Open Letter to Julien Blanc
If you have thus far managed not to hear about this, you might want to read a summary here of what went on so you see why I’m writing this.
Dear Julien,
By now, I imagine you’re back home after your less than successful Australian Tour and subsequent booting out of the country.
The thing is, here is Australia, we are far from perfect when it comes to any number of things but what you will have discovered is that we have a rather powerful feminist community.
The wonderful Kirsty Mac, who was instrumental in stopping Blanc’s “seminars” from going ahead, which you can read about on her blog here and here.
As a member of that community, I can’t help but feel a little sorry for you. It’s a strange thing to feel towards a guy who has made headlines here for promoting physical and sexual assault as a means of “picking up”, I admit it, but hear me out.
What you’re doing is promoting rape culture and misogyny. You’re actively dehumanising women. And there will very likely come a point where someone listens to you and rapes someone, if that hasn’t happened already. You’ll have to wear that. But that’s not why I feel sorry for you.
You speak about women as if we are animals- “game”- for you to hunt in the “field” and talk about ways to manipulate us and control what we are thinking to get us into bed with you. You don’t seem to know how to just be yourself and let someone decide if they want to sleep with you based on your own merits- it’s all a game, a show and a farce. But that’s not why I feel sorry for you.
Don’t watch this if it will be a trigger for you- In this Julien Blanc discusses and demonstrates his “techniques’.
You’re really quite racist and disrespectful. Your family are probably pretty horrified by what you do. I feel sorry for them- but it’s not why I feel sorry for you.
You mock the hall-markers of domestic violence. One day, if it hasn’t already happened, someone might actually commit these crimes, having read that you have publicly endorsed them. Domestic violence often starts out with something relatively minor. In some cases it escalates and ends in disability, homelessness or even murder. You’ll have to live with that. But that is most definitely not why I feel sorry for you.
#takedownjulienblanc bc what he’s pulling w/ real social dynamics is all kinds of misogynist asshattery. #rapeculture pic.twitter.com/pFrSfKGbwM
— pakou (@pakouher)
I feel sorry for you because you and men like you stand for the antithesis of feminism. You seem to have embraced the patriarchy with no notion of how it hurts you and all other men. You are revelling in it. You are entrenching yourself in a system that, while it disadvantages women, also severely limits men.
Men have benefited from feminism for some time and will continue to do so. Men aren’t bound by gender stereotypes in the way they used to be. Feminism has changed the family dynamic so that men are more involved and active parents to their children. Men benefit from women having control over their fertility. Men are less pressured to be the sole breadwinner. Men have more life and career options. So much has changed for men since women began to seek equality.
You are ignoring all that, and for what? I know you probably make a bit of money peddling your abuse seminars. But I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s something simpler.
Julien, all little boys discover their penises and are usually pretty entranced by them for a while. Most grow out of it though- because while I’m sure penises are wonderful, we all learn that there are far bigger and better things in this world. Why not leave yours alone for a bit? It’s probably a strange concept but sex, despite being something you “trained” to do, despite feeling great at the time, is a relatively small part of life. The kind of person who measures your personal value against how many people you can talk into having sex with you it’s probably not worth the effort. Why not look into “the radical notion that women are human beings”? Women are all over it and all the smart guys are doing it.
Patrick Stewart- actor and feminist
Benedict Cumberbatch- feminist and actor
Bill Bailey- feminist, actor, musician, comedian, radio presenter and author
Barack Obama- feminist and President of the USA
Don McPherson- former American football star, activist and feminist
The Dalai Lama- Spiritual leader and feminist
Daniel Radcliffe- feminist and actor
John Legend- singer, songwriter, actor and feminist
Joseph Gordon-Levitt- Actor, writer, producer, director, record company owner and feminist