by Davide Sforza
In the recent classes we viewed the negative side of masculine figures in our society. We looked at characters like Andrew Tate, Egg White, Alek Minassian and analyzed the negative impacts men like them have on young men like me. The main issue here is that these types of masculine figures were given a platform to express their negative opinions influence these men have on young men my age can really be detrimental to society and the growth of men. In this blog I’ll be talking about how these men can have a negative effect on society. Men like these men that were named earlier can be the reason that people’s point of view on men and this may reflect on how they treat other men.
To start off let’s talk about Andrew Tate, he is possibly one of the most controversial men on the internet in the past year. Tate portrays himself as the “perfect alpha male” but his misogynistic point of view on makes him the opposite. Tate’s actions have made young men believe that women are just good for the kitchen and sexual pleasure. I totally disagree with these thoughts in my opinion women are the most beautiful creatures in the world, if it wasn’t for women I probably would not have been born. I think Tate’s problems stems back from his childhood I believe that the lack of motherly presence in Tate’s home growing up was the problem. What I fear most is that men that lack a motherly presence during their youth can be scary because if these kids have the same opinions on women, then their mentalities will look very similar to Tate. In the Will James talk we saw that Andrew Tate’s strong social media presence has even reached young elementary school boys and he explains how he sees this as a problem. He explains how these boys talk down towards girls their age. Will James said that these actions prove how Tate’s social media presence has had a negative effect on younger kids. Unfortunately, social media is an easy mean to spread negativity easier and I think if young boys can be made aware of these types of alpha male threats it can help the situation and have a positive impact of the view of men.
Incels, used to describe an involuntary celibate, a person (usually a man) who regards himself or as being involuntarily celibate and typically expresses extreme resentment and hostility toward those who are sexually active. The first example we looked at was Chris Cantwell, a far-right activist leader. Cantwell is a prime example of someone who thinks that that violence asserts dominance and with violence and strength you gain power above others. At one point in the video, he shows and talks about his guns. In this scene you can see the pride he has in holding these weapons and talking about them, these weapons make him feel like he holds a power that others don’t have. The reason that someone like him is very dangerous to society is because he seeks power over others and violence as a solution to problems. Another one of these examples was Alek Minassian, he was charged with 16 counts of first-degree murder when he drove a van into random pedestrians, his goal was mainly to kill as many women as he could, his motive was women never loved him back. Minassian praised Elliot Roger right before the attack on his Facebook page. He was praised within the Incel community. Egg White another Incel streamer on YouTube made song praising Minassian which got 200k views on YouTube which was later deleted. But what I’m trying to examine here with these types of characters is how they become Incels. I believe one of the main reasons why these people are who they are, their distance from reality. Egg White mentions he feels like an alien that people fear him or don’t want to be around, Elliot Roger had some god complex personality that made him feel indestructible. Using Egg White and Elliot Roger as examples shows how these men feel apart from society, like they don’t belong on planet earth, and I think that its riggers them to think like Incels and not normal humans.
In conclusion this blog using Andrew Tate as an example I analyzed the negative side of social media and how in the wrong hands it can affect a whole society let alone a whole gender group. I also spoke about Incels and how that group of people pose a threat to society and women in general. I believe educating this to kids in schools should be a priority and adapting Will James new system, I believe it can positively affect the students.
Bibliography
Kimmel,Michael. Masculinity as Homophobia.1994
Charlottesville: Race and Terror. Youtube, Vice News, 14 Aug. 2017,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P54sP0NInggt=5s. Accessed 28 Mar. 2022.
Inside Incel, CBC, The Fifth Estate, 27 Jan. 2019, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqWjCHPg9gA. Accessed 25 Sept. 2023.
James, Will, Online Influencers , Toxic Masculinity, and the Classroom, Vanier College, March 5, 2024
Fight Clubs/Night Clubs 
The thesis statement is implied but not explicitly stated; consider revising to clearly articulate your main argument. You’ve provided examples of negative masculinity, but integrating Kimmel’s concept of masculinity as homophobia would strengthen your analysis. The connection between the examples and the broader implications for society needs to be more thoroughly developed. For example, you mention several figures from the documentaries, but you need to provide more specific examples and quotes to support your analysis. When discussing Andrew Tate and his influence, include direct references to the documentaries and how they depict the impact of such figures on young men. Ensure that your examples from the documentaries are used to directly support your thesis and are not just descriptive.
Most importantly, Michael Kimmel’s essay is mentioned in your bibliography, but it is not evident how his ideas are integrated into your analysis. To strengthen your blog, incorporate key concepts from Kimmel’s essay, such as “masculinity as homophobia,” and discuss how they relate to the behaviors and ideologies presented in the documentaries. Reflect on Will James’ points about the influence of online figures on youth and how this connects to classroom dynamics and the promotion of healthier forms of masculinity.
Finally, do not offer opinions when you cannot provide a secondary source to support your point. For example, your discussion of the roles mother’s play in their children’s lives is laudable, but you do not provide any evidence to support your opinion. Try to stick to discussions based on the materials from class.
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