How Canada turned a blogging Casanova into a martyr: Menon

Two weeks ago, Roosh V was largely unknown.

If someone had asked, "Who or what is Roosh V?" my wild guesses would have included "a new Dyson upright" or "a busker who re-enacts sci-fi scenes using onomatopoeias."

Now we know the truth is more humdrum.

Roosh V is the alter ego of Daryush Valizadeh, an American blogger, "pickup artist" and author. His books include Bang and, for diurnal lotharios, Day Bang: How to Casually Pick Up Girls During the Day.

His interest in hooking up is not limited to North America. His travel guides, based on personal "research," include Bang Poland, Bang Lithuania, Bang Iceland, Bang Colombia, Bang Estonia and the more circumspect Don't Bang Denmark: How to Sleep With Danish Women in Denmark (If You Must).

He's like Fodor's for fornicators.

Earlier this year, Roosh V decided to broaden his marketing footprint by stomping across the lecture circuit. He penned a 40-minute speech titled "The State of Man."

Then he embarked upon a six-city "World Tour."

The first stop, Berlin (June 27), generated no blowback and scant coverage in the local press. Ditto the next three stops: London (July 4), Washington (July 11) and New York City (July 18). In these cities, Roosh V might as well have been a potted geranium.

He warranted no special attention.

But before his final two stops, in Montreal on Aug. 8, and the finale this Saturday in Toronto, scrutiny was building.

A petition to deny Roosh V entry to Canada now includes more than 44,000 signatures. Dozens of stories catapulted the "controversial blogger" into the news cycle as a bête noir.

His detractors believe Roosh V is a merchant of hate and an advocate for violence against women. Exhibit A comes via a blog post uploaded in February, titled "How to Stop Rape."

His questionable solution: "Make rape legal if done on private property."

Based on that sentence, now widely quoted, you can understand why so many people were apoplectic. You can see why Mayor John Tory (open John Tory's policard) tweeted: "@rooshv and his hate speech have no place in our city and should have no platform here either." And why Councillor Norm Kelly (open Norm Kelly's policard) noted: "@rooshv's 'take' on life is worthless garbage masquerading as provocative insight."

That may well be true. But if you read the entire essay, you can also see why Roosh V supporters claim the critics are missing the point of the essay, which was to use satire and hyperbole to build a thought experiment.

There is a distinction to be made, however scuzzy it may feel, between explicitly calling for rape — a clear violation of Section 319 of Canada's Criminal Code — and for tossing out a hypothetical proposal to change legislation around sexual assault, however misguided.

Is Roosh V a wilful provocateur? Absolutely. Does he hold beliefs that many find odious? Absolutely. Is he clinging to anachronistic gender roles to promote a neo-masculine doctrine that can be monetized? Possibly.

Should his free expression be curtailed because of this?

What's more terrifying than any thought experiment in the manosphere is the reflexive outrage that keeps bubbling forth in the wider ether. Think about the TSO's cancellation of a concert by pianist Valentina Lisitsa. Or PEN members boycotting an award for Charlie Hebdo. Or rapper Action Bronson getting scrubbed from a NXNE concert at Yonge-Dundas Square.

Instead of engaging in debate, or agreeing to disagree, too many are instead demanding silence when presented with views that run counter to their own. We don't want conversations. We just want everyone to nod in agreement.

The irony is that by lunging for the throats of people like Roosh V, the mob is only amplifying the voices they wish to mute. Roosh V spoke to 34 men in Montreal. I've seen hobos on the Esplanade address bigger crowds. But given the outrage and fact a Montreal woman stupidly doused him with beer, for which he filed charges, Roosh V is claiming "victory." He's cast himself as the victim.

Canada turned this bearded Casanova into a Spinoza-grade martyr. Canada gave him so much exposure he might seriously consider quitting "The Game" to make a killing teaching PR to corporations.

On Wednesday, he tweeted confirmation for this weekend's "Operation Fornication" in Toronto: "I have booked 6 venues for Saturday's speech. It's costing me a fortune but I don't care. THE SHOW WILL GO ON."

Agree or disagree, worthless garbage or provocative insight, that's as it should be.

The show should always go on.

Source: How Canada turned a blogging Casanova into a martyr: Menon