"I've spent more time than I'd like to admit consuming pickup artist content across every medium. I've watched TV shows, lurked in online forums, and read books - the legitimate ones from major publishers and some shady ones sold as e-books on dubious websites. I can partly chalk that up to the fact that, in the mid-2010s, pickup artist forums became politically relevant due to GamerGate, an online harassment campaign targeting women in the gaming industry."
"What fascinated me about the pickup artist communities was this tension between hapless young men just yearning for human connection and companionship, and the often noxious, manipulative, and misogynistic gurus who offered to teach them the way. These teachers, who generally sold expensive courses and private lessons, had their own jargon and complicated strategy systems, even if the advice largely boiled down to "Be confident, and go talk to girls.""
A person consumed pickup-artist content across many media, including TV shows, online forums, mainstream books, and dubious e-books. Pickup-artist forums gained political relevance during the mid-2010s because of GamerGate, an online harassment campaign targeting women in the gaming industry. Early exposure included the VH1 reality show The Pickup Artist and Neil Strauss's book The Game, showcasing peacocking and other tactics. The pickup-artist scene combined men seeking connection with manipulative, misogynistic gurus selling courses and jargon. The practical core advice largely boiled down to confidence and initiating conversation, exemplified by a blunt opening line that drew ridicule online.
Read at Business Insider
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