The Manosphere’s Allure: More Than Economic Power
Andrew Tate and His Misogynistic Influence
Andrew Tate, a self-proclaimed misogynist and social media influencer promoting masculinity, recently entered the US after his travel ban was lifted. Despite facing rape and human trafficking charges in Romania, Tate and his brother Tristan have found support from certain Trump administration representatives. However, they are also under criminal investigation in Florida.
This situation raises questions about the overlap between Trump’s policy positions and Tate’s views, which include right-wing populism, anti-immigration sentiments, and the revival of “strong man” masculinity hierarchies. It also highlights the appeal of such figures to disaffected young men. But who are these disaffected individuals, and what does this definition overlook?
The Economic Disadvantage Narrative
It’s easy to assume that young men drawn to Andrew Tate and the broader manosphere are primarily from working-class or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This narrative suggests that economic hardship explains the appeal of these hyper-masculine spaces.
However, this assumption risks misdirecting the focus from the key endgame and the central “promise” of the manosphere.
Wealth and Misogyny
Recent news stories about boys from elite schools and prestigious universities engaging in misogynistic behavior contradict the economic disadvantage narrative. Cases from top private schools in Australia and the UK, as well as Ivy League higher education institutions in the US, demonstrate that the attraction of manosphere messaging is not confined to those who aspire to economic mobility.
Wealthy young men, who already possess significant social capital, are just as susceptible. If the primary lure were financial, why would those already privileged be drawn to it? Clearly, there’s something deeper at play.
Tapping into Entrenched Beliefs
The manosphere, at its core, is a revival and reinforcement of patriarchal power structures. It promises young men not just financial success, but a return to a world where male authority goes unchallenged – a world where women’s roles are subordinate and clearly defined.
This reassertion of gender power resonates across class lines, because it taps into entrenched societal beliefs about masculinity and control.
Promises of Power Resonate
The manosphere’s promises of restored power resonate because they offer a clear, if toxic, script for reasserting male dominance in a world where traditional gender hierarchies are being challenged.
In tackling the influence of the manosphere, it’s essential to move beyond the narrative that it’s solely a product of economic hardship. Yes, material conditions matter, but they are not the primary driver. The manosphere’s enduring appeal lies in its ability to repackage old ideas about gender power in ways that feel new and rebellious.
The ‘Broligarchy’
The “broligarchy” – the collective of wealthy, powerful, right-wing men who exploit their networks of power and influence – is complicit in or takes advantage of growing economic hardship.
This group includes men who aided Trump’s electoral win, such as those who appeared on Joe Rogan’s podcast or provided monetary and public support to Trump.
These feelings are shared by many middle-class and/or moderately wealthy men who, emboldened by Tate and other manosphere figures, contribute to a resurgent and unapologetic sexism in contemporary times.
Shifting the Narrative
Tate’s arrival in the US offers an opportunity to underscore that the revival of gender power and the sexism that ensues is led and perpetrated by elite, wealthy men who whip up disaffection to bring less-advantaged men with them.
It’s time to shift the narrative and confront this head-on – in schools, in workplaces, in policy discussions and in the media.
To stop excusing extremist sexism as an understandable response to hardship and start recognizing it as the calculated, well-funded backlash that it is. Society can’t let the wealthier instigators off the hook and leave women, girls and gender-diverse people exposed to real harm.
