Opinion: Tate debate highlights misguided young men

The creation of social media has allowed people to share their opinions on just about anything, whether it’s asked for or not. Recently, Andrew Tate has shared some extremely controversial opinions and brags about his flashy lifestyle. As he speaks about women being property and depression not being real, he gains a following consisting mostly of men who defend his statements. His dangerous mindset is primarily influencing young men, spreading outdated ideas about masculinity.

Tate creates content to coach men into becoming the most successful version of themselves. This is essentially what draws the younger audience into supporting him. The problem with the way he does it is that he uses hate to do so. He uses a more aggressive approach to inspire his listeners by insulting ideas he doesn’t agree with. He brags about having a lot of expensive cars and having a lavish life, and that he got there from being “manly” and dominating others. His more controversial statements, however, are the ones he makes about women. Tate has expressed how he feels women are inferior to men and how they are meant to be soft and obedient. 

In an interview on TalkTV, he explained that during marriage, the wife is given away by her father to the new husband, therefore “she belongs to the man.” Making statements like this can cause others to think it’s okay for men to “own” women in a relationship. Obviously, this should never be the case.

In another interview, Tate has shared that he believes men should love to be in control of things.

According to wegotthiscovered.com, during a live interview Tate stated, “One of the best things about being a man is being territorial and being able to say ‘that is mine.’”

He has expressed his thoughts on gender roles and how men are supposed to be tough and demanding, and looked down on men who showed any bit of sensitivity.

According to downtimebros.com, “The hallmark of a real man is controlling himself, controlling his emotions, and acting appropriately regardless of how he feels.”

Tate urges men to hide their vulnerable emotions because it’s not considered “manly.” This damages the mental health of his listeners because it can lead them to think it’s never okay to be sad or hurt.  

The problem with all of his actions is that he makes an impression on his audience. While he does push people to work hard and become successful, he also pushes men to become aggressive and shames women who don’t meet his standards. His fans idolize him and ignore his negativity.

Last December, Tate has been arrested in Romania on charges included human trafficking, sexual abuse, and an organized crime ring. According to gpb.org, his collection of expensive cars and watches have been taken away from him. He keeps his Twitter followers updated, and stated when he was first detained, “Anyone who believes I’m a human trafficker is genuinely a moron.” He posted a more recent tweet stating, “I would never kill myself.”

He has since attended to appeal his detention and has been denied the appeal.

Tate has gained a cult-like following who call themselves “Top G’s” and they constantly defend his embarrassing behavior. As stated on vox.com, “Many of his fans are expressing support for his plight, arguing that Tate is a positive force on men and that the Romanian government is trying to silence him for telling the truth.” Even after the disturbing charges, Tate has influenced his fans so much that they continue to support him through his sex-trafficking allegations.

As controversial as he is, Andrew Tate has gained a huge following. The way he delivers his message, however, can lead people into the wrong direction. Instead of insulting people who are not what he considers “masculine”, he should take a more positive approach. He can give tips on how to become more confident instead. He appears to give his listeners tough love, but in the end, the only person he loves is himself.