Andrew Tate is a modern-day example of how patriarchy is reinforced in contemporary society. This manifesto explores how a powerful public figure like Tate exerts a significant influence on the normalisation of misogyny today, particularly through his strategic use of social media to target young men. This, in turn, snowballs into a wider sociological crisis involving the rise of violence against women. Furthermore, it questions his impact on the next generation of young men and argues that we must demand change to confront and end viral misogyny. Tate has become an admired global figure among many young men by promoting ideologies that centre male domination and toxic masculinity. As Haslop et al. (2024) argue, Tate\u2019s misogyny helps mainstream manosphere ideologies and a neoliberal capitalist form of hegemonic masculinity. In other words, he sells a brand of manhood centred on competitiveness, wealth, and control by normalising extreme online misogyny by creating an emotional bond with young boys on the internet and a sense of loyal brotherhood. What happens when an entire generation learns manhood through misogyny? This manifesto calls for a rethinking of masculinity, one that is defined by empathy, vulnerability and accountability rather than by hierarchy and violence.<\/p>\n
The Problem \u2013 Algorithmic Masculinity <\/strong><\/p>\n The problem is not just Andrew Tate; it\u2019s the system that made him go viral. Social media algorithms follow a simple path of what gets the most clicks and attention, not what builds compassion. The last 20 years have been \u201cuniquely stupid\u201d in the unregulated damage social media has caused to individuals and societies (Haidt, 2022). Andrew Tate has mastered this digital economy. As discussed by Campbell, A and Stewart, R (2023), <\/em>he \u201cmanipulate[s] algorithms on TikTok to make millions of pounds\u201d and built Hustlers University to teach men how to make money and become so-called \u201calpha males.\u201d His brand of hypermasculinity thrives in this environment where approval and emotional connection between men are turned into digital currency. Trott (2023) shows how contemporary digital masculinities are still shaped by Raewyn Connell\u2019s (1995) concept of \u201chegemonic masculinity\u201d which is defined as \u201cthe configuration of gender practice which embodies the currently accepted answer to the problem of the legitimacy of patriarchy, which guarantees (or is taken to guarantee) the dominant position of men and the subordination of women\u201d. On platforms like TikTok and X, this dominance is rebranded as entrepreneurial confidence and social supremacy. Tate has captured what Connell (2005) once described as the \u201clegitimation of patriarchy\u201d as a source of entertainment to be transformed into social media content to attract attention. These sexist and dominant behaviours mock women, humiliate \u2018weak\u2019 men and promote hyper-masculine ideals which unfortunately earn engagement from easily influenced audiences like young boys and is then monetised through subscriptions and courses like Hustlers University<\/em>. Furthermore, Connell (2005) argued patriarchy used to be maintained through social norms however now it is maintained, and profited from, through content creation. What does it mean when algorithms become mentors, and influencers become role models?<\/p>\n The Consequence \u2013 Everyday Violence <\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n For boys who are still figuring out what it means to be a man, Andrew Tate has emerged as a virtual father figure. His influence shapes attitudes about women, relationships, and power in schools, online forums, and playground discussions. Teachers now describe classrooms where disrespect becomes a status symbol, kindness is ridiculed, and casual misogyny and “alpha” hierarchies are frequently discussed. In a BBC report, one teacher said, \u201cTate is intelligent, articulate and disciplined, yet also pathetic, insecure, and promotes \u2018Taliban beliefs\u2019 about how to treat women.\u201d (Alice Evans, 2023). The fact that some pupils said they would still admire Tate if he were found guilty of charges such as rape, human trafficking and forming an organised crime group to sexually exploit women, shows the depth of his hold (BBC<\/em>, 2025). At this adolescent age where boys may be seeking belonging, structure and advice, Tate steps in as a self-proclaimed mentor expressing views such as, \u201cIf you have a brain, you like me, if you don\u2019t, you don\u2019t\u201d (Andrew Tate in Tracy Harmoush 2025, 1:11).<\/p>\n Veeena Das (2008) describes the way violence and dominance gradually become normal parts of everyday life and culture where \u201csafe havens no longer exist\u201d (p.284). Tate\u2019s everyday digital rhetoric, his jokes, advice, and \u201calpha\u201d mantras, represents this everyday violence, embedding harm into the language, humour and aspiration of this generation. What Das (2008) calls \u201cthe notion that men are sexual savages, \u2018naturally\u2019 positioned to take women\u201d (p.292) resurfaces in Tate\u2019s worldview, where being a man means dominating others, especially women, and asserting authority in relationships. This aligns with Das\u2019s idea that violence folds into the ordinary shaping subjectivity and the way people come to understand themselves and others (Das, 2008, p283-299). The Netflix drama, Adolescence,<\/em> captures how fragile identity and belonging are during youth, as well as how young people look to imitation for approval and purpose. In this context, Tate is a role model to many echoing Hartup\u2019s (1962, p.82) observation that \u201cthe most masculine boys would be those who most readily imitate the father in preference to the mother.\u201d Tate\u2019s content exploits his power and the vulnerability of his viewers, reinforcing toxic norms of masculinity and threat to mistreatment towards women.<\/p>\n Demanding Change<\/strong><\/p>\n It is evident that society cannot continue to be quiet given the increasing power of individuals such as Andrew Tate. When misogyny becomes entertainment, humour and identity, it is no longer just an opinion, it is a form of social harm (Haslop et al., 2024). Hegemonic masculinity survives in society because we allow it to as it is normalised, algorithmically promoted and replicated in school environments (Connell, 1995). We must demand resistance against a \u201cgeneration of \u2018lost boys\u2019\u201d (Haslop et al., 2024). This means teachers who won\u2019t tolerate sexist jokes and educational institutions that teach how algorithms influence our opinions. It means families displaying vulnerability and working together creating \u201ca community-based pedagogical model of intervention rather than a punitive model for controlling violence\u201d (Das, V. 2008, p.293). When we begin to have the uncomfortable conversations, we prevent even more uncomfortable futures.<\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n References<\/span><\/p>\n BBC<\/em>. 2025. Who is Andrew Tate? The self-proclaimed misogynist influencer. 27 February. Available at: https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/uk-64125045<\/a> [Accessed 25 October 2025].<\/p>\n Campbell, A. and Stewart, R. 2023. 95. Question Time: Combatting Andrew Tate, crisis at the Met, and Johnson standing again. The rest is politics<\/em> [Podcast]. 19 January 2023. Available at: https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/episode\/5N2QORFyPSwZpScBYqjnSE?si=adf39b127dfc465d<\/a> [Accessed 25 October 2025].<\/p>\n Connell, R. and James, W. 2005. Hegemonic Masculinity: Rethinking the Concept. Gender & Society. 19(6), pp. 829-859. doi: 10.1177\/0891243205278639<\/p>\n Evans, A 2023. Andrew Tate: How schools are tackling his influence. The BBC <\/em>11 January 2023. Available at : https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/education-64234568<\/a> [Accessed 25 October 2025].<\/p>\n Haidt, J. (2022). Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid. [online] The Atlantic. Available at: https:\/\/www.theatlantic.com\/magazine\/archive\/2022\/05\/social-media-democracy-trust-babel\/629369\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n Hartup, W. W. (1962). Some Correlates of Parental Imitation in Young Children.\u00a0Child Development<\/em>,\u00a033<\/em>(1), 85\u201396. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.2307\/1126635<\/a>.<\/p>\n Haslop, C., Ringrose, J., Cambazoglu, I. and Milne, B. (2024) \u2018Mainstreaming the manosphere\u2019s misogyny through affective homosocial currencies: Exploring how teen boys navigate the Andrew Tate effect\u2019, Social Media + Society, 10(1). Available at: https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1177\/20563051241228811 (Accessed: 14 October 2025).<\/p>\n