Why Does Every Guy You Know Worship This Man?

A controversial academic has become an unlikely spokesperson for a generation of young men. But is his message as saintly as he would have us believe?

- Amy Grier

The lights go down in a packed-out theatre. Every red-velvet-covered seat is taken, from the stalls to the balconies. People shuffle excitedly; expectation hangs in the air. A spotlight appears centre stage and a lithe, salt-and-pepper-haired man walks on, a strange vision in an impeccably tailored three-piece brown tweed suit, old-fashioned tan brogues – and a head mic. Over 1,800 people rise, whooping and cheering, clapping with all their might. There’s a two-minute standing ovation before a single word has been spoken. Eventually, the man on the stage raises his arms to head height and then lowers them slowly, palms to the floor, gesturing for his audience to take their seats. They obey without question and the room falls to enraptured silence.

The man on the stage? Not a rock star or a sold-out-Vegas magician. No. He’s a slightly gangly 56-year-old Canadian psychology professor by the name of Dr Jordan B Peterson, and he might just be the most famous person that you’ve almost certainly never heard of.

It all started back in 2013. That’s when Dr Peterson started putting his psychology lectures from the University of Toronto on YouTube. There he found an unwittingly engaged, largely male audience who came for his help but stayed (and there are almost 600 hours of lectures on YouTube) for his signature mix of tough love and even tougher science. His name became headline news in 2016 when he took a stand against the Canadian government’s attempts to pass a bill on gender identity, C-16 – in particular its endorsement of using neutral or preferred pronouns. Some thought he was talking practical common sense. Others thought he was dangerous and dogmatic. Whichever side you fell on, Jordan Peterson’s slide into world domination had begun.