A man who teaches other men how to coerce women into sexual encounters is the target of an Internet campaign to end his practices. Julien Blanc, who refers to himself as a “pick-up artist,” travels around the globe and engages in questionable behavior when he is not passing on his knowledge at a cost of $3,000 per seminar.
Blanc, who consults for an organization called Real Social Dynamics (RSD), uses techniques of intimidation on women, including grabbing their heads and pointing them to his groin. Blanc is not the only troubling character at RSD. The organization’s founder, Owen Tyler, has regaled male audiences with a crude and detailed story about a Thai woman he raped, which drew the attention of online activists.
Jenni Li has begun a petition campaign against Julien Blanc, which has so far received 30,000 signatures. Many people on social media have helped spread the word through the “TakeDownJulienBlanc” hashtag. Several feminist groups convinced venue EventBrite to stop ticket sales to RSD events, and Australia pulled Blanc’s visa, requiring him to leave the country.
Tyler followed soon afterward. The online campaign is expected to make it difficult for Blanc to make money from teaching men how to abuse women.