Why do people like Andrew Tate? Why is he famous?

Andrew Tate, a former Big Brother participant, has recently gained a lot of popularity among TikTok users. Through people submitting reaction videos to his tweets and interviews, the now-35-year-old has received both criticism and support for his remarks about women and minorities. Even though it's quite unlikely that you haven't heard of him, you probably aren't aware of the reason behind the buzz.

Since his participation in the American reality series Big Brother in 2016, Andrew Tate hasn't received a lot of attention. Twelve to sixteen contestants (referred to as "houseguests") move into a house to participate in the social strategy competition show. Until they are either voted out (evicted) or have prevailed, they remain in the house.

Tate was initially introduced to the show as a kickboxer and martial artist. He only stayed in the house for six days when the producers decided to send him home after his previous online activity started to surface. He had resurfaced, and a belt-whacking video of him doing it rapidly went viral online. Many saw it as a violent assault, which scared everyone who was a fan of the show. Later, Tate came forward and claimed that the behaviours in the film were taken out of context but were consensual and not abusive. Many were still uneasy despite his assurances that he still has a friendship with the concerned woman.

Older tweets from Andrew Tate that were deemed racist and sexist further worried fans. In one from 2012, he wrote "**** the running final if i wanted to see black people running id just threaten them with jobs."

This caused a stir since, although having a black father, he was more widely known for his white side. Tate's tweet regarding a stereotype of black people drew a range of reactions, most of which were unfavourable because of the impression that it was malicious. Another tweet from 2016 by Tate read: “Every single girl will sleep with you for money. They just have different prices.”

Tate's apparent implication that all women are essentially gold-diggers with hidden motivations and are eventually willing to give up their autonomy infuriated many people. Despite this, some defended him, noting that despite how generalised it was, it was the ugly truth. Numerous other of his tweets have also been criticised for being discriminatory in other ways, such as when he insulted LGBT people or said that those he disagrees with had diseases like Down syndrome.

Andrew Tate had a low profile from then until lately, but since late July, especially on TikTok, he has been regaining notoriety. His appearances on podcasts and Twitch streamers have catapulted him back onto the attention of young people. His frankness in expressing his surprising and severe views on women, homosexual people, black people, etc. is what made him so popular. Users cut these interviews with Tate into shorter videos and shared them on TikTok in both favour and disdain. Many kids who use the app can relate to seeing his name in numerous TikToks making fun of him or expressing concern for how his ideals could affect young males as they browse through the For You Page.

When he discussed his opinions on dating younger women on the Fresh&Fit Podcast, he made some of his most surprising remarks.

"The younger a girl is the less she’s been through, and the softer she is as a person…the less ******** she’s been through with men…The problem is when you get a girl who’s 30, how many ***** have been through her…It’s hard to get some genuine feminine softness out of a woman who’s 30 and single."

The controversy surrounding Andrew Tate's influence further fuels his remarkable popularity. How his views will affect our school, young people in general, and the development of our society will only become obvious with time.