He has turned the commodification of women into a teaching tool and shown young men how to follow suit. Those boys who have felt neglected by our culture require inspirational figures like him.
There’s a significant segment of the Right that’s captivated by former kickboxer and contemporary masculinity advocate Andrew Tate due to the consternation he arouses among the Left. Tucker Carlson and Candace Owens are the latest examples. Just last week, Carlson posted a more-than-two-hour interview with Tate on Twitter, a discussion which he had to travel to Romania to conduct as Tate is presently under house arrest on allegations of human trafficking and rape. Tate was probed on various contentious topics that matter to the right-wing audience, including Covid-19, Ukraine, climate change, and transgender issues. Clearly satisfied, Carlson indicated his concurrence throughout the interview. On Friday, Owens released her own interview with him, throwing challenging questions at times, but for the most part, it was a congenial encounter.
Tate’s popularity is simple to comprehend. Over the last couple of years, his blunt discussions on issues troubling young men, issues that are often derided or ignored by many on the left, have gained significant traction. He accurately points out the current crisis of masculinity, with too many men lacking purpose, reflected in stats on drug overdoses, pornography use, suicide, and education. He’s providing something vital that’s missing.
And while it’s true that what’s missing should not be filled with just anything, it’s evident that Tate is promoting valuable principles, such as personal responsibility, individual initiative, and physical health. Even though he may have a few drawbacks, the value he brings outweighs them, and anyone with a grain of ethical sensibility should support him. His advocacy for personal growth and his powerful vision of masculinity, though controversial, do motivate people to take action. He’s more than just a “destructive cultural force,” as one Federalist piece recently claimed.
To truly comprehend Andrew Tate, one must turn to his own words. His wealth was built on what he referred to as a “small attempt at a webcam empire”. When his kickboxing career wasn’t providing sufficient income, he assessed his “assets”, or his group of girlfriends, and pondered, “How can I leverage these women to generate income for me?” Two of the women agreed to join him and his brother Tristan in their modest flat to start a webcam business. While the brothers managed the schedule, provided accommodation, and recruited new models, the women entertained and interacted with men online. The venture expanded until Tate reported having 75 women employed across four locations, bringing in $600,000 a month. He admitted that it was a challenging business to operate because “women need to be willing to obey you”. But due to his “supreme competence” and the money the business offered, girls were allegedly lining up to participate. According to Tate, he made his first million from the webcam industry.
Tate’s perception of masculinity revolves around power. He sees power as a status symbol, and respect and admiration are paramount to being a “high-value male.” According to Tate, men “crave respect like we crave oxygen.” Real men should play the hand they are dealt and build their own value — earn their own respect. That’s why Tate often flaunts his collection of high-priced vehicles. It’s also why he believes wealth is so crucial to masculine self-esteem: “Once you are wealthy, you are free.” Wealth provides an escape from what he calls “the matrix,” allowing space for true masculinity to thrive in a world that often seeks to suppress it.
For Tate, the primary purpose of female companionship is the status validation it offers a “high-value” man, as “sexual availability is a clear indicator of status.” He’s even suggested that historically, the highest-value men claimed all the women, while the lowest had none. Thus, he believes the real reason societies have historically promoted monogamy is because it “tames the spirit of a man.” It curbs masculine prowess and undermines a man’s innate desire to conquer through absence (i.e., the inability to get laid) and discomfort. “Why did Genghis Khan wake up and want to conquer the whole world?” Tate asked on a podcast. “Why did Napoleon conquer the world? Why did Alexander the Great conquer the world? Because it’s instinctual. That’s the essence of life.” In this worldview, life is an overarching power struggle, and women are but pieces in the game.
The reasons to respect Tate extend well beyond his words