Amanda Holden is the latest woman to fall victim to the self-proclaimed misogyny of social media personality Andrew Tate.
The reality TV judge and presenter’s decision to post a bikini pic caused a vitriolic reaction from the influencer, who has previously been accused of radicalising teenage boys with extreme misogynist ideas.
In reply to Amanda’s picture, Andrew commented: 'You are a wife and a mother and you're far past a teenager. There is no need for this post.'
This comment is yet another example of so many repressive, upsetting elements of the patriarchy. First of all, the assumption that any individual, male or otherwise, can comment on a woman’s decisions around her body – what she wears or whether she chooses to post pictures of herself in her bikini.
Second, a core issue is Amanda’s age and life experience. Seeing as she has reached the age of 52, the patriarchy dictates that she is no longer a figure of sexuality, activity, independence. This thought that there’s ‘no need’ for a woman to post a picture of her body online in her 50s is toxic, and feeds into the sexist assumption that women are ‘past their prime’ and have nothing to offer after the age of 30, 40 or 50.
Not to mention the fact that being a wife and a mother, two components of a traditional path for a woman, somehow means in misogynist speak that your sex appeal and bodily autonomy is taken from you?
Tate isn’t even the only agent of the patriarchy making their views known. Comments on Amanda’s picture range from ‘Why? You’re a mom act like it’ to accusing of her ‘late stage attention seeking’ and telling her to ‘go back inside’.
Critics have come out in defence of Amanda, with barrister Dr Charlotte Proudman leading the way.
She tweeted: ‘Self proclaimed misogynist, Andrew Tate has been charged with rape & under house arrest but that doesn’t stop him taking to Twitter to make sexist jibes about Amanda Holden — whilst age & body shaming her. 'The king of toxic masculinity' strikes again.’
Others have told Amanda to ‘ignore the haters’ and ‘to keep being you’, but it’s a shame that these words of reassurance are even necessary.
It feels beyond dark and depressing that not only can a self-proclaimed misogynist is able to take to the internet and harness sexist and repressive criticisms of a woman’s body, he can do it while supposedly paying for sex crimes.
Any woman, or person, should feel free and comfortable to post bikini pictures on the Internet if they see fit – without concerns about high-profile (or low-profile) Internet trolls posting poisonous criticisms or condemnations based on their looks, age or life choices.