Links the contents of “Manfulencer” to the radicalization of male extremists

A study from Monash University finds that radicalization of extremists by “manfluencer” Andrew Tate shares something similar to other forms of radicalization, such as terrorists and religious extremism.

An analysis of over 2,200 posts by Tate, his website and messaging platform published in Cultural Sociology, shows that what might appear to be harmless or harmless “self-improvement” content is a gateway to more dangerous misogyny and extremist content.

Monash University researcher Professor Stephen Roberts and lecturer Dr. Stephanie Wescott, along with other colleagues, has nearly nine in 10 posts by Tate, with Tate nine on his website, focusing on moving forward with the ideal manhood and masculinity of certain predictions of what he sees.

In these posts, consisting of 89% of the content analyzed, Tate positions his version of masculinity as an ambitious act of making men “free” by giving them money and power.

This finding is in conflict with the general understanding of Tate’s fixation of women’s locations in society, slightly distinctive to just 11% of his website and telegram content.

Professor Roberts, director of the Faculty of Education, Culture and Sociology, said the study proves that social media clips of the virus, amplifying Tate’s views, do not accurately capture the most surprising of his harmful commentary.

“What we see in these long-form text is Tate’s unfiltered views and framing of masculinity, framed as ‘self-help’ content for men and boys to reach a superior version of themselves,” Professor Roberts said.

“Tate manipulates boys and men to fit this restrictive, narrow interpretation of mind that men should watch and act on, and can be extremely damaging to culture and society in a broader sense.

“It’s because it reminds me of messaging that drives people who feel disenfranchised by their communities and drives them to identify and act on the teachings of Fringe’s religious or political extremist groups.”

The survey analyzed posts on Tate’s website and Telegram accounts between December 31, 2019 and January 9, 2024, with a total of 2,191 posts on Telegram and 64 web pages.

Dr. Wescott, who studies the effects of Tate’s “manfluencing” on boys in Australian schools, said the analysis underscores the need to address the dangerous effects of Tate and others on boys and men in the rapidly changing world.

“Most people who see short clips of Andrew Tate and others like him would think his focus is misogynistic and sexism,” she said.

“It’s definitely part of their rhetoric, but it casts a shadow over comparison to the more subtle attacks he has repeatedly made against boys and men who see him as not subscribing to a very strict interpretation of masculinity.

“This means it’s packaged as a self-improvement product with subtle woven into the content with appealing themes.

“As with all forms of extremism, this touch and appearance of this threat, non-radical, and life-improving support makes it insidious, attractive and ultimately influential.”

Also collaborating on this paper were Deakin University Research Fellow Callum Jones, Associate Professor Lucy Nicholas at Western Sydney University, and Marcus Maloney, an assistant professor at Coventry University (UK).