Roosh V

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Roosh V
Roosh-daryush-valizadeh.jpg
Born Daryush Valizadeh
(1979-06-14) June 14, 1979 (age 44)
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Nationality American
Occupation Writer
Known for Pickup artistry

Daryush Valizadeh[1] (born June 14, 1979),[2][3] also known as Roosh Valizadeh, Roosh V and Roosh Vorek, is an American[4] blogger, pickup artist[5][6][7] and writer known for his controversial writings and advice on the seduction community and antifeminism.[8][9]

Roosh writes on his personal blog[2] and also owns the Return of Kings website[10] where he publishes articles by himself and others on related subjects. He also owns Poznan Institute, which he founded in Poznan, Poland in March 2015.[11] Roosh has published 18 books, most of which are dating guides or memoirs.[12] In 2016, he published Free Speech Isn't Free, a first-hand account of facing establishment censorship in Canada and the United States during a 2015 speaking tour. His advice, his videos and his writings have received widespread criticism from the media and feminist organizations, who have accused him of misogyny, committing rape, organizing rape rallies,[13] antisemitism, homophobia, having ties to the alt-right movement, and promoting rape culture. Roosh has repeatedly denied the accusations.[14]

In the late 2010s, Valizadeh became a key subject of the "censorship wars" that targeted a wide variety of right-wing and far-right political figures with online deplatforming. His personal appearances were also targeted by sometimes violent Social Justice Warriors and Antifa. In September 2018, nine of his books were removed from Amazon.com by the online bookseller. Barnes & Noble and Kobo then also banned his books, in what was seen as a left-wing and feminist-inspired attack.[15]

Background

Early life

Roosh was born in the United States in 1979. He has said that "My parents are Middle Eastern immigrants so racially I'm not American but Iranian and Armenian, though I don't speak their languages."[16] Roosh graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2001[17] with a degree in microbiology.[18] He initially began blogging about his sexual experiences with women anonymously,[5] but after losing his internet anonymity, he began traveling and writing full-time,[19] first with the publication of Bang: The Pickup Bible That Helps You Get More Lays (2007) and then with sex-themed travel guides on the countries he visited.[5]

Personal views

His ideas have been described as "red pill" (a reference to the movie The Matrix), and as based on "politically incorrect realism".[5] In a Washington Times Communities interview, he states that feminism has left a legacy of weaker men who are more androgynous. He went on to say that women abstain from having sex with them in preference for "bad boys".[20]

Roosh advocates adherence to traditional heteronormative roles for men and is against female promiscuity. He says that his rhetoric does not call for violence or hate against women, feminists, or any other group.[21] In addition, he states that men and women are very different physically and mentally, are valued differently by society, and that much of women's societal value stems from their fertility and youthful beauty.[22]

While Roosh has been erroneously labeled a "men's rights activist" by The Daily Beast,[23] Daily Mail,[24] Salon,[25] S. E. Smith,[26] and others, Roosh does not consider himself to be one. He has called men's rights activists "sexual losers" and "bitter virgins" and has written extensive articles criticizing them.[27]

He has expressed qualified support for Donald Trump,[28][29] adding that Trump's election as President of the United States would lead to the "death of political correctness". He has strongly criticized The Daily Beast as a fake news organization.[28][29] By 2016, Roosh had changed his focus from pickup advice to political commentary. His book Free Speech Isn't Free analyzes ways in which straight men are denied freedom of speech.

Controversy

United States

In a March 2012 report on "The Year in Hate and Extremism", the Southern Poverty Law Center included Roosh in a list of manosphere sites which it described as hateful and misogynistic.[30][31] His inclusion on the list was reported by several publications, some of which mocked the inclusion for being extreme.[12][32][33][34] Business Insider's Michael Brendan Dougherty opined that the SPLC was undermining its credibility by listing Roosh.[35] In response to criticism, the SPLC later clarified that it was not labeling the sites as members of a hate movement, but wished to draw attention to "specific examples of misogyny and the threat, overt or implicit, of violence".[36]

In 2014, The Washington Post columnist Caitlin Dewey stated that Roosh was one of a number of internet writers considered misogynist, writing: "Valizadeh owns the website ReturnofKings.com, which bans 'women and homosexuals' from commenting." Dewey noted that recent articles on ReturnofKings.com included titles such as "5 Reasons to Date a Girl With an Eating Disorder," "Don’t Work for a Female Boss" and "Biology Says People on Welfare Should Die."[37]

In February 2014, The Daily Dot magazine named Roosh "The Web's most infamous misogynist" and observed "his extraordinarily vitriolic and misogynistic views about women and society as a whole".[38]

In February 2015, Roosh was criticized for a blog post that he wrote titled "How to Stop Rape" in which he proposed legalising rape.[39] In the post, he said "If rape becomes legal under my proposal, a girl will protect her body in the same manner that she protects her purse and smartphone. If rape becomes legal, a girl will not enter an impaired state of mind where she can't resist being dragged off to a bedroom with a man who she is unsure of—she'll scream, yell, or kick at his attempt while bystanders are still around. If rape becomes legal, she will never be unchaperoned with a man she doesn't want to sleep with. After several months of advertising this law throughout the land, rape would be virtually eliminated on the first day it is applied."[40] Alex Wellman at the Daily Mirror wrote "a self-styled pick-up guru appears to have called for rape to be legalised in certain situations so that women learn to protect their bodies".[41] S. E. Smith at the online magazine xoJane asserted that "we need to talk openly not just about how many MRAs [men's rights activists] like Roosh promote rape and violence against women, but how many of them may be rapists themselves".[26] Roosh has since said that the post was meant as satire.[42][43]

Canada

Toronto mayor John Tory

In 2015, Roosh scheduled speeches to take place in Montreal on August 8 and Toronto on August 15.[44] In July 2015, Vancouver resident Sara Parker-Toulson launched a petition on Change.org that called for Roosh to be barred from entering Canada, accusing him of violating Canadian hate speech laws.[45] It gathered over 38,000 signatures.[46] Concordia University student Fannie Gadouas publicized the petition and was interviewed by the media following her efforts, with Montreal resident Aurelie Nix, to organize a protest event in Montreal. Nix also lodged a complaint against Roosh with the police, saying that he had incited his followers to make rape and death threats against her.[45]

The petition and protest were in response to plans by Roosh to give speeches in Toronto and Montreal.[44][47][48]

Quebec Member of the National Assembly Carole Poirier called on Stéphanie Vallée, Quebec Minister of Justice for Conditions for Women, to ban Roosh and his rhetoric from the province.[48][49] Vallée responded by condemning Roosh's statements, but declined to make further comments regarding whether he should be denied entry to Canada.[50] Reportedly in response to the negative publicity and threat of protest, the Hotel Omni Montreal, where the speech had been scheduled to be held, cancelled the event.[51] He asked that his followers assist him in a "counter-attack" against the demonstrators by collecting personal information about them.[52] A café owner, who surreptitiously took a photograph of Roosh sitting in his establishment and published it to Instagram with an invitation to others to come confront Roosh, later said he felt threatened by the ensuing response from Roosh's followers.[53]

Roosh stated that the event location was changed to a different venue and took place on August 8 as scheduled with about 34 people in attendance.[54] Afterwards, a crowd of protestors confronted Roosh at a local bar and threw drinks at him, prompting him and his companions to leave the bar as the protestors followed while continuing to scream and curse at Roosh.[55] Roosh filed a complaint with police over the incident, and police said they were investigating a person known as "Jennifer" who was alleged to be one of the assailants.[22][56][57] Commentators in the National Post and Toronto Star, while taking exception to Roosh's opinions, later criticized the protestors for trying to deny Roosh his right to free speech, for assaulting him in the bar, and then for celebrating the assault.[43][58]

Before Roosh's scheduled speech in Toronto on August 15, city councillor Norm Kelly and mayor John Tory denounced Roosh and encouraged city venues to turn him away, declaring publicly that he was not welcome in Toronto.[55][59][60] On August 15, a protest against Roosh, attended by Member of Parliament Cheri DiNovo, was held at Queen's Park.[61][62] Later that day, Roosh tweeted a photograph of himself at what he said was the event venue in Mississauga and said he delivered his speech to 56 people. Both Roosh and the protestors declared victory in their dispute over his appearances in Canada.[54][63][64][65]

Nordic countries

The Icelandic mainstream progressive publication DV published a number of stories about Roosh's release of his book Bang Iceland, calling it "derogatory".[66][67] Icelandic feminist organization Femínistafélag Íslands condemned the book as a "rape guide."[68] Another publication labelled it "slander."[69] Icelandic writer and progressive media persona Egill Einarsson said the book was "as wrong as possible".[70]

Danish Ekstra Bladet published five articles on the release of Roosh's book Don't Bang Denmark,[71] and Danish TV aired several discussions sparked by the book.[72][73]

Norwegian left-wing tabloid newspaper Dagbladet questioned the morality of Roosh's seduction tactics in an article warning about the rise of the "manosphere".[74]

Baltic countries

His books Bang Estonia, Don't Bang Latvia, and Bang Lithuania were met with a generally negative reaction from left-wing and progressive media outlets of those respective countries, where he was claimed to be a "sex tourist".[6][75] During an interview with Delfi in response to a question about whether he was a sex tourist, Roosh responded that he was a love tourist, not a sex tourist.[76]

South America

South American television network TeleSUR claimed in a debunked report: "Roosh V and other Return of the Kings [sic] members discussed plans for founding paramilitaries in Eastern Europe... They also post pictures and personal information about women for men that live nearby to stalk and threaten them. His self-published guides encourage sexual assault."[77]

Books

  • Bang: The Pickup Bible That Helps You Get More Lays (2007) ISBN 1438214235
  • A Dead Bat In Paraguay: One Man's Peculiar Journey Through South America (2009) ISBN 1442136367
  • Bang Colombia: Textbook On How to Sleep with Colombian Women (2010) ISBN 1452877475
  • Roosh's Brazil Compendium: Pickup Tips, City Guides, and Stories (2010) ISBN 1456517171
  • Roosh's Argentina Compendium: Pickup Tips, City Guides, and Stories (2011) ISBN 1460972155
  • Day Bang: How to Casually Pick Up Girls During the Day (2011) ISBN 1463765045
  • Bang Iceland: How to Sleep with Icelandic Women in Iceland (2011) ISBN 1466206748
  • Don't Bang Denmark: How to Sleep with Danish Women in Denmark (If You Must) (2011) ISBN 1466480823
  • 30 Bangs: The Shaping of One Man's Game from Patient Mouse to Rabid Wolf (2012) ISBN 1470198924
  • Bang Poland: How to Make Love with Polish Girls in Poland (2012) ISBN 1477457054
  • Don't Bang Latvia: How to Sleep with Latvian Women in Latvia Without Getting Scammed (2012) ISBN 1477481540
  • Bang Estonia: How to Sleep with Estonian Women in Estonia (2012) ISBN 1477648852
  • Bang Lithuania: How to Sleep with Lithuanian Women in Lithuania (2012) ISBN 1478331461
  • Bang Ukraine: How to Have Sex with Ukrainian Girls in Ukraine (2012) ISBN 1481088599
  • Poosy Paradise (2014) ISBN 1500399841
  • Free Speech Isn't Free: How 90 Men Stood Up Against The Globalist Establishment -- And Won (2016) ISBN 1533550077

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Rensin, Emmett, "The internet is full of men who hate feminism. Here's what they're like in person", Vox, February 5, 2015
  9. ↑ Bruenig, Elizabeth Stoker, "Pick-Up Artists and Pro-Family Conservatives Agree: Women Only Marry for Money", The New Republic, February 5, 2015
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Daryush, Valizadeh "The Poznan Institute is the official home of neomasculinity, an ideology that was first named in March of 2015 by Roosh V (Daryush Valizadeh)", Poznan Institute, March 5, 2015
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ (Sep 11, 2018) http://www.returnofkings.com/193470/amazon-has-banned-9-of-my-books-without-explanation
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  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Jule Banville, "Blogger Stud Living in Dad’s Basement, Writing Second Book on How to Get Laid", "Washington City Paper", 2008
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ Plucinska, Joanna, "Toronto’s Mayor Says a Tour by ‘Neo Masculine’ Author Roosh V Should Be Cancelled", Time, August 11, 2015
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Sheridan, Kate, "Roosh V files police report after Montreal woman throws beer in his face", Montreal Gazette, August 10, 2015
  23. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  29. ↑ 29.0 29.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ SPLC, "Misogyny: The Sites", "Intelligence Report", 2012
  31. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Mike Riggs, "The Southern Poverty Law Center Is Now Writing About Pickup Artists as Hate Groups", "reason.com", 2012-03-09
  33. ↑ The Corner, "What’s after ‘Jumping the Shark’?", "National Review", 2012-00-00
  34. ↑ ekstrabladet.dk, "Scoreguide pusher kvindehad", "ekstrabladet.dk", 2012-03-27
  35. ↑ Michael Brendan Dougherty, "A Civil Rights Group Is Now Criticizing Random Jerks For Not Calling Women Back After Sex", "business insider", 2012-03-09
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  38. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ Roosh V, "How to Stop Rape", RooshV, February 16, 2015
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ McInnes, Gavin, "The Gavin McInnes Show 015", The Anthony Cumia Show, August 10, 2015
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  45. ↑ 45.0 45.1 Campbell, Emily, "Movement underway to bar U.S. 'pick-up artist' from coming to Montreal", CJAD News, August 4, 2015
  46. ↑ Roosh V, Controversial Pick-Up Artist, Gets Beer Thrown In His Face In Montreal, Huffington Post (Canada), August 9, 2015.
  47. ↑ CBC, "Montreal woman wants 'pickup artist' banned from Canada", July 24, 2015
  48. ↑ 48.0 48.1 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (ICI Radio Canada), "Protestation contre la venue à Montréal d'un blogueur qui banalise le viol", August 4, 2015
  49. ↑ Poirier, Carole, "Venue à Montréal d'un blogueur misogyne – La ministre de la Condition féminine va-t-elle laisser Daryush Valizadeh propager sa haine des femmes au Québec?", Government of Quebec, August 4, 2015
  50. ↑ Richer, Jocelyne, "La ministre Vallée ne s’oppose pas à la venue du blogueur Roosh V", Le Devoir, August 5, 2015
  51. ↑ Dumont, Marie-Eve, "Roosh V aurait perdu sa salle pour sa conférence à Montréal", Le Journal de Montréal, August 5, 2015
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Noel, Marie-Christine, "Le proprio d'un café menacé par Roosh V?", Le Journal de Montreal, August 8, 2015
  54. ↑ 54.0 54.1 Adams, Joanna, "Roosh V's Toronto Lecture Held In Mississauga, Despite Protests: Report", The Huffington Post, August 17, 2015
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 Russell, Andrew, "Mayor John Tory says controversial pick-up artist Roosh V has ‘no place’ in Toronto", Global News, August 11, 2015
  56. ↑ Deland, Maxime, "Roosh V: deux enquêtes policières en cours", Le Journal de Montreal, August 10, 2015
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Soupcoff, Marni, "Marni Soupcoff: In defence of a dreary individual", National Post, August 10, 2015
  59. ↑ Shah, Maryam, "Pickup artist Roosh V. not welcome in Toronto: Tory", Toronto Sun, August 10, 2015
  60. ↑ CTV News, "CTV News Channel 'Sounding the Alarm Bells'", August 11, 2015
  61. ↑ Vella, Erica, "MPP Cheri DiNovo petitions for Roosh V ban", Global News, August 14, 2015
  62. ↑ CityNews, "Protest against 'pick-up artist' Roosh V held near Queen's Park", August 15, 2015
  63. ↑ Westoll, Nick, "Controversial Roosh V. says he spoke in Toronto Saturday", Toronto Star, August 15, 2015
  64. ↑ Rosella, Louie, "WATCH VIDEO: Roosh V. says he held his Toronto event 'in the original hotel'", The Mississauga News, August 16, 2015
  65. ↑ Taekema, Dan, "Roosh V. claims he ‘conquered’ Toronto; critics disagree", Toronto Star, August 16, 2015
  66. ↑ Ritstjórn, "Ráðleggur fólki hvernig á að sænga hjá íslenskum konum", "DV.is", 2011-11-02
  67. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  68. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  69. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  70. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  71. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  72. ↑ Katrine Bøg Larsen, "Danske kvinder er grimme og usexede", "GO TV2", 2012-00-00
  73. ↑ Katrine Bøg Larsen, "Danske kvinder: Vi er feminine og sexede", "GO TV2", 2012-02-09
  74. ↑ MAGNUS BERNHARDSEN, "Kvinneforakten på nett", "dagbladet.no", 2012-08-07
  75. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  77. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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