A crisis in masculinity? Twenty-first Century Cults podcast explores the influential men taking over our social media feeds

Four men, four images of a crisis in masculinity

Andrew Tate

The online influencer, Andrew Tate, is the self-described “king of toxic masculinity”.

He earned financial success through running a webcam business, in which women strip on webcam for money, and he earns a large percentage. He went on to launch the online course Hustler’s University (rebranded as The Real World), which teaches boys and men modern wealth creation methods, including how to seduce and groom girls and women to lure them into sex work.

Tate is under investigation for sex trafficking, having sex with a minor, money laundering, attempting to influence witnesses, and tax evasion. Clips featuring Tate are also highly popular on TikTok, particularly among teenage boys.

“Part of Tate’s cultural appeal is that he resonates with people’s feelings of loneliness, inadequacy and despair," says Dr Baker. "Similar to many figures in the manosphere, Tate blames their hardship on simple targets like the Matrix and feminism.”

He teaches his followers to be dominant in their relationships, to be self-reliant, and to obsess over fitness and earning money.

According to Professor McLaughlin, his influence and appeal among boys and young men is because his messaging taps into “the current crisis in masculinity and social disaffection.”

Elon Musk

Elon Musk is the awkward tech entrepreneur who rose to prominence as the CEO of the electric car company Tesla. He is also the CEO of the aerospace tech company SpaceX, and the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Dr Baker says:

This explains some of the appeal of Musk, who is seen as a visionary for his futuristic ambitions, like colonising Mars. In recent years, his politics have shifted from relatively liberal to the far right, and he is closely aligned with current US President Trump.

Ye (formerly Kanye West)

Rapper and producer Ye (formerly known as Kanye West) is one of the world’s best-selling artists. In recent years has branched out to other ventures, notably clothing and running a church service, and he has made a few unsuccessful bids for presidency.

He has frequently been under scrutiny for his controversial opinions– such as stating Black people were responsible for their own enslavement in the US and denying the Holocaust. Recently, he and his wife Bianca Censori have caused outage with their fashion-related stunts.

According to Professor Rojek, he is the quintessential postmodern man:

"Notability confers interactional privilege," Professor Rojek adds. "It is a resource to combat consumer standardisation and civil docility.”

Jordan Peterson

Our final figure is Canadian psychologist Professor Jordan Peterson. He is an author, a YouTuber and  culture warrior who delivers soul-nourishing lectures with traditionalist views on gender relations and how to find and live your life’s purpose. He is a climate change denier and a free speech advocate.

In an infamous interview with Channel 4’s presenter Cathy Newman, he suggested the gender pay gap was in part due to women being too agreeable to ask for a pay rise (a claim disputed by Bayes Business School’s Professor Amanda Goodall).

The fact that Peterson asserts his knowledge in fields unrelated to those he has studied is of no issue to his ardent followers.

Professor McLaughlin explains:

How to recognise a cult

What is a modern-day cult and how does one recognise the warning signs?

“The cult demands absolute authority and allows no disconfirming evidence,” says Dr Baker. “In a healthy relationship, people should be able to hold different opinions and question authority.”

“Many cults use the façade of self-development and political or ideological change to recruit adherents,” she adds, “so people are often unaware that they are joining a cult.”

The podcast series was recorded at City St George's podcasting studios with support from the Centre for Podcasting Excellence, which is run by Director Brett Spencer. One of the Centre's aims is to translate academic research into podcasts. The series was edited by Al Booth and the recording engineer was Maria Martinez-Ugartechea.