You probably must have been familiar with the term: Alpha Male. It’s becoming quite a popular trend in the past years alongside sigma male. On one hand, it means, a dominating guy in a particular group who is intelligent, confident, and successful. On the other hand, it means an arrogant, selfish, and over-competitive person who is also insecure and cannot control his ego.
Some of them can be categorized by either of the abovementioned perceptions, others can be categorized as both. While I don’t have a problem with their lifestyles, I mean they can do whatever they want (as long as it doesn’t affect me). Few of them could be friendly and can give you better advice on life. They can go to the gym, they can interact with people better, and above all, they can be very nice to everyone.
However, others can just be straight-up pricks who will look down on you and your lifestyle.
I’m afraid it’s the latter who is getting more attention on the internet. These people pretend to be the elites when in reality, they’re just like downgraded versions of Nathan Jacobs from Euphoria. Like Nathan Jacobs, they are egotistical, arrogant, high and mighty, and very misogynistic. Unlike Nathan Jacobs, they’re not so intelligent (This is applied to a certain someone that I’m going to talk about).
As of now, there are two people who not only have huge followings but are also known for the wrong reasons. They are LifeMathMoney and Andrew Tate. Let’s talk about LifeMathMoney.
LifeMathMoney (or LMM in short) is a popular “self-help” guru with more than 300K on Twitter. He’s known for advising on finance, health, women, etc. If you don’t know him, he’s the guy with a Chanakya profile picture. I first saw his account when one of my peers shared his tweets on his Instagram stories. At first, I didn’t mind what he said since my first impression of him was him giving normal advice.
But then, I saw a tweet where he criticized people playing video games. Look I don’t mind people criticizing video games. If they feel like it’s morally wrong and a waste of time, then it’s their issue. Here’s the link to the tweet:
When I first saw it, I was livid. I was thinking about whether this guy is for real or not. To most who don’t know, video games helped me deal with the worst of times, especially in my school days. It was hard dealing with reality and to see your beloved hobby criticized by some random guru, kind of pisses me off. The worst part is, that I could’ve let it slide if this was one tweet. But there are more tweets about him callously calling out on video games and anime.
That’s when I started doing my research on him. Since his Twitter handle is filled with his yes men, I searched whether he ever got into trouble. And he did. Back in 2019 when Flipkart’s CEO endorsed this dude, many people criticized his move because his opinions on women are just obnoxious. People said that his tweets are largely misogynist and should not be endorsed at all. That’s when I realized that he’s not without criticisms.
During my research, I also happen to go through his website where I found his books like The Art of Twitter which costs around $90. By converting it into rupees it costs more than Rs. 7100. There is also a course that costs around $80 (More than Rs 6300). That’s when I realized something. The only reason he makes those tweets is to promote these overpriced yet mediocre books and courses.
These books are very expensive for an average Indian. Indian novels don’t sell at this rate. On the contrary, they are cheaper. Even the set of Game of Thrones costs around Rs 3000. Even I published two books which cost Rs 150 each.
In other words, LMM cannot be taken seriously. He’s also very insecure in handling criticism. For someone who wrote a blog about criticism, he sure can’t take one. When you search “LifeMathMoney Blocked” on Twitter, you can see people saying how he blocks people over meager criticism.
When YouTubers Prakhar Gupta and Vedant Rusty criticized his opinions with the latter saying not to take life advice on Twitter seriously and especially from anonymous accounts, LLM blocked them. In their podcast with Shwetabh Gangwar, they indirectly criticized LMM’s tweets and said that the online self-help gurus’ modus operandi is to make emotionally inciting tweets just to sell their crappy books and courses.
It’s just sad that Chanakya’s legacy is being carried by people who make emotionally inciting yet annoying tweets. In one Tweet LLM stated that less social media usage means more happiness. I find it hilarious that he wrote an entire book about Twitter and he spends most of his time making life advice tweets on Twitter.
You might ask me, whether I hate this guy. I don’t. Hating him will not change anything. I just want to show his faults since he’s a public figure.
He needs to be a better person and make a better example for his followers. Well, that is up to the future. Although it is very unlikely it’ll happen. He might see this post as problematic and could block me or do something to censor me.
The saddest part is that his copycats are also increasing too. Most of them have BitCoins, Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, etc. profile pictures.
LMM might be problematic, but he’s just the tip of the iceberg. He’s more tamed than Andrew Tate. Now let’s talk about Andrew Tate.
If you do a simple Wikipedia search, he’s a former kickboxer turned online personality. While no one knows about LMM’s life (Other than his name which I’m not going to say here), Andrew Tate is like Vijaya Mallaya (He has 2.6 million followers on Instagram). He’s quite rich and also has a flamboyant lifestyle. I don’t mind his lifestyle or his opinions about it. The problem is with his work ethic and the opinions he’s giving now.
The only reason I’m writing about Andrew Tate is that he is popping up in YouTube shorts. Well, I sometimes use it to find some anime, movies, or Apex Legends trivia. Then his videos started to pop up and the opinion he gives are mediocre at best and pathetic at worst.
His opinions on women are the highlights of his controversies. He stated that women shouldn’t work while using his money and they stand with Andrew and smile. He was also evicted from a British reality show called Big Brother for allegedly beating a woman.
However, this is just the beginning.
His website called War Room which is supposed to be for the wannabe elites and their yes men have been criticized harshly for allegedly promoting trafficking and abuse.
The paragraphs of concern may now have been removed but they can be searched on an archive website. Some YouTubers have already searched it and found the original paragraphs which are not only disturbing but downright pathetic.
He was also arrested in Romania (where he currently stays) for allegedly wrongfully confining an American woman. The investigations are also about human trafficking and rape. The authorities raided his property and they found a Romanian and an American woman. As of now, the investigation is ongoing according to the Romanian Police.
Did I forget he posted a pic of him in a staged prison where he was smoking cigars in front of two “police officers”?
I know these are just allegations and there’s a possibility that it could be proven wrong but with Tate’s past shenanigans and opinions, we can assume that Tate’s behavior is just reprehensible. And if these allegations are proven right then it’s just a matter of time before he not only loses his credibility but his reputation as a whole. Oh, I forgot, he too has his knock-offs where they spam Andrew Tate podcast clips over social media platforms.
This guy makes LMM look like a saint.
Conclusion
Tate reminded me of a YouTuber named Ricegum. Just like Tate, he was rich and flamboyant. He flexes his wealth on other people. At the same time he also make sexist comments to a rape victim, and broke a female creator’s phone because she was snapchatting with him. The cherry of the cake is when he lied to girls when about not streaming with them. He complained how irrelevant other YouTubers are. Idubbbz criticized him for what he said, stating that people will be ask him the same when he himself becomes irrelevant (This was when Idubbbz was in his prime). And after few years, his relevancy on YouTube plummeted and he got involved into shady sites and even crypto scams. I feel like if things go on like this, Andrew Tate will meet the same fate like Ricegum because he’s just repeating his mistakes.
So you might be wondering, how do people like LMM and Andrew Tate get so much cult following. I believe it’s because people become infatuated with their opinions. They are very skilled with making emotionally inciting opinions which could attract audiences easily. And the more people they get, the more excuse they get to sell their books, courses, and programs.
At the same time, some people are way better than these two. One is Noel Deyzel, a South African bodybuilder who is probably one of the most wholesome guys on the internet. His advice on bodybuilding and health could make lazy people go to the gym. Another is TheActMan who is not only a martial artist but also a popular video game YouTuber. He even roasted an alpha male when the latter’s take on a video game was piss poor.
They both have their hard lives and situations. Noel had a troubled childhood and Act Man’s channel was briefly demonetized because he criticized YouTube echelons but still people like them because of their relatable content.
Although a popular podcaster Joe Rogan’s take on video games is just piss poor, I can understand where he’s coming from since he got addicted to it and started martial arts to make himself productive. A hobby is a personality development tool. It is also a drug that if overused can be detrimental. So you should balance everything out.
(I’m a random guy too)
Lastly, I should add that self-help gurus don’t know anything about your life. They see the world in such a way that a woman can create problems for a man. Feminism became infamous in the aftermath of the Jasleen Kaur case, and now the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case. I know there are problems with it, but the last thing we want at this point is further polarization. And these self-help gurus are creating that divide even further.
Their opinions are just plain outrageous under the guise of political incorrectness. And although I’m no fan of political correctness, their opinions don’t make the situation any better.
This is why I think you should think for yourself and see whether the advice LMM, Andrew Tate or anyone else gives are right or not. The act on it. Don’t just blindly follow them because idol worshipping has been considered a dangerous tool.
I’ve seen that with Justin Bieber, One Direction, BTS, and now Andrew Tate and LMM. That’s all I have to say
Edit: I had to add something before I’m done with this topic for good. Andrew Tate may be pathetic, but at least he’s smart. He knows what he’s doing. The reason why I was seeing his videos on YouTube shorts is because it’s a marketing strategy. His other side Hustler’s University stated that his people should share his clips that are controversial alongside the said site’s link. Some people say that he promotes a Pyramid Scheme because the subscribers of Hustler’s University get commissions for posting Tate’s clips.
He knows that people would react to it and would either revere him or revile him. This reminds me of the pseudo-political analyst and standard comedian Kunal Kamra. Kamra knows if he made jokes about the current ruling government, people would be toxic enough to respond to him. Although it is a genius move, it kills any authenticity and it leads to idol worshipping. LMM is just a dude who just types some random crap on Twitter but Tate is a whole different level.
It doesn’t justify, what he did. He’s still trash but now it’s too hard to ignore him. The social media shock value has paid him off. I don’t know how last it’ll long but popularity has its due date. If Tate’s doesn’t phase out or change his way, his downfall will come for him. At this point only time will tell. That’s it for now.
Sources:
1.https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Alpha%20Male
2.https://hbr.org/2004/05/coaching-the-alpha-male#:~:text=Bold%2C%20self%2Dconfident%2C%20and,also%20drive%20their%20coworkers%20crazy.&text=they%20willingly…-,Highly%20intelligent%2C%20confident%2C%20and%20successful%2C%20alpha%20males%20represent%20about,70%25%20of%20all%20senior%20executives.
3.https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3641710/amp/Big-Brother-kicked-Andrew-Tate-video-beating-ex-girlfriend-belt-emerged-lady-friend-claim-just-bit-fun.html
4.https://youtu.be/dcEAPSoLTow
5.https://youtu.be/Me5hRJPtnFU
6.https://instagram.com/noeldeyzel_bodybuilder?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
7.https://youtu.be/Fbv2AE3y0a8
8.https://dailytargum.com/article/2022/02/analyzing-nate-jacobs-toxic-masculinity-incarnate
9.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlT3zUrRT6c
10.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZbZgonxxdI
11.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMMoBZMf3Zg
12. https://www.news18.com/news/buzz/flipkart-co-founder-sachin-bansal-draws-flak-for-endorsing-sexist-twitter-handle-2341151.html
13.https://lifemathmoney.com/products/
14. https://lifemathmoney.com/
15. https://lifemathmoney.com/the-difference-between-criticism-and-hate-and-how-to-deal-with-haters/
16. https://www.amazon.in/Song-Ice-Fire-Thrones-Complete/dp/0007477155/ref=sr_1_omk_3?crid=G22V9LK0T4X3&keywords=game+of+thrones&qid=1658242121&sprefix=game+of+thrones+%2Caps%2C433&sr=8-3
17.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Tate
18.https://twitter.com/LifeMathMoney?t=Vop7pRb0J6Epezb_WDs2Pg&s=09
19.https://instagram.com/cobratate?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
20. https://www.amazon.in/s?k=anish+bachchan&crid=1N87KRTHZX97M&sprefix=anish+bachcha%2Caps%2C400&ref=nb_sb_noss
21. https://www.instagram.com/p/CcUsPF2oNuI/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
22. https://youtu.be/fCYrTB6rqOs
23. https://youtu.be/bukzXzsG77o
24. https://youtu.be/VazkMsdcvoo
25. https://youtu.be/zQa6GWOo3Yk
26. https://youtu.be/HJ4xoxYAya4
27. https://youtu.be/j4g2uuCeSPs
28. https://youtu.be/6ysxsa4b0zc