A teacher’s call for help shows how widespread the problem is. Schools should remember the name of Andrew Tate, Kirsty Pole warned. The influencer, whose Tiktok videos have been viewed billions of times, is “dangerous, misogynistic and homophobic,” said Pole a few months ago.
For Tate – who is known for flamboyant appearances with big cigars, in luxury villas and expensive cars, surrounded by scantily clad women – the situation is currently tipping. For weeks he has been in custody in Romania with his brother Tristan and two suspected accomplices. Allegation: You would have sexually exploited women. His lawyer denies the allegations. Regarding the 36-year-old’s sexist statements and clips, which can still be found online, Tina Glandian told the British broadcaster Times Radio that Tate only played a role and that it wasn’t serious.
Young men are increasingly becoming radicalized
But critics emphasize that social media such as Tiktok, in which children and young people usually perceive unfiltered sexist statements, are dangerous. There is a “potential radicalization of young male users,” said Andrea Simon of the British initiative “End Violence Against Women” (in German: end violence against women) last year in the newspaper “Guardian”. Hannah Ruschen from the child protection organization NSPCC emphasized: “Viewing such materials at a young age can shape a child’s experiences and attitudes, leading to further harm for women and girls in and out of school and online.”
Tate also has close ties to neo-Nazis, Islam haters and conspiracy theorists, observers warn. Teresa Parker from the organization Women’s Aid warned that reality TV formats also offer a dangerous stage for misogynists. “When men are misogynistic on screen and that’s considered acceptable or funny, it validates and encourages similar behavior off screen,” Parker recently told Metro. In addition, radical contributors such as Tate or the Brit Stephen Bear are necessary because the broadcasters are looking for attention with increasingly controversial behavior.
Noticed early on with sexist sayings
Bear also rose to fame with reality television, winning the TV show Celebrity Big Brother in 2016 and going on to compete in a number of other formats. Even then, the 33-year-old attracted attention with sexist sayings. He pinned a video to his Twitter profile showing him performing oral sex with his current partner. He showed how he doesn’t seem to care about the feelings of others when he filmed consensual sex with his ex-girlfriend in 2020 – without her knowledge. Although the woman asked him to delete the recording, he uploaded the video to online platform OnlyFans, where it fetched £40,000 ($50,000).
But the betrayed did not remain silent. Instead, Georgia Harrison went public with the case, dropping her due anonymity. She wanted to encourage other victims of so-called revenge porn to seek justice and show that they “have absolutely nothing to be ashamed of,” the 28-year-old justified her move. Bear was found guilty and sentenced to 21 months in prison on Friday. Even before the court, he presented himself eccentrically with a fur coat and a gold-plated knob on his walking stick, and had himself driven up in a limousine. Bear shows no remorse, criticized the judge at the Chelmsford court. As if in confirmation, the influencer greeted the hall after his conviction: “Enjoy the weekend!”
In Germany, Bear would probably have received a suspended sentence. Paragraph 201a of the penal code – violation of the most personal sphere of life and personal rights by taking pictures – provides for a maximum sentence of two years, explained the lawyer Gül Pinar. But there are efforts to tighten the penalties.
