seduction. Well-known pickup artist "gurus" can make millions of dollars per year: they may sell books; they may sell hours of "coaching"; they may organize training "bootcamps" or conventions with pricy tickets; they may run companies full of instructors trained in their methods. The community even generates its own well-thought-
out internal critiques.
I am a sex-positive feminist lecturer and writer. I write primarily about my experiences with sadomasochism, but I have a general interest in sexuality. I first encountered pickup artists when smart ones started attending my educational events and commenting on my blog.
Some aspects of pickup artistry are hugely problematic; many parts of the community showcase and encourage misogyny. While exploring the PUA jungle, I observed things that turned my stomach and brought tears to my eyes. On the other hand, I had to admit that some pickup artist perspectives were very interesting. Some had fascinating insights about gender theory and social power. I also felt drawn by their exploits. Learning seduction, and watching hypothetically-dazzling Casanovas run a courtier-like game, sounded like an extremely fun way to spend my time.
I started my journey by talking to a few pickup artists and reading their fora. By the end, I had given a lecture at a seduction convention, and I had decided against developing my own coaching business. Today, I can offer a quick synopsis of my own history, and why I became so interested in PUAs. I will break down some elementary distinctions among the men of the seduction community. Finally, I will offer a few PUA-influenced thoughts on feminist goals.
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I was an awkward little bookworm of a child, but at least I was creative. I liked to draw, invent games, and run amateur social experiments. When I was in high school, most of my friends were on the Internet; I did not date a real-life boyfriend until college. I was inevitably teased by my peers, but even when treated well, I rarely engaged with the social hierarchies around me. I had difficulty grasping how social mechanics were "supposed" to work. A lot of things seemed obvious to other people that were not obvious to me.
For example, in sixth grade, a female friend of mine teased me about flirting with a boy. "What was I doing?" I asked. "Come on, you were flirting!" she responded. While I thought I almost understood what she meant, I was unsure -- so I set out to poll everyone I knew about what constitutes "flirting." Responses were inconsistent. One person said, very definitely: "Giggling." Others cited examples such as "intense looks" or "making jokes."
By the end of this experiment, I concluded that no one seemed able to explain "flirting" in terms of consistent behaviors; there were few commonalities in my final list. From what I could tell, flirting could only be explained in terms of invisible interpersonal dynamics. I found this both entertaining and frustrating.
I sometimes wonder what would have become of me if the modern pickup artist community had existed back then, and I had discovered it. PUAs devote a lot of time to
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