Millionaire Andrew Tate is being accused of new crimes. His online business, however, still remains active.
Commentary
By Aurora Caruso | Edited by Amanda Contessa
After a Feminist Media Studies class, my sociologist brother informs me that Andrew Tate has been arrested again, along with his brother Tristan. The Tate brothers represent a lifestyle based on wealth, power, hypermasculinity, and promoting the objectification of women. In contrast, my brother and I are opposite of the Tate brothers in every sense — we challenge the status quo and gender roles, driven by a desire for social progress rooted in ethical principles.
After all, the Tate brothers have embraced a patriarchal ideology, using social media to attract the attention of young men from Generation Z. While the Tates build their empire on self-interest and the pursuit of success at any cost, my brother and I pursue a vision of a more just society.
This article, however, is not focused on proving the moral guilt or innocence of the Tate brothers, nor is it designed to celebrate their recent arrests. Instead, it exposes the social harm spread by figures like the Tates through social media and the devastating impact this has on individual victims and on the very fabric of society.
While the broader societal effects are alarming, inside the walls of my private university, sitting in a feminism class, I feel safe. I feel protected from misogynistic attacks that are perpetuated on women outside these privileged walls. In that room, we are a group of women examining how the media portrays us. We face misogyny with a sense of distance without fearing that it might undermine our dignity at any moment.
No one in my classroom questions the importance of respecting women. After all, we live in the twenty-first century in a society going through not the first, second, or third, but fourth feminist wave. Yet, I cannot help but think that while I am there, another young man is watching the Tate brothers’ videos and feeling inspired by their success.
That young man strives for success, which seems a click away, and I cannot entirely blame him. While I sit in class studying statistics that suggest my gender may limit my chances of becoming a filmmaker or achieving the social status I desire, the Tate brothers have already reached the top of the social hierarchy.
Andrew Tate became the symbol of the successful man, winning world titles in kickboxing and then teaming up with his brother, Tristan, to create an online platform called The Real World, formerly Hustler’s University. With a monthly subscription of only 49.99 euros, anyone can access their proclaimed “Real World” and learn “money-making skills,” such as cryptocurrency, copywriting, and fitness.
I question whether my brother and I have chosen the wrong path. Andrew and Tristan Tate’s website remains active, continuing to generate revenue while promoting misogyny, even after their recent arrest in late August 2024. According to the Associated Press, Romanian authorities conducted a raid on their properties following their new charges in child trafficking and money laundering. This follows their arrest in December 2022 on charges of human trafficking, rape, and creating a criminal gang to sexually exploit women.
‘‘My job was to meet a girl, go on a few dates, sleep with her, test if she’s quality, get her to fall in love with me to where she’d do anything I say and then get her on webcam so we could become rich together.’’ – Andrew Tate
According to the BBC, Andrew Tate allegedly manipulated women into falling in love with him, then forced them to shoot pornographic material to sell it. His business idea worked, and with 75 women in four different locations, Andrew earned $600,000 a month through a webcam. According to Reuters, Andrew and Tristan are currently under house arrest at their home in Romania, awaiting trial, while they claim it is all a conspiracy.
Today, a fourteen-year-old boy can quickly pay fifty euros, hoping to become like Andrew — a successful man. Our society allows private media platforms to attract their own communities by dominating and exploiting others. To build a brand, one must represent a clear, compelling idea that appeals to the population’s desires. Like the Tate brothers, many have found success by using the secret ingredient of misogyny as a tool to gain social support. Is it too late, then? In an interview with the BBC, British police issued a statement about the rising violence against women, calling it a “national emergency.”
Andrew and Tristan do not scare me; they have been socially exposed, and I identify them as a danger.
Not being prepared to face a man like Andrew or Tristan when our paths cross scares me.
What scares me is meeting one of the thousands of members of the “Real World” who claim to have done nothing against my personhood when it is too late.
What scares me is that the law will fail to provide the protection I need.
But what scares me most is that these men are the product of the entirety of our collective actions at the societal level. After all, who among heterosexual women would not be fascinated by a man like Andrew? And who among Generation Z men wouldn’t want to be like him? A millionaire entrepreneur, a world champion kickboxer with a successful business.
But Andrew Tate is live, and so are we.
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