Let’s Piss Off Some Pick Up Artists

An article published on Thought Catalog by an anonymous male writer caught my eye: Thought Catalog is Making Me Hate Feminists. This is likely to be juicy, I thought, and kept reading. Claiming that he was sick to death of the “aggressive and militant” ways in which feminists have been banging on about gender equality, he suggests we “chill.”

The problem with the whole ‘everybody calm down and chill’ attitude is that there’s still, unfortunately, much too much going down to not get worked up about. Wired (with Jezebel in tow) revealed the latest target destination for Pick Up Artists – North Korea. Risque indeed.

Surrounded by mostly liberal-minded types, it’s easy to forget about this predatory sub-culture, but alive and well it appears to be. Roosh V forum is an online platform for such (albeit amateur) PUA’s to discuss their shared life hobby and exchange tips. The forum was established as an homage to Roosh V, a famous PUA. Apparently, getting your “NK flag” (having sex with a North Korean woman) is the ultimate accomplishment in the “game.”

The fact that North Koreans are constrained by a totalitarian regime and an introspective, nationalist culture makes the hunt all the more delectable for PUA’s. So committed to tasting the forbidden fruit, a Roosh V forum blogger writes: “I think we are all hoping for a regime change or revolution in North Korea ASAP… Many of us would be headed there immediately. We all know pussy paradises don’t last very long nowadays.” 

While some PUAs argue that until that change comes it is a mission impossible, Young Pioneer Tours and Koryo Tours are enjoying a healthy growth in business as PUAs embark on “love tours” to try their luck and, I suppose, work their art.

Putting equal pay and job discrepancies aside (as listed by the above said anonymous writer), the very thriving existence of such a predatory sub culture is enough to keep feminist discussion well and alive. The pursuit of a man seducing a woman into having sex with him is in itself disingenuous and gag-worthy (whilst, presumably, PUAs are having sex with consenting counterparts, the very act of going after women for the sole reason of sex is inherently predatorial). To ‘club-ify’ this pursuit, travel to forbidden regions and target more vulnerable women, is a hunt loaded with misogyny and braggadocio. This is a profoundly patronising movement; a culture that views women as ‘other’ and as an object to be ‘had’. The PUA culture (rooted in the West) is a slap in the face to all that our mothers and grandmothers fought to achieve.

So, anonymous writer, whilst many men are as gracious, educated and aware as you and your tribe appear to be, unfortunately, there’s still too many who continue to fall from the light of such grace.