Internet sensation Andrew Tate draws fanboys — and haters

As junior Asher Carver scrolls through his TikTok feed, it seems every other clip includes Andrew Tate- better known as the Top G. For young men like Carver, Tate is a constant presence on their YouTube, TikTok and Instagram feeds. Tate, a former British kickboxing champion, currently lives in Romania and runs adult entertainment services and casinos. He established a media presence during his kickboxing career, but it was not until June 2022 that Tate achieved widespread social-media fame. 

“Tate says radical things that draw people’s attention,” Carver said. “People gravitate towards Tate because he’s something different from what they’re used to.”

Tate is outspoken about the roles of women in society and dating. He has said that a woman’s value is based on the number of men she has been with. He also has claimed that depression isn’t real. Such statements have resulted in Tate being banned for violation of hate speech guidelines on YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter-causing his supporters to voice concerns. 

“I feel that most people should say what they want to say, and if someone doesn’t like what that person is saying, they don’t have to listen,” Carver said. “Saying controversial opinions, that’s what builds us as a people.”

In 2021, Tate started a platform called Hustler’s University. The paid subscription service gives followers access to a Discord server containing courses designed to teach users how to make money and pick up women. According to Tate, Hustlers University has about 100,000 subscribers who pay him $50 monthly. 

“He still has his university, he’s still getting followers,” English teacher David Thompson said. “He is still getting onto podcasts and interviews. It’s not like he doesn’t have a voice.”

Tate denounces modern societal roles, and he uses his platform to advocate for a nuclear family unit where the male is the primary provider and can have multiple relationships with women simultaneously. In Tate’s view, a woman’s role is to be subservient to the man, and she cannot have multiple relationships. Tate said that if you “read the Bible, every single man had multiple wives, not a single woman had multiple husbands. It’s against the will of God-it’s disgusting.” 

Carver said he agrees with Tate to some extent.

“I’m not against women being in the workforce and having equal rights, but Tate’s ideas on the traditional roles of women is a very good way to raise children,” Carver said. “There’s a reason there were two parents involved.”

According to Carver, men’s issues have been neglected in society following an increase of feminist content in the public sphere. He said Tate’s platform has helped to bring the issue of male mental health to the forefront of discussion. 

While junior Claire King said she agrees mental health issues need to be addressed, she doesn’t support Tate’s message.

“I think that should change because there’s a lot of boys who are sad, and the only person they think they can turn to for advice is Tate, who is not the right choice,” she said, adding that Tate should not be a role model for young men.

“Younger boys who don’t really have their own opinions yet are easily influenced,” King said. “If they go on the internet and on their feeds they have Tate’s videos where he promotes anti-women sentiment, the boys say, ‘Oh, I should follow this because he’s rich and has nice cars and women.’ In that situation, it’s easy for kids to think that he’s cool, and there’s nobody around to tell them he’s not, especially the guys who feel very alone and like nobody loves them. Instead of realizing that maybe they’re the problem, they just follow Tate’s example and hate on women.”

Prior to his ban, Tate’s Instagram had 4.7 million followers, and his name on TikTok had been viewed 11.6 billion times. Last April, his house in Bucharest was raided by Romanian authorities following alleged reports that Tate was holding two women on the property against their will.

“I do believe the charges because he’s clearly stated that he thinks of women as people to do your chores and [use],” King said. “He doesn’t even care about women. He doesn’t even think of them as human.”

Despite Tate’s reputation, Carver said he has provided him with personal motivation and positive advice.

“I think his motivational quotes about how to be successful can be very beneficial for a lot of boys who are struggling in life emotionally,” he said. “They feel like they’re worthless in today’s society, but Tate says you can go work and become successful, and that’s what life is. If you don’t like something, you can change it.”