Roosh Valizadeh has made a career, such as it is, of teaching guys how to talk to women the Rooshy way. And not just how to talk to drunk women in clubs, where you’re lucky if they can even hear your clever negs over all the noise.
In his book Day Bang he sets forth his brilliant strategy for speaking to women in the daytime: start babbling to them about random crap like those slightly dotty elderly people who come up to you sometimes babbling about random crap.
No, really. You’re supposed to “open” with an “Elderly Opener” and segue seamlessly into “Elderly Chat,” taking your cues from the people who are the best at talking forever about nothing at all. “This is something old people excel at,” he writes.
They can have a one-hour chat stemming from an ice cream flavor because their life experience is so deep that they can seamlessly and casually connect it to a dozen other topics.
During the day I want you to think of yourself as a wandering, slightly confused old man who needs to gain information or knowledge. In my sock example, I played up that I was a style retard, incapable of buying a five-dollar pair of socks, when in reality I’m totally capable of making that decision.
And then – shazam! – you’re in like Flynn! Apparently women just melt for men who can’t figure out how to buy socks.
But it turns out that when there’s no possibility that the conversation will end with a bang, Roosh is far less interested in talking to women. Or at least in them talking back.
So much so that he’s not only banned women from commenting on his Return of Kings blog but, as of earlier this week, he’s also banning men who merely reply to women who happen to sneak past his anti-woman defenses and get in a comment or two before they’re banned. (He’s also banned “homos.” His term, not mine.)
Roosh’s announcement generated a good deal of discussion on RoK, mostly from supportive dudes glad that girls and talkers-to-girls are being thrown out of Roosh’s manly clubhouse.
Well, heck, that just means more women for me to talk to.
Excuse me, ladies, but I’m having trouble figuring out how these socks work. Do I put the delicious Pistachio ice cream in them before I put them on, or after?
Note: I really don’t want to give Roosh any traffc, but if you must, the link to his post is hidden somewhere in my post above. Thanks to MARK MINTER for alerting me to Roosh’s new policy.
“Samantha, can I just say that if you ever decide to write a book, I will buy it and read it the instant it comes out in stores, and encourage my whole family to do so. I would love to read about your experiences as a feminist in America throughout the years. I often find myself having to justify to people why feminism needs to exist, and I think your words might be able to say what a straightforward sociological explanation cannot.”
Well, I appreciate that, but I don’t know that I have the ability to write a book. 🙂 But perhaps I will tell some of what I remember here.
“My great grandmother was a feminist activist in Venezuela before the communist revolution, and our whole family is so proud of what little photographs and artifacts we have of that time of her life. Just little pieces of stationary, snapshots of her at events and newspaper clippings about protests she presumably marched in. It’s a shame so little of it survives, and if she had written a book, I would’ve been so happy to have it. I strongly encourage you to write your experiences down.”
Your great grandmother sounds like an amazing person. When those who truly care about their people and the world, the strength they can find within can change everything. Something of her obviously lives in you, which is why you are here.
There have been, and continue to be, holocausts around the world. I remember when Pol Pot killed 8 million Cambodians, partly because he thought those who wore glasses were intellectuals and, therefore, threats to his regime. Anyone who believes that holocausts were only in the past, or were only about certain people, is kidding him or herself. Remember those who walked this land before Europe showed up on its shores.
Actually, David Futrelle has the right idea with this blog. Despots of all stripes hate being exposed and hate being laughed at. When I was a hippie/feminist/war protestor (spent a little time in Cook County jail for the last one), I was never prouder then when I realized that one of the things that took down Richard Nixon was the fact that we all laughed at him. It took me a while to learn to laugh at him, since I lost friends in Viet Nam and saw others come home with their spirits broken.
Come to think of it, I still AM those things. Hurray!!
I wish we still had consciousness raising groups, except this time it would be women and men together, standing shoulder to shoulder to help create the world that we envision.
Yes, when I read the hate it brings up so much that I had hoped was gone forever. But forever is a long time and we will always have those voices of hate and fear and misery. In my old age I have come to think that the only real responses to it all are compassion, laughter and hope. I want to leave my grandkids with that.
And a staunch refusal to to give up, give in , give over. I am a woman. And I am damned happy to be so. And I’m really long-winded, too!
Concepts like the “act like old man” one really make me wish that Pickup Artist show still existed so I could lol at the dudes trying to put this suggestion into action.
He’s got to be trolling them though. It’s just too much.
@hellkell: Perhaps he can even learn to dress properly, too. And learn his manners…..lulz. =p
@tesformes: That is so cool. Seconding Samantha, btw; your great-grandma sounds like she was just plain awesome. =)
Samantha seems familiar and too convenient.
Red flags: using David’s full name. Overuse of ellipses. Lots, of, commas. Sympathy for the devil: “really hurting guys”. Few contractions (liars don’t use contractions).
Maybe ‘Samantha’ is for real but given that she types a lot like someone David invoked in the OP… I roll to disbelieve.
I am 99.999% sure Samantha is not a sockpuppet but is indeed who she says she is.
It’s like Roosh wants some effed-up version of the Bechdel Test, but he wants it applied to real life.
zoon echon logon: LOL @ ‘Roosh 5’. I bet Roosh chose his name as a tribute to his favourite fictional boxer, Rocky V.
“Samantha seems familiar and too convenient.
Red flags: using David’s full name. Overuse of ellipses. Lots, of, commas. Sympathy for the devil: “really hurting guys”. Few contractions (liars don’t use contractions).”
Wow. I have no idea what you are talking about. Sympathy for the devil…hmm. Just because I can recognize that some people respond to pain by lashing out in irrational and angry ways – and that I can feel badly that they do that – does not in any way mean that I a) respect their choices, b) condone their actions or c) do not fully understand how dangerous they can be.
As far as being familiar and too convenient, I would very much appreciate it if you would explain what you mean. I am lost on that one. This is the first blog I have ever written on, and I chose to do so on the recommendation of my son.
And my writing style, including the use of commas, is simply my writing style. And my use of David’s full name was to let people know to whom I was referring. I do not know him and I do not know how many other David’s there are on this blog.
“Maybe ‘Samantha’ is for real but given that she types a lot like someone David invoked in the OP… I roll to disbelieve.”
Well, that is something I cannot help. If David has a problem with how and what I write, I invite him to comment, either publicly or privately. He has my email address.
“I am 99.999% sure Samantha is not a sockpuppet but is indeed who she says she is.”
Thank you, David. By the way – I realize that this may seem silly, but could you tell me what a sockpuppet is? I mean, other than the the obvious kids toy.
Thanks.
Samantha: a sockpuppet is a banned troll who comes back under another name. We tend to get a lot of them. I don’t think you’re one FWIW, and I have pretty good sock radar.
“Samantha: a sockpuppet is a banned troll who comes back under another name. We tend to get a lot of them. I don’t think you’re one FWIW, and I have pretty good sock radar.”
Oh…Thanks for the definition. And, no, I am not a sockpuppet and I appreciate your radar. 🙂
It’s a case of some people enjoying purposeful agitation of comment sections, for a lark, and those people for some reason often wandering in here.
Some of those people use a lot of commas and write in a particular way, including marking out text segments with a pair of ” and other things. It can get very bothersome, because you can never quite tell whether someone is genuinely sharing interesting stories or trying to see just how you can push things on a lark, where at some point your “Oh, that was really interesting” is met with a “Hah, you feminist stooge, I fooled you all and this proves I am the superior specimen of humanity!”.
For what it’s worth, if you’re interested in using block quotes, you can do so by marking texts with <blockquote> quoted text </blockquote>
Now, just submit to this full DNA scan while we verify your credentials ( q: )
I also vote for Samantha not being a sockpuppet. And would also add I’m appreciating what you are contributing here so far.
Also, just out of curiosity, has your son commented here too?
Some of those people use a lot of commas and write in a particular way, including marking out text segments with a pair of ” and other things. It can get very bothersome, because you can never quite tell whether someone is genuinely sharing interesting stories or trying to see just how you can push things on a lark, where at some point your “Oh, that was really interesting” is met with a “Hah, you feminist stooge, I fooled you all and this proves I am the superior specimen of humanity!”.
Ahh. This is getting a tad confusing. I have always used quotation marks when replying in email, or in regular mail, to indicate portions of a letter I am referencing. Here I am, perhaps mistakenly, using them to also indicate to whom I am speaking. Lots to learn.
For what it’s worth, if you’re interested in using block quotes, you can do so by marking texts with
How do I do that? Is there a particular setting tha I should use?
Now, just submit to this full DNA scan while we verify your credentials ( q: )
Hehehehe…. Did I pass? And thanks for the education. 🙂
Thank you, grumpycatisagirl.
“Also, just out of curiosity, has your son commented here too?”
You know, I do not know. I will ask him when he is awake.
He and I were talking about feminism and we watched some videos on youtube. Some were from someone named Hannibalthevictor and one was by Paul Elam. I like Hannibal and was horrified by Elam. Then he told me more about the mra’s and mrm’s, so I googled and found A Voice For Men. I still can’t get through much of that. Ever since, I have been looking at various sites, some just plain awful and some very encouraging.
Anyway, then he told me about this blog and recommended that I read some of it.
Samantha: You san see the effect of the blockquote tags in your own post. Just put the two tags around whatever you are quoting, and it will appear in the box.
Has someone given Samantha a welcome-package yet?
Finally: Honestly, I’m in agreement that your story would make an awesome book. You might team up with a co-writer, someone who is a skilled interviewer and can draw out the details.
Swooping by on my lunch break, we’ve been super-frakking busy this week.
Hello, Samantha! I’ll take freemage’s suggestion and offer you your very own complementary welcome package, and when kittehs shows up (she’s on Oz time) she has some great suggestions for how to make blog comment html easier!
I especially wanted to take a moment to encourage you to think about sharing your experiences with the world, because your book sounds like something I’d be interested in reading as well! I think for all the reasons you are horrified by PE and the current turn in the US against women’s progress, your story is timely and important. As someone who has done some ghostwriting, I can vouch for the fact that the right co-writer can help you not only with getting your story out and structuring it into a book-length narrative, but also with drafting query letters for agents and publishers.
Welcome and good luck!
I’m a little late to say this, but I’
Aaaand, I think I just found us an enter monster.
Back to what I was saying, if I may. I’m a little late to say this but I’m fairly sure Samantha isn’t a sock.
Whew.
This is what I get for trying to post right after I wake up. Thanks enter monster.
Hello, Samantha! I’ll take freemage’s suggestion and offer you your very own complementary welcome package, and when kittehs shows up (she’s on Oz time) she has some great suggestions for how to make blog comment html easier!
Still not clear on the blockquote thing. Sigh.
Oh, wow. Thank you so much! I damn near fell off of my misandrist hard chair, laughing so hard that I had to reach for one of my many matching bath towels to dry my eyes!
Scented Motherfucking Candles??!!! REALLY??? I cannot respond…Imagine that! One woman enjoying her life, doing good stuff…having such a destructive effect on, well, EVERTHING! How powerful can one woman be? Words fail.
Mr. Minter’s men. That statement says it all. This is pure, unadulterated evil. Where does he get his statistics? Does he just make them up? And I just LOVE that these men are never, ever responsible for any of what they say they experience. Poor babies. Here, let granny kiss it and make it better. Wait, on second thought…ahhh I think I will just let my lips live a little longer. Bleah!
Ah, cupcakes! It is sooo good to know how very powerful we ladies are. And evil, too! Muwahahahaha…Too bad I don’t have a mustache to twirl. Always wanted a Snidely Whiplash look. Although I am pretty good at rubbing my hands together in a menacing manner.
Penguin whores… Reminds me of something Stephen J Gould wrote many years ago, comparing human male aggression and war-making with Japanese Fighting Fish. He said that because the fish are naturally war-like and aggressive, so are men.
I have to go somewhere and breathe for a while. Thanks for the Welcome Package! I’ll get back to later.
Samantha: Go back and look first at fibinachi’s post at 11:23, specifically the part where he states how to use the blockquote tags (the third paragraph). Then look at your own post at 11:38, which I am assuming was done by using Copy & Paste of his text. Do you see the box that popped up that says “quoted text” inside it? That’s what happens when you use the tags (the bits in brackets).
Actually, I believe I made a mistake in my last post. I stated that it was Stephen J Gould who compared male human aggressive behavior to Japanese Fighting Fish. On reflection, I believe that it was Konrad Lorenz who made that comparison in his book “On Aggression.”
Sorry about that. I will be more vigilant when I quote in the future, or make reference to what someone has said.
Still a silly thing, though.
@ Samantha
Hi, and don’t worry, you’ll get the hang of the blockquotes eventually.