Roosh V

Roosh V
Born Daryush Valizadeh
(1979-06-14) June 14, 1979
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 posts related to the manosphere.

Roosh writes on his personal blog[2] and also owns the Return of Kings website[8] where he publishes articles by himself and others on related subjects. Roosh has self-published more than a dozen sex and travel guides, most of which discuss picking up and having sex with women in specific countries.[9] His advice, his videos and his writings have received widespread criticism, including accusations of misogyny and promotion of rape.

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."[10] Roosh graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2001[11] with a degree in microbiology.[12] He began blogging about his attempts at having sex with women[5] but once his internet anonymity was broken, he turned to blogging and writing full-time as a means to supporting himself,[13] 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 had visited.[5]

Personal views

Roosh calls his system of beliefs[14] "Neomasculinity", which he describes:[15]

Neomasculinity combines traditional beliefs, masculinity, and animal biology into one ideological system. It aims to aid men living in Westernized nations that lack qualities such as classical virtue, masculinity in males, femininity in females, and objectivity, especially concerning beauty ideals and human behavior. It also serves as an antidote for males who are being programmed to accept Western degeneracy, mindless consumerism, and immoral state authority.

Roosh started his writing career with pickup tips, but says, "My current work features it much less so I don’t presently identify as a 'PUA,' [pick-up artist] though I stand by my older work."[14]

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".[16]

Roosh advocates adherence to traditional heteronormative roles for men and women, and believes that feminism has harmed women, men, and society in general.[17][18] In addition, he states that men and women are physically and mentally very different and that much of women's value comes from their fertility and beauty.[19]

While Roosh has been called a "men's rights activist" by The Daily Beast,[20] Daily Mail,[21] Salon,[22] S. E. Smith,[23] and others, Roosh does not consider himself one, and has called men's rights activists "sexual losers" and "bitter virgins".[24] He does, however, sympathize with their views.[14]

He has expressed qualified support for Donald Trump.[25][26] He said that Trump's election as President of the United States would lead to the "death of political correctness".[27] He has also said The Daily Beast is run by the CIA.[25][26]

By 2016 Roosh had changed his focus from pickup advice to right-wing political commentary. His book Free Speech Isn't Free discusses ways in which, he says, straight men are denied freedom of speech.[28]

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.[29][30] His inclusion on the list was reported by several publications, some of which mocked the inclusion for being extreme.[9][31][32][33] Business Insider's Michael Brendan Dougherty opined that the SPLC was undermining its credibility by listing Roosh.[34] 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".[35]

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."[36]

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".[37]

In February 2015, Roosh was criticized for a blog post that he wrote titled "How to Stop Rape" in which he proposed legalising rape.[38] 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."[39] 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".[40] 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".[23] Roosh has since said that the post was meant as satire.[41][42]

Canada

Toronto mayor John Tory

In 2015 Roosh scheduled speeches to take place in Montreal on August 8 and Toronto on August 15.[43] 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.[44] It gathered over 38,000 signatures.[45] 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.[44]

The petition and protest were in response to plans by Roosh to give speeches in Toronto and Montreal.[43][46][47]

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.[47][48] Vallée responded by condemning Roosh's statements, but declined to make further comments regarding whether he should be denied entry to Canada.[49] 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.[50] Roosh asked that his followers assist him in a "counter-attack" against the demonstrators by collecting personal information about them.[51] 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.[52]

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.[53] 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.[54] 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.[19][55][56] 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.[42][57]

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.[54][58][59] On August 15, a protest against Roosh, attended by Member of Parliament Cheri DiNovo, was held at Queen's Park.[60][61] 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.[53][62][63][64]

Nordic countries

The Icelandic publication DV published a number of stories about Roosh's release of his book Bang Iceland, calling it "derogatory".[65][66] Icelandic feminist organization Femínistafélag Íslands condemned the book as a "rape guide."[67] Another publication labelled it "slander."[68] Icelandic writer and media persona Egill Einarsson said the book was "as wrong as possible".[69]

Danish Ekstra Bladet published five articles on the release of Roosh's book Don't Bang Denmark,[70] and Danish TV aired several discussions sparked by the book.[71][72]

Norwegian Dagbladet newspaper questioned the morality of Roosh's seduction tactics in an article warning about the rise of the "manosphere".[73]

Baltic countries

His books Bang Estonia, Don't Bang Latvia, and Bang Lithuania were met with a generally negative reaction from media outlets of those respective countries, where he was described as a "sex tourist".[6][74] 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.[75]

South America

South American television network TeleSUR had a show in which they detailed: "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."[76]

References

  1. ↑ Price, Rob (February 2014). "The Web's most infamous misogynist regrets nothing". Daily Dot. Retrieved 2014-09-17.
  2. 1 2 "About Roosh V". Roosh V. Retrieved 2015-03-31.
  3. ↑ "Roosh V – About". Facebook. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  4. ↑ "American Stereotypes Are So Hurtful". Rooshv.com. May 4, 2007. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Dalrymple, Theodore (January 13, 2013). "A Sex Tourist Swallows the Red Pill – Taki's Magazine". Takimag.com. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  6. 1 2 "Seksiturist: Eesti naised on paksud ja ülbed, aga välismaalased neile meeldivad – Publik". Publik.delfi.ee. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  7. ↑ "Controversial Pick-Up Artist Gets Beer In His Face In Montreal (NSFW)". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 2016-01-10.
  8. ↑ "About". Returnofkings.com. April 23, 2012. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  9. 1 2 Greenwood, Arin (March 10, 2012). "Southern Poverty Law Center Lists 'Roosh V' On Misogyny Report". Huffington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  10. ↑ Ali, Mumia. "Bang: The Definitive Interview With RooshV (Part One)". A Voice for Men. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Full text of "Commencement"". Archive.org. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  12. ↑ Jule Banville, "Blogger Stud Living in Dad’s Basement, Writing Second Book on How to Get Laid", "Washington City Paper", 2008
  13. ↑ "Roosh Cribs". YouTube. May 7, 2008. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  14. 1 2 3 "Everything You Wanted To Know About Daryush "Roosh" Valizadeh But Were Afraid To Ask". February 4, 2016.
  15. ↑ "What Is Neomasculinity?". rooshv.com. May 6, 2015.
  16. ↑ Stutzman, Christy (September 12, 2002). "Communities – Voices and Insights – Washington Times". Communities.washingtontimes.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  17. ↑ Rensin, Emmett (5 February 2015). "The internet is full of men who hate feminism. Here's what they're like in person.". Vox.
  18. ↑ Bruenig, Elizabeth (5 February 2015). "Pick-Up Artists and Pro-Family Conservatives Agree: Women Only Marry for Money". New Republic.
  19. 1 2 Sheridan, Kate, "Roosh V files police report after Montreal woman throws beer in his face", Montreal Gazette, August 10, 2015
  20. ↑ "The Masculine Mystique". The Daily Beast.
  21. ↑ "Pro-rape pick-up artist Roosh V plans 'tribal meetings' in Australia". Mail Online. February 2, 2016.
  22. ↑ Mary Elizabeth Williams. "Let the ironic male tears fall: The "make rape legal" guys cancel meetups because they don't feel safe". Salon.
  23. 1 2 "MRA Roosh V Wants To Legalize Rape To Teach Women A Lesson". Xojane.com. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  24. ↑ ""Men's Rights" Has Become A Euphemism For "Sexual Loser"".
  25. 1 2 Dewey, Caitlin; Ohlheiser, Abby (8 February 2016). "The sad spectacle of a radical misogynist's basement press conference". The Washington Post. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  26. 1 2 Suebsaeng, Asawin; Zadrosny, Brandy (6 February 2016). "'Pro-Rape' Leader Endorses Donald Trump". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  27. ↑ "Pick-up artists are hailing the election of Donald Trump". The Independent. November 16, 2016.
  28. ↑ Kutner, Max (October 13, 2016). "Roosh V's journey from pickup artist to right-wing provocateur". Newsweek.
  29. ↑ SPLC, "Misogyny: The Sites", "Intelligence Report", 2012
  30. ↑ Greenwood, Arin (March 10, 2012). "D.C. Blogger Makes Misogyny Watch List". The Huffington Post.
  31. ↑ Mike Riggs, "The Southern Poverty Law Center Is Now Writing About Pickup Artists as Hate Groups", "reason.com", 2012-03-09
  32. ↑ The Corner, "What’s after ‘Jumping the Shark’?", "National Review", 2012-00-00
  33. ↑ ekstrabladet.dk, "Scoreguide pusher kvindehad", "ekstrabladet.dk", 2012-03-27
  34. ↑ Michael Brendan Dougherty, "A Civil Rights Group Is Now Criticizing Random Jerks For Not Calling Women Back After Sex", "business insider", 2012-03-09
  35. ↑ "Intelligence Report Article Provokes Fury Among Men's Rights Activists". Southern Poverty Law Center. May 15, 2012.
  36. ↑ Dewey, Caitlin (January 24, 2014). "Hunter Moore is in jail, but that just means some other despicable character is "the most-hated man on the Internet" now". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  37. ↑ Winkie, Luke (March 5, 2015). "The Web's most infamous misogynist regrets nothing". Dailydot.com. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  38. ↑ Cowburn, Ashley (1 February 2016). "Militant pro-rape 'pick up artist' has organised events in eight UK cities". The Indepencent. Retrieved 2 February 2016.
  39. ↑ Roosh V, "How to Stop Rape", RooshV, February 16, 2015
  40. ↑ Wellman, Alex (February 19, 2015). "Roosh V: 'Make rape legal on private property' – Mirror Online". Mirror.co.uk. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  41. ↑ McInnes, Gavin, "The Gavin McInnes Show 015", The Anthony Cumia Show, August 10, 2015
  42. 1 2 Menon, Vinay (August 12, 2015). "How Canada turned a blogging Casanova into a martyr". Toronto Star.
  43. 1 2 "Roosh-V Pickup Artist Shouldn't be Allowed in Canada Says Petition". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). July 24, 2015.
  44. 1 2 Campbell, Emily, "Movement underway to bar U.S. 'pick-up artist' from coming to Montreal", CJAD News, August 4, 2015
  45. ↑ Roosh V, Controversial Pick-Up Artist, Gets Beer Thrown In His Face In Montreal, Huffington Post (Canada), August 9, 2015.
  46. ↑ CBC, "Montreal woman wants 'pickup artist' banned from Canada", July 24, 2015
  47. 1 2 Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (ICI Radio Canada), "Protestation contre la venue à Montréal d'un blogueur qui banalise le viol", August 4, 2015
  48. ↑ 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
  49. ↑ Richer, Jocelyne, "La ministre Vallée ne s’oppose pas à la venue du blogueur Roosh V", Le Devoir, August 5, 2015
  50. ↑ Dumont, Marie-Eve, "Roosh V aurait perdu sa salle pour sa conférence à Montréal", Le Journal de Montréal, August 5, 2015
  51. ↑ Laframboise, Kalina (August 6, 2015). "Controversial blogger facing strong opposition over upcoming Montreal appearance". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  52. ↑ Noel, Marie-Christine, "Le proprio d'un café menacé par Roosh V?", Le Journal de Montreal, August 8, 2015
  53. 1 2 Adams, Joanna, "Roosh V's Toronto Lecture Held In Mississauga, Despite Protests: Report", The Huffington Post, August 17, 2015
  54. 1 2 Russell, Andrew, "Mayor John Tory says controversial pick-up artist Roosh V has ‘no place’ in Toronto", Global News, August 11, 2015
  55. ↑ Deland, Maxime, "Roosh V: deux enquêtes policières en cours", Le Journal de Montreal, August 10, 2015
  56. ↑ "Beer thrown on pickup artist Roosh V. probed". Toronto Sun.
  57. ↑ Soupcoff, Marni, "Marni Soupcoff: In defence of a dreary individual", National Post, August 10, 2015
  58. ↑ Shah, Maryam, "Pickup artist Roosh V. not welcome in Toronto: Tory", Toronto Sun, August 10, 2015
  59. ↑ CTV News, "CTV News Channel 'Sounding the Alarm Bells'", August 11, 2015
  60. ↑ Vella, Erica, "MPP Cheri DiNovo petitions for Roosh V ban", Global News, August 14, 2015
  61. ↑ CityNews, "Protest against 'pick-up artist' Roosh V held near Queen's Park", August 15, 2015
  62. ↑ Westoll, Nick, "Controversial Roosh V. says he spoke in Toronto Saturday", Toronto Star, August 15, 2015
  63. ↑ Rosella, Louie, "WATCH VIDEO: Roosh V. says he held his Toronto event 'in the original hotel'", The Mississauga News, August 16, 2015
  64. ↑ Taekema, Dan, "Roosh V. claims he ‘conquered’ Toronto; critics disagree", Toronto Star, August 16, 2015
  65. ↑ Ritstjórn, "Ráðleggur fólki hvernig á að sænga hjá íslenskum konum", "DV.is", 2011-11-02
  66. ↑ "Mælir með því að hella konur fullar og einangra þær – DV". Dv.is. November 3, 2011. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  67. ↑ "Femínistar fordæma flagarabók Vöreks – DV". Dv.is. November 5, 2011. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  68. ↑ "Icelandic Womanhood (JB)". Iceland Review. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  69. ↑ "Gillz um flagarabók Vöreks: "Eins rangt og hægt er" – DV". Dv.is. November 4, 2011. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  70. ↑ "Derfor skal du ikke knalde danske piger – Ekstra Bladet" (in Danish). Ekstrabladet.dk. June 10, 2014. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  71. ↑ Katrine Bøg Larsen, "Danske kvinder er grimme og usexede", "GO TV2", 2012-00-00
  72. ↑ Katrine Bøg Larsen, "Danske kvinder: Vi er feminine og sexede", "GO TV2", 2012-02-09
  73. ↑ MAGNUS BERNHARDSEN, "Kvinneforakten på nett", "dagbladet.no", 2012-08-07
  74. ↑ "Seksiturist üllitas Eesti kohta juhusuhte-reisijuhi – Publik". Publik.delfi.ee. Retrieved 2015-03-09.
  75. ↑ Kristaps Zālītis (December 1, 2012). "Intervija ar sekstūristu, kurš izbrāķēja Latviju". Delfi.
  76. ↑ nrc-mk, teleSUR /. "'Neomasculinist' Group Meets Worldwide to Legalize Rape".
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