The unrestricted opportunity to start a podcast has inevitably given self-described “alpha males” an excuse to be misogynistic while hiding behind a microphone and teleprompter. The concept of being an “alpha male” means having an intimidating and superior psyche. Men that have taken on this label attempt to gain the respect of other men by portraying themselves online as hypermasculine beings, believing they gain more male power and dominance in this world by adhering to strict, outdated and borderline sexist gender roles.
As technology progresses and becomes more accessible, platforms are given to anyone and everyone who asks for them. In theory, this can provide a positive online outlet for many. But, unfortunately, with great power comes great responsibility. So when these alpha males got a hold of Spotify and YouTube, an overwhelming number of podcasts dedicated almost solely to humiliating women took over social media.
The reality is that unfortunately, people are more inclined to be ruthless when there are no consequences. With their comments restricted and their faces behind a screen, they don’t have to live in fear of any backlash whatsoever.
The hosts on these podcasts thrive because of their influence on impressionable teenage boys, seeking to become intimidating “real men.” Men are fueled by the attention and validation they receive from young boys and the boys feed off the opportunity of maturity and masculinity being offered. Their direct impact on teenage boys is prevalent through the evolution of boys’ behavior on social media.
This issue stems from the fact that there is a pressure for boys to adhere to masculine standards that are constantly reinforced by society. They feel like the only way to fit in is to follow the norms set by people who portray themselves as the epitome of masculinity.
“Part of the problem is, these men don’t listen to or respect the experiences of women. But they listen to each other,” said Ted Bunch, a Coalition Against Trafficking in Women speaker.
With every episode released, they learn to dehumanize the women in their lives, all to make themselves more of a “man”. Even down to the seemingly harmless aspects, like referring to women as “females” rather than “women,” a more holistic term referring to a human being.
This is why we should care. Broken ideologies have consistently been normalized to young boys, influencing how they view themselves those around them. In a community that bases its content around mercilessly demeaning women, women themselves running this style of podcast would be the last thing expected. Creators such as Pearl from “Just Pearly Things” showcases the lengths that women go to for male validation on her podcast “Just Pearly Things”. Pearl has been seen on countless podcasts with popular hosts like Andrew Tate and Walter Weekes where she brings down other women for the sake of her fellow hosts’ validation. The modern media of our time gives us the potential to spread uplifting messages and raise awareness.. Yet, a concerning majority of social media users choose to shame others on their influential platforms.
Society must alleviate the toxic standards enforced by the patriarchy, so eventually, young men will realize that the men like Andrew Tate aren’t paragons of admirable masculinity, they’re simply insecure.
