In recent years, a subclass of online influencers has burst onto the scene: self-anointed "alpha males" who divide their time between lifting weights, (allegedly) having sex with women and deliberately saying increasingly absurd things to fuel their controversial image, all while monetizing this image for those who want to emulate this supposedly elevated lifestyle.

These characters have become so prominent that they are now being satirized in our mainstream culture. In "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," Dave Bautista plays Duke Cody, a ripped men's rights streamer who lives with his mother and is constantly embroiled in an endless stream of scandals.

And while several real-life names come to mind, none seem more relevant than Andrew Tate, a self-described misogynist and convert to Islam with an alleged history of domestic violence. He pivoted from being a professional kickboxer to growing as an internet celebrity after an appearance on the U.K.'s "Big Brother" and has amassed a massive online following and apparent wealth while offering his followers various paid courses and memberships, such as the aptly named Hustler's University, which has been described as a social media pyramid scheme.

Now, it's important to preface this subject by acknowledging that, based on his prior comments and arguably predatory business tactics, Tate is a truly foul human being, marred further by an ongoing criminal investigation into alleged human trafficking in Romania. (Note that Tate previously explained that "40 percent of the reason" he moved to Romania was because "rape laws are more lenient there," adding that he's "not a f—-ing rapist, but I like the idea of just being able to do what I want.")

Of course, Tate is innocent until proven guilty when it comes to these particular charges, but regardless, it remains a source of grave concern that someone with his clear lack of fundamental morality has gained such a loyal fan base, particularly among the conservative right.

But while it's crucial that we reject Tate's ideology, it's far from helpful to reject those who idolize him and his ilk.

Not only does societal rejection have the reverse effect — how effective have leftists been with young men they refer to as "incels," for example? — but it also ignores the true problem at the root of Tate and others: Why is he so popular?

This is a complex question — and certainly far too complex a question to effectively answer in this column. But in my view, the popularity of figures such as Tate stands as both a warning and an opportunity for the conservative movement.

Young men make up the vast majority of Tate's fan base — young men who have been disillusioned or dismissed by our modern culture, often to the derisive cheers of the feminist left, as if generational gender-based revenge is an effective tool of progress.

These young men face real problems, and yet too few are willing to acknowledge these problems, let alone suggest effective solutions to them.

This lack of empathy and outreach leaves the door open for shameless opportunists such as Tate, who masterfully combine the style of sexist trolling that's popular among many young men with an underlying acknowledgment of the real issues that most are refusing to address.

And until the conservative movement provides these disaffected and culturally ignored young men with alternative role models, it's not enough for us to stand by and do nothing but complain while people such as Tate fill the void — and their pockets.

To find out more about Ian Haworth and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Toa Heftiba at Unsplash