Andrew Tate

A shallow leader for shallow times

Once upon a time, when notions of gender went on a bender and politicians failed to deliver hope for a generation, a cartoonish mascot of a ‘man’ was needed to fill the void.

Step up, Andrew Tate.

A shallow hero for shallow times.

I kept reading about him on the news. How I was supposed to dislike him because he’s a right wing, extremist misogynist hell bent on radicalising young guys.

Naturally, I had to check him out.

A real life ‘Top Cat’ with his gang of fawning Bennies and Brains, Tate lives the good life and wants you to have it too.

For a fee.

Yes, don’t bother reading books, he tells his followers. They’re for stupid people!

Why be brainwashed for free by books from your local library when you can pay to be brainwashed…….by him

Hmm….

Tate is a guy so alternative, he does radical stuff like be interviewed by Piers Morgan.

He is so anti establishment, he doesn’t recycle his pizza boxes.

Are you feeling the testosterone yet?

Roooaaarrrr!!!

Tate fits the new ‘man of the world’ persona that TV adverts are so fond of.  The ‘can’t quite place it’ accent, the skin tone that says “my heritage is whatever you want it to be”.  He’s a ‘work hard play hard’ contradiction of Islam and hedonism, power and paranoia.

The son of a famous chess player, little Andy learned early on that success is about harnessing psychology - and bullshit sound bites.

Life is a game!

Things are black and white and it’s all about making your move…..

You’re all pawns!

Why be a pawn when you can be……..um…….that horse one.

I mock, but his simplistic ‘life coach lite’ messages appeal to many seeking a role model.

If you’re a particular kind of young male - straight and secure in your male identity, Harry Styles and Sam Smith with their frilly frocks ain’t gonna cut it for you.

If you are hacked off with the left wing ideologies and widely adopted wokeisms such as ‘black lives matter’ then male sports stars taking the knee are gonna bite, too.

Then there is Prince Harry who doesn’t so much show us his vulnerable side but hangs his piss stained sheets in the palace garden.

So, who have these men got left?

I visited Tate’s social media channels. I swear, it was like being thirteen. You know when you’re at school and there’s that one gobby lad with an entourage of nodding dogs hanging from his every word? Yeah that.

One minute he was all (I paraphrase)

“Rich people are above the law that’s why I don’t care about parking fines. It’s a tax on the stupid”

Next, he was talking about how those *in high places* were out to get him and that he’s gonna end up dead.

So, which is it?

“You too could be like me”

seems to be the prevailing message.

And why wouldn’t you want to be?

I mean, he looks so…..happy?……content?

Nah…. that’s not the word…..

Angry!

Yeah that’s it!

Andrew is mad at the world and he wants you to join him.

With the swagger of a Gallagher, he spits out morsels of motivational spin like he made a protein shake from Zuby, Tony Robbins and Peter Stringfellow.

Taking ownership, getting fit, making money and shagging birds is where it’s at.

Only young ones, mind because apparently they’ve not had sex with many men.

He obviously never met my mate Mandy.

“But lots of women like him”

I was recently told.

I believe this has come about because as with men, many heterosexual young women are disillusioned with the luke warm finger buffet of highly feminised fellas they are presented with. Characters like Tate, on the surface seem like the answer. They exude the masculinity they crave - physically strong, a provider, powerful.

The reality is very different, however.

If your ‘love’ of women is born of seeing them as accessories, associating them with pornography, then this is a gross distortion of that male ideal.  The Tate philosophy does not protect women, it commodifies and objectifies them.

So, what is the real purpose of Andrew Tate?

I believe it is that of rabble rouser.

He torments, inflames.  He winds up the ‘be kind’ crew with his Greta baiting.

He gets young men revved up, but to what ends?

Not all of them will make it to be kick-boxers, drop shipping tycoons or popular social media bellends.

But everyone can succeed at feeling aggrieved, can’t they?

And this is why I see him as controlled opposition. In my opinion, he is there to stoke divide. To create even more ‘us and them’. To keep men distracted with chasing materialism and porn.  To have women reassess their femininity and embrace submissiveness because it appeals to these porn fuelled guys.

And now, enter Officer Dibble.

But not to worry folks, because just like in the cartoon - they are all mates really.

Now toddle off and grab yourself some conspiracy scraps from behind the dustbins, won’t you?  Go play with the fat squeaky voiced one, the stupid one.

Your smooth talking wise guy will be back soon, ready to show you the way and chuck you a big, juicy anti-establishment bone.

Right, A.T?