I felt obligated to write this article when I saw footage of a child disrespecting his teacher after watching Andrew Tate’s content.
The problem today is that people are too influenced by negativity. We have people listening to politicians Left and Right, speaking their minds about how being who you are is horrible, and celebrities who like to print off people’s pain. We want to think of those we classify as weak as subordinate to us, and we shame people for being who they are. As a result, we fail to recognize how our actions hurt people and what we become in doing all of that.
Courtesy New York Times
But no one embodies the definition of a bully who spreads negativity than former kickboxer and social media influencer Andrew Tate.
Tate started his kickboxing career in 2005 and had his first match in 2007. From there, he did 85 more fights and gained an impressive 76-9 record, with 23 wins by knockout. He was ranked #7 on ISKA’s Best Boxers List and won an ISKA Boxing Title in 2011.
Tate was on top of the world when he retired in 2020. Then, his social media chaos began.
Tate began posting on TikTok, misogynistic posts, claiming women were subordinate to men and that women were bad. Not insignificantly, many people supported what he said. As a result, Tate’s platform grew to 5.7 million TikTok followers.
Then came December 2022. After a spat with activist Greta Thunberg identified Tate’s location in Romania, police arrested him and his brother and brought charges of human trafficking and racketeering.
The outcome? Tate’s platform continued to grow. Fans advocated for his release. Finally, Tate was put on house arrest last month, meaning he’s free to return to his ways. Andrew Tate’s influence spread even after all that he has done.
Why do so many people think that hating people is OK? I believe Tate’s story should be a motivating factor in a very different way. Avoid elevating people like Andrew Tate to role model status. Be kind to others instead.
