Andrew Tate, the odious “manosphere” influencer spreading violent misogyny and financial scams to TikTok tweens, tried to mock environmental activist Greta Thunberg on Twitter, only to be humiliated.
Tate, if you are fortunate enough never to have heard of him, is a former kickboxer who became an alt-right influencer; Tate describes himself as "absolutely a sexist" and "absolutely a misogynist,”
Tate’s Twitter account had been banned, unsurprisingly, but was reinstated in late November following Elon Musk’s takeover of the site.
Tate’s Twitter posts are intentionally provocative, often indistinguishable from satire, bragging about his wealth and success, featuring photos and clips of the influencer puffing on cigars .
Tate randomly took aim at Thunberg, bragging about his 33 cars and their “enormous emissions,” writing to the 19-year-old:
“Please provide your email address so I can send a complete list of my car collection and their respective enormous emissions.”
Tate was, seemingly, quoting a famously passionate speech from Thunberg in which she criticizes the polluters who have poisoned our planet, and the politicians who enabled the damage.
But Tate’s style of posting is so strangely sincere, full of wildly insecure boasts and immature taunting, the vast majority of Twitter users read Tate’s response as an earnest expression of offense.
The exchange sparked a discussion of Tate and his fellow “manosphere” influencers, and the corrosive effect they have on young men who are still struggling to find their place in the world