A successful campaign has been launched to halt Julien Blanc’s international visas and effectively prohibit him from giving seminars that promote violence against women. On Thursday, he was successfully kicked out of Australia following the internet campaign #takedownjulienblanc. Today, attention has shifted toward Canada and the UK.
Just two months ago, the self-proclaimed pick-up artist Blanc posted an offensive video about what white men have the privilege of doing in Tokyo (by the way—no woman gave him permission nor did they appreciate the approach in the slightest). Since then, the video has become private, but a version by a YouTuber (msdoom99) was put up with Japanese subtitles in order to warn people.
The YouTuber said, “It makes me sad. This white guy overflowing with confidence. It makes me feel icky. Somehow it depresses me.” It depresses us too.
Blanc is supposed to be traveling back to Japan this month, where he tells men, “If you’re a white male in Tokyo, you can do what you want. I’m just romping through the streets, just grabbing girls’ heads…pfft on the dick, head on the dick, yelling ‘Pikachu,’ with a Pikachu shirt [on].” Apparently he does not think that is racist or horrifyingly inappropriate.
A photo that Blanc previously posted on Twitter with the caption “May as well be a checklist… #HowToMakeHerStay.”
His disturbing advice has prompted Jennifer Li to start a #takedownjulienblanc hashtag to bring awareness to the seminars that need to be canceled, and the f-ed up messages that this company is promoting.
Women are getting choked, assaulted, and emotionally manipulated. PUA response: “So what’s another way I can talk to women then?” —
— #TakeDownJulienBlanc (@JennLi123) November 9, 2014
I do not advise supporting or promoting his website or his company, so I will not share them here. Instead I will just share the petition, and the hashtag so we can make ourselves aware and keep this form of “dating-education” out of our society.
We do not need advice from men who brag about #ChokingWomenAroundTheWorld, or to attempt to seduce women with anything but human decency.
Somayya Shazia, who promotes Li’s Twitter hashtag, told BuzzFeed News, “What disturbs me is that he and his company are profiting from promoting rape culture and instructing men how to terrorize and assault women. The company’s attitude toward sexual assault is simply sickening. I want these venues to cancel his seminars as they are designed to actively promote sexual violence.”
We should not and cannot let violence towards women continue, and as long as this man (and men like him) are holding events teaching others that this behavior is acceptable, we will have a problem. Take a moment to sign the petition, and if you realize an event may be in your area, contact the venue and inform them of his gross tactics.
Photos via Twitter, Buzzfeed, and Change.org
