Shut up, bitch!

Why we really need to stop rewarding misogyny in popular culture

- Jason Alexander Basson

ANDREW TATE HAS GONE FROM OBSCURITY TO GLOBAL FAME IN A MATTER OF MONTHS, becoming one of the most popular influencers in the world. How? By normalising misogyny and genderbased violence for the next generation of men yet posing as a self-help guru. Is he a gender terrorist? We certainly think so. The questions we should be asking ourselves are: how is this okay? How did he get so popular? Is the world complicit in violence towards women? How could apps such as TikTok and Twitter give this man a platform for inciting violence, hatred and intolerance? Does one person's freedom of speech supersede another's freedom of association or the right to live without fear of violence or prejudice? Are we doing enough at home to educate our children on the importance of ending gender-based violence and discrimination against women and vulnerable minorities in general, and do people like this threaten our choice as parents to protect our children from harmful ideologies?

IT'S ALARMING TO THINK THAT IN TODAY'S WORLD A MAN AS REPULSIVE AS ANDREW TATE EVEN HAS AN AUDIENCE, let alone one so massive. Granted, some of that audience is watching in sheer horror and disbelief, but it says a lot about the world today and how easy it is to expose the public to dangerous ideologies and through misinformation careful manipulations of internet algorithms. If you have the right team and tactics, you can become rich and famous, no matter how terrible your ideas are. If Donald Trump can do it, anyone can.