 | "Many try to argue that in a progressive era, women are no longer deemed as inferior to men. Blogger Roosh V and followers of the Beta Uprising, a idea that originated from several 4chan forums which explicitly and most frequently discusses the legalization of rape, have a different way of seeing it." - Chloe XTina |
There’s just no way to get around it: women are constantly under the threat of sexual or domestic violence. With hundreds of sexual abuse allegations on campuses each year, school shootings triggered by misogyny, and even the daily demand of attention by catcalling; men are able to believe they are entitled to sex.
Many try to argue that in a progressive era, women are no longer deemed as inferior to men. Blogger Roosh V and followers of the Beta Uprising, an idea that originated from several 4chan forums which explicitly and most frequently discuss the legalization of rape, have a different way of seeing it.
What struck controversy most recently was Roosh V’s “satirical” article on why rape should be legal. In this article, he argues that by making rape legal on private property women must be fully aware and responsible for their actions. This means women must police themselves making men no longer victims of rape allegations. He argues that drunken rape is non-violent and is hard to tell whether or not it’s consensual. Once rape is made legal, however, women would need to be conscious of their alcohol intake and their choice of location and social group. Something that might seem far-fetched, however, is actually communicated through the CDC’s latest statement issued on the dangers for alcohol on women, as discussed by Rebecca Solnit - an everyday example of rape culture. Roosh argues that weeding out violent rapists is more important than catching the average joes - “normal” men who take advantage of drunk girls at parties. He goes on to claim that by recreating the definition of rape, rape will cease to exist. However, Roosh’s new definition erases the idea that sex without consent is rape. He believes that rape is only legitimate and punishable under violent circumstances, citing “alleyway rape” as irrational but “drunken rape” as exaggerated and not abusive. He claims his article is satirical but his prior misogynistic tendencies prove differently.
Many try to argue that in a progressive era, women are no longer deemed as inferior to men. Blogger Roosh V and followers of the Beta Uprising, an idea that originated from several 4chan forums which explicitly and most frequently discuss the legalization of rape, have a different way of seeing it.
What struck controversy most recently was Roosh V’s “satirical” article on why rape should be legal. In this article, he argues that by making rape legal on private property women must be fully aware and responsible for their actions. This means women must police themselves making men no longer victims of rape allegations. He argues that drunken rape is non-violent and is hard to tell whether or not it’s consensual. Once rape is made legal, however, women would need to be conscious of their alcohol intake and their choice of location and social group. Something that might seem far-fetched, however, is actually communicated through the CDC’s latest statement issued on the dangers for alcohol on women, as discussed by Rebecca Solnit - an everyday example of rape culture. Roosh argues that weeding out violent rapists is more important than catching the average joes - “normal” men who take advantage of drunk girls at parties. He goes on to claim that by recreating the definition of rape, rape will cease to exist. However, Roosh’s new definition erases the idea that sex without consent is rape. He believes that rape is only legitimate and punishable under violent circumstances, citing “alleyway rape” as irrational but “drunken rape” as exaggerated and not abusive. He claims his article is satirical but his prior misogynistic tendencies prove differently.
Return of Kings logo, the blog which Roosh V runs.
Similarly, users on several 4chan sub platforms argue that they are entitled to sex by women. They demonize the men women choose to be with as abusive, and consider themselves “nice guys.” Through this rhetoric, they complain that women are self-involved and heartless. Users argue that they are deserving of sex due to their “niceness.” This idea is very similar to that of Elliot Rodger’s, who killed six people and injured fourteen more in the Isla Vista Massacre in late May of 2014. Rodger called himself the “perfect guy” and killed fellow students at UC Santa Barbara due to his constant rejection by women.
One user argues that rape is moral as long as the woman is not a virgin or betrothed to another man. He claims that rape is only wrong when it “violates a girl’s chastity,” but when a single and sexually active woman (deemed in this context as a “slut”), is raped, the rape is only a discomfort to her. Under this idea, the victim would not feel pain under the assumption that she is all used up. He compares this rape to “a starving man stealing a loaf of bread.” Most users declare that women will only be ready to settle down with them after they have spent their youth sleeping with “alpha males,” becoming “all used up” for them. One day, the forum promotes, there will be a “Beta Uprising” in which these users will rise up, defeat “alpha males,” and make women their sex-slaves.
Users under this platform and others like it included Christopher Harper-Mercer, the shooter of Umpqua Community College in October 2015, and Elliot Rodger. After Harper-Mercer carried out his killing spree, several users in the forum responded with celebration. Others pitied him and suggested that if he only had a girlfriend, perhaps he wouldn’t have committed the crime. This surfaces many times within the forum; a woman should “take one for the team” and either sleep with or date one of them to either prevent violence (similar to Roosh V’s prevention of violence by blaming women for rape) or solely for the “fairness” of it all - perhaps the most hyperbolic rape culture logic.
One user argues that rape is moral as long as the woman is not a virgin or betrothed to another man. He claims that rape is only wrong when it “violates a girl’s chastity,” but when a single and sexually active woman (deemed in this context as a “slut”), is raped, the rape is only a discomfort to her. Under this idea, the victim would not feel pain under the assumption that she is all used up. He compares this rape to “a starving man stealing a loaf of bread.” Most users declare that women will only be ready to settle down with them after they have spent their youth sleeping with “alpha males,” becoming “all used up” for them. One day, the forum promotes, there will be a “Beta Uprising” in which these users will rise up, defeat “alpha males,” and make women their sex-slaves.
Users under this platform and others like it included Christopher Harper-Mercer, the shooter of Umpqua Community College in October 2015, and Elliot Rodger. After Harper-Mercer carried out his killing spree, several users in the forum responded with celebration. Others pitied him and suggested that if he only had a girlfriend, perhaps he wouldn’t have committed the crime. This surfaces many times within the forum; a woman should “take one for the team” and either sleep with or date one of them to either prevent violence (similar to Roosh V’s prevention of violence by blaming women for rape) or solely for the “fairness” of it all - perhaps the most hyperbolic rape culture logic.
Pepe the Frog, a common internet meme, originates from the Beta Uprising forums.
Elliot Rodger carried out the Isla Vista Massacre in May of 2014. Rodger is seen as a hero on forums like this, with many users using his picture as their avatar. Rodger is credited for exposing “involuntary celibacy.” Users refer to themselves mostly as “incels”, short for “involuntarily celibate.”
“Involuntary celibacy” is not a new idea. In 2009, George Sodini carried out a shooting at an L.A Fitness Center in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after lamenting on his blog about his inability to seduce women. In an entry dated Christmas Eve 2008, Sodini writes: “Moving into Christmas again. No girlfriend since 1984, last Christmas with Pam was in 1983. Who knows why. I am not ugly or too weird. No sex since July 1990 either (I was 29). No shit! Over eighteen years ago. And did it maybe only 50-75 times in my life.”
The forums mentioned above are most popularly “SlutHate” and “PUAHate.” PUAHate was originally a message board for men who claim that they were humiliated or given false advice by pick up artists.
Oddly enough, Roosh V is a self-proclaimed pick up artist. Although the Beta Uprising platforms are noted as extremely misogynistic, the PUA community (also known as the “seduction community”) is noted the same way. After the Isla Villa Massacre, members of the PUA community suggested that if Rodger had been committed to them they could have “gotten him laid” and obviated violence against women. Even one website, Strategic Dating Coach, commented on a video by Rodger after the massacre: “THIS is why we do what we do,TO PREVENT THIS SHIT!!! He should have gone to our website and got our personal dating coaching or purchased one of our products. IF ANYONE NEEDS HELP, CONTACT US! Don't ‘suffer injustice.’ ”
Even Roosh chimed in with two articles, one of which was posted two days after the shooting. entitled, “No One Would Have Died if PUAHate Killer Elliot Rodger Learned Game,” and another piece three days after, entitled “Elliot Rodger is the First Male Feminist Mass Murderer.” In the latter, Roosh begins his article with “Since originally publishing an article describing how a male-friendly culture encouraging Elliot into self-improvement (game), legal prostitution, and foreign marriage with Southeast Asian women would have prevented his murderous rampage, I did something that most people won’t bother to do: I read his manifesto. Not even halfway through, I began to understand exactly why the media has been pushing the narrative that PUA (game) may have been the cause: Rodger was one of their own.”
Roosh often describes society as a matriarchy and considers media to be feminist propaganda. Recently, he attempted to organize meet-ups/rallies to advocate for the legalization of rape. Roosh writes that these meetings were not to rape women but for men to discuss “common interests”.
The Return of Kings mission statement on meet-ups.
The Return of Kings meet-up image depicts warriors participating in a war call. In early February, Roosh declared his first meeting on February 6th canceled to “guarantee the safety and privacy” of the participants. To read more about these meet ups, click here.
Although canceled, this does not guarantee that this will be the last chance of this “fan base” mobilizing. Roosh and his followers have been outspoken time again and will likely not shy away from continuing their campaign. The followers of this Beta Uprising have already taken their statements on the internet into play with mass shootings and sexual violence. Although these two groups constantly bump against each other with the idea that the PUA Community is the alpha, while the 4chan users are underdogs --they’re still unifying in misogyny and violence. Many ignore these groups (and others like them) as a minority who are unlikely to take action. But where ignorance is observed, disturbance is revealed. These men are motivated by a systematic rape and repressed violence ideal. “Boys will be boys” no longer applies.
References:
Bust Magazine
Direct quotes from Return of Kings
Huffington Post
LitHub
NY Post
Salon
Slate
Although canceled, this does not guarantee that this will be the last chance of this “fan base” mobilizing. Roosh and his followers have been outspoken time again and will likely not shy away from continuing their campaign. The followers of this Beta Uprising have already taken their statements on the internet into play with mass shootings and sexual violence. Although these two groups constantly bump against each other with the idea that the PUA Community is the alpha, while the 4chan users are underdogs --they’re still unifying in misogyny and violence. Many ignore these groups (and others like them) as a minority who are unlikely to take action. But where ignorance is observed, disturbance is revealed. These men are motivated by a systematic rape and repressed violence ideal. “Boys will be boys” no longer applies.
References:
Bust Magazine
Direct quotes from Return of Kings
Huffington Post
LitHub
NY Post
Salon
Slate
