Tag Archives: socialization

Seduction Communities: Calibrating the “Inner” and “Outer Game” of Pickup Artists

5 May

“There are two kinds of guys out there—there’s the calibrator, and there’s the escalator. I’m a calibrator, and I miss out on a lot of opportunities. Be an escalator: be active, not passive.” A dozen stories high into the Manhattan night sky in a rented dance studio, these words of advice were spoken by a dating coach to a group of men assembled for a weekly skills-training seminar in seduction. In nearly every major city of North America there exists a “seduction lair”: an association of men who train each-other in embodying charismatic masculinity to pick up women. These men are assembled and trained by a “pickup artist” (PUA), and they deploy ritual forms of socialization to overcome inhibitions, and to transform their personal identity from AFC (“average frustrated chump,” in their parlance) to “PUA.” Continue reading →

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Breaking News: Toys are Gendered

25 Nov

Every year, millions of people from the United States wake up extra early on the morning after Thanksgiving (or they never go to sleep) to buy gifts, electronics, toys, and other goods at a discounted price. Black Friday is a strange, but not at all surprising, practice indirectly commemorating the eradication of a population; this “holiday” celebrates genocide with discounted goods, unethical labor practices, and angry customer altercations over the latest Furby. Since Black Friday is upon us, retailers have been busy marketing the newest toys for the holiday season, giving those of us interested in gender and socialization an opportunity to evaluate the gendering of toys marketed to children.

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