the rise and fall of andrew tate
Banned… again?
Andrew Tate, viral TikTok star, has been banned from yet another social media platform. The famous kick-boxer doubles as an internet sensation and gained fame on TikTok after a ‘banning spree’ on his other media accounts.The TikTok hashtag #AndrewTate has a staggering 16.2 billion views, which is greater than double the entire world population. So why would TikTok ban such an internet phenomenon? Let’s dive into the man who calls himself, “The King of Toxic Masculinity”.
Masculinity or Misogynistic?
Psychotherapist and author, Amy Morin defines defines toxic masculinity as,
“Cultural pressures for men to behave in a certain way…” and “…refers to the notion that some people’s idea of “manliness” perpetuates domination, homophobia, and aggression.”
Morin, 2022
Toxic masculinity has recently caught the attention of social media users and became a trending topic. Social media users sparked a movement spreading awareness of unfair expectations, such as the notion that men must suppress their emotions or must use violence to claim domination.
Andrew Tate goes against this movement by actually promoting toxic masculinity. He has consistently potrayed successful men as being dominant and sexually aggressive. While encouraging toxic masculinity, Tate simultaneously spreads misogynistic messages. Through a myriad of videos, Tate creates a dialect that advises men to treat their partners as property. In an interview posted to Barstool’s TikTok, Andrew Tate claims that men have ownership over their partner.
In another instance, Andrew Tate comments on rape victims and further abuses those hurt from such crimes. Insensitive is an understatement, Tate writes a specifically shocking remark that embodies Tate’s Character, posted in 2017 on Twitter (which has since been removed).
“…if you put yourself in the position to be raped, you must bear some responsibility…”
Andrew Tate, 2017
The dangers of INTERNET violence
Internet violence is real. Andrew Tate gained praise from young men and ultimately created a fanbase who idolized him. Tate’s misogynistic ideals were trending. TikTok saw a rise of men glorifying the concept of a submissive partner. Further, Andrew Tate created an ideology in which men were only valid if they followed his rules of life. Billions of people watched Andrew Tate post online, much of them being teenage boys. Instead of beginning to develop maturity, his young viewers were taught a violent system which promotes misogyny and hate.
Tate posted videos in a mentor-like format, illustrating this “motivational speaker” persona. A harmless viewer would see this “successful” man and follow Tate’s advice unaware of the magnitude of his harmful schemes.
The role of Social media
TikTok officials banned Andrew Tate in early August (2022), releasing a statement that Tate was spreading hateful messages. However, his videos were viewed billions of times before TikTok took the action to remove him. This is nothing new for Tate, as he has been previously banned from Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, ect. There is no doubt that social media is everywhere and embedded in society’s daily routine. The way Andrew Tate easily spread violence to a massive audience, is quite concerning, even scary. In reality, with the rise of social media, anyone has the capability to promote viral ideals and opinions.
This raises concerns regarding if there are any other measures social media platforms can take to prevent such acts, or is social media rooted too deeply in society? Social media, when abused, can serve as an efficient and effective outlet to instigate danger. The dethroning of “The King of Masculinity” is perhaps a small victory in a much larger issue.
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