, she has this to say to other parents: “You don’t know most of what your kids are being exposed to online.” McGearty-Anderson’s son serves as an example of the ways that Tate’s message is being introduced to the young men in our community and communities around the world.

Other teachers have seen a different, more concerning side of Tate’s influence, not at home but rather in school. One British teacher claims that misogyny is a growing problem in her school and that Tate is to blame. “I heard one student in the playground introduce his girlfriend, and as soon as she was out of earshot, he was asked by several friends if they could ‘have a go’ with her,” she said in an interview with British news outlet The Guardian. This behavior is promoted by Tate’s macho persona and leads his young fans to believe that women are nothing more than status symbols and tokens of achievement. Many agree that rhetoric like Tate’s is extremely harmful, especially when shown to children.

Beyond schools, experts have expressed concern about Tate’s online influence. “Viewing such material at a young age can shape a child’s experiences and attitudes, resulting in further harm to women and girls in and out of school and online,” says the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children policy officer Hannah Ruschen. It doesn’t take much thought to see how Tate’s online influence can be translated into real-world consequences.

While the future of Tate’s influence is unknown, the shockwaves he has created online have already been heard around the world and in our school community. So what can be done to curb his harmful influence? We believe it goes back to the basics: call your friends out when they say or do something harmful, educate young men about the importance of respecting and valuing women, and empower young women to know their worth. In the end, Andrew Tate and his virality are a product of the world we live in, but we can all do our part to ensure that his beliefs are not the beliefs of the next generation.

The views expressed in this article are the views of the authors themselves and do not necessarily represent the views of Raptor Report or Gallatin High School.

If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual harassment or assault, please visit www.rainn.org/resources for information on how and where to get help.

We recognize that the material in this piece may cause strong emotions and distress. We urge you to reach out to your school counselor or a trusted adult to continue the conversations started in this article.