THE ANTAGONIST FRAME

THE OPENING FRAME

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Jordan Peterson ate nothing but beef for two years.

Shawn Baker deadlifts 500 pounds at age 57 on zero carbs.

Kerry Mann left city life with his family of six to homestead on 20 acres, documenting how the "proper human diet" transforms lives.

The carnivore diet movement didn't just reject vegetables. They declared war on them. And that declaration built a thriving movement from nothing.

I'm not here to tell you whether eating only meat is genius or insanity. I'm here to show you how they architected one of the most powerful brand messages of the decade.

They didn't win by being right. They won by being clear about what they're against.

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THE MAIN FEATURE

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Most founders spend months perfecting their value proposition. What they do. Who they serve, and how they're different.

All wrong questions.

The right question: What do you refuse to accept?

This is the Antagonist Frame. The messaging strategy that flips traditional positioning on its head. Instead of defining what you offer, you define what you fight.

The carnivore movement masters this:

Traditional positioning: "We help people optimize their nutrition."
Antagonist positioning: "We're fighting Big Food's processed poison."

See the difference? One is forgettable. The other is a war declaration..

Why Antagonist Messaging Works:

1. Instant Clarity: When you name your enemy, your audience immediately knows where you stand. No confusion. No mixed messages. Just pure, crystalline positioning.

2. Tribal Identity: People join tribes. The carnivore community doesn't eat meat. They're "apex predators" fighting "plant-based propaganda."

3. Emotional Engagement: Anger activates. Love motivates. But righteous anger? That builds movements.

4. Content Creation Machine Every day, the food industry gives carnivores new material. Seed oil studies. Processed food scandals. Plant-based marketing campaigns. Their antagonist creates endless content.

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THE FRAMEWORK

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Step 1: Name Your Villain

The carnivore movement didn't choose one enemy. They chose an ecosystem:

• Big Food (processed food companies)
• Big Pharma (diabetes medication industry)
• Corrupt Science (nutrition studies funded by food companies)
• Government Guidelines (food pyramid, dietary recommendations)
• Plant-Based Movement (veganism, vegetarianism)

Your turn. Complete this sentence: "I refuse to accept that [specific industry/belief/system] continues to [specific harm/injustice]."

Step 2: Make It Personal

Watch how carnivore leaders connect their mission to lived experience:

Jordan Peterson: "My daughter's autoimmune disease disappeared." Shawn Baker: "I reversed my metabolic dysfunction."

Kerry Mann: Left everything behind to prove families can thrive on ancestral eating

Personal stakes make abstract battles concrete.

Your antagonist isn't just “wrong”. It hurt you. Or someone you love. Or something you care about.

Step 3: Create the Battle Lines

Carnivores view plant-based eating as an existential threat, rather than merely disagreeing with it.

• Us: "Apex predators eating species-appropriate diet."
• Them: "Brainwashed victims poisoning themselves with plants."
• Us: "Following 2 million years of human evolution."
• Them: "Falling for 50 years of corporate nutrition lies."

This is war, not nuance.

Step 4: Weaponize Your Content

Every piece of carnivore content reinforces the antagonist frame:

• Before/after photos: "This is what plants did to me vs. what meat did."
• Scientific studies: "Another study proving plants cause inflammation."
• Day-in-the-life content: "Thriving without a single vegetable."
• Documentaries: Kerry Mann's "Healing Humanity: The Power of a Proper Human Diet."

Their entire content strategy is built around proving their enemy wrong.

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THE BUSINESS IMPACT

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Here's what the antagonist frame created:

Immediate Positioning: In a crowded nutrition space, they became instantly recognizable.
Premium Pricing: Carnivore coaches command premium rates in a saturated wellness market.
Viral Content: "Plants are trying to kill you" gets shared more than "eat balanced meals." Community Building: Carnivore conferences and meetups have exploded globally.
Media Attention: Controversy creates coverage. Coverage creates customers.

Observable Growth:

• Shawn Baker: 500K+ Instagram followers
• Jordan Peterson's carnivore content: Millions of documented views
• Kerry Mann: Growing podcast audience with HomesteadHow
• Amazon: Dozens of carnivore diet books now rank as bestsellers
• Supplement companies: New carnivore-focused brands launching monthly

More than just businesses, they forged a movement.

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YOUR ANTAGONIST AUDIT

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Question 1: What makes you genuinely angry in your industry?
Question 2: What "common wisdom" do you think is destroying people?
Question 3: If you could eliminate one practice/belief/system, what would it be?
Question 4: What personal experience drives your mission?

The Formula: "In a world that accepts [antagonist], I prove [alternative] is possible."

Examples:

• "In a world that accepts 60-hour work weeks, I prove 4-day productivity is possible."
• "In a world that accepts generic education, I prove personalized learning transforms lives."
• "In a world that accepts disposable products, I prove beautiful sustainability sells."
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THE CLOSE

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The carnivore movement didn't succeed because they're right about nutrition.

They succeeded because they're crystal clear about what they're fighting.

Most brands try to please everyone. The carnivore movement alienated half the population on purpose. And the half that stayed? They became evangelists.

Your antagonist is your north star. It guides every decision, every piece of content, and every conversation.

The question isn't whether you have enemies.

The question is whether you're brave enough to name them.

This week's assignment: Define your antagonist. Write it down. Make it personal. Make it clear. Make it impossible to ignore.

In a world full of noise, the brands that take sides are the only ones that get heard.

Your move.

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Remember: Story or be forgotten.

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But first, you have to choose what you're fighting for.

—T

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