News

Apr 10, 2024

Andrew Tate's cruel Amanda Holden bikini snap attack is an assault on ALL women

Sadiq Khan should be applauded, not belittled, for his campaign to address sexism and hatred, says Polly Hudson It was an attack on one woman, but also an attack on all women. Of course. Again. Evil

Sadiq Khan should be applauded, not belittled, for his campaign to address sexism and hatred, says Polly Hudson

It was an attack on one woman, but also an attack on all women. Of course. Again.

Evil misogynist influencer Andrew Tate – charged in Romania with rape, human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women (which he denies) – made a disgusting comment on a holiday photo Amanda Holden shared on social media. The revolting monster wrote, under a picture of Amanda in a bikini: “You are a wife and a mother and you’re far past a teenager. There is no need for this post.” All the things that there is no need for Andrew Tate to do is far too long to list here.

What’s worrying is that not everyone will find his actions offensive and unacceptable. He has the ears, and minds of a section of boys and men who he’s poisoning against women. Despite being banned from TikTok himself, his brainwashed disciples put videos of him on the platform, which can be viewed by kids as young as 13.

They’ve been watched 75 million times in the UK in the past four months alone. By comparison, London Mayor Sadiq Khan’s new anti-misogyny campaign is a drop in the ocean. Targeting only male Londoners – 4 million blokes – Say Maaate To A Mate has been widely derided. The idea is that when men are in a group, and “the banter goes too far” someone needs to say, “Maaaate.”

Apparently “a simple, familiar word can be all you need to interrupt when a friend is going too far without making things awkward, ruining the moment or putting your friendship at risk”. This incentive was launched with an interactive video showing some young men playing video games and chatting, where the viewer clicks the “Maaate” button when they feel someone should step in.

I pressed it quite early, but then was still informed that I’d let a few comments slide I shouldn’t have done. Pretty depressing indication of how low my expectations are these days. The main criticism of Say Maaate To A Mate seems to be that it won’t instantly rid the world of all misogyny in one fell swoop. That it doesn’t go far enough. That it might not work.

All those opinions may well be true. But Say Maaate To A Mate is a start. It’s doing something. It’s trying. Also, although it’s just one word, the least anyone could do, it’s also a big ask. It probably will make things awkward, ruin the moment and put your friendship at risk. Although with friends like those…

Imagine being in a group, all – ugh – “bantering” – and trying to pluck up the courage to be the one who says “Maaate.” It’s a lot. It will take real guts. It’s brave. I would be very proud of my son if he managed to do it, and hope we’re raising him to be the kind of man who will.

And it makes sense that saying one word will be far more impactful than the alternative – giving an impassioned lecture on feminism, which no teenage boy, or man in the pub with his mates, would ever probably do. Sadiq Khan hasn’t plucked this idea out of thin air. It’s backed by research which proved that being challenged by someone in your peer group about your behaviour can and will influence how you behave. But Say Maaate To A Mate isn’t an immediate magic cure for misogyny. Nothing is.

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