If you have interacted with social media in the last six months, chances are you have heard of the former world champion kickboxer Andrew Tate and his brother, Tristan Tate. The dysfunctional duo has amassed a rabid following of young men online by purposefully spreading controversial and misogynistic takes on topics such as the roles of women and men in society, while also flaunting their fleet of supercars and harem of models. This image of hatred that the Tate brothers have tried so hard to create has given them fame, and to say the least, the Tate brothers are no strangers to controversy.

In August of 2022, Instagram took a stand against the Tate brothers. The media giant banned both brothers, with a combined following of over five million people. TikTok quickly followed Instagram’s lead so the Tate brothers could not spread hate on their platform as well. This seemed like a fitting end for what was another personality online getting their five seconds of fame, but their story took an unexpected turn in December 2022. Both brothers were arrested in Romania on charges of sex trafficking and rape, a country they intentionally selected to be their home, that also conveniently has relaxed laws surrounding human trafficing. A popular online theory posed that the arrests were the culmination of online trolling from none other than Greta Thunberg, although Romanian authorities deny this.

Nearly a month later, the Tate brothers are still in prison with allegations of rape and assault dating back to 2016. It was only a matter of time before the law caught up with them. The coming trials will expose these two brothers for the misogynistic and abusive men that they are. Regardless of the outcome of the trial, Andrew Tate’s impact on the way women are viewed and regarded online has changed. Misogyny has become a trend. The women that Tate has abused and taken advantage of have reached a point where they are not scared to come forward about the disgusting crimes committed by Andrew Tate.

When a misogynistic and violent man gets turned into a role model for young men, there are many problems that can arise. For example, teaching young men that power and violence go hand in hand. Instilling toxic ideas about what it means to be a man into developing men will have serious consequences. If action had never been taken against the Tate brothers, there was no telling how much more misogynistic content they would have spewed by now. Justice is being served, and that is the bottom line. Regardless of the trial’s verdict, this incident has shown the world that behind those gaudy shades and supercars is a sad joke of what being a man really is.