Reykjavík Grapevine - 20.06.2014, Side 25

25The Reykjavík GrapevineIssue 08 — 2014
Early one morning after some drinks,
Alex Brown Instagrammed a picture
that inspired our cover this issue. A
Minnesota native living in Reykjavík,
Alex thought the scene strange enough
to photograph, but still not altogether
surprising. We chatted with Alex about
the picture, Icelandic “dating,” and the
strangeness of it all.
Describe the scene for me.
It was a pretty normal night downtown.
I think it was five in the morning. People
were just drunkenly walking around,
and then a path cleared in front of me
and there was a beautiful couple enjoy-
ing each other’s company.
Did it surprise you to see them there?
Um…yes and no. I’d say no, just because
people like to drink, and yes because it
was a very, very intimate moment for
them. Yeah.
Would it be weird to see something
like that in Minnesota?
Yes, but I think two people making out in
the street is kinda weird anywhere.
Were people around them fazed at
all?
No, not at all. You can see in the photo,
the people in the background are not re-
ally looking.
What happened after you took the
picture? Was it just business as usual?
Yeah, more or less. I continued walking
past. I made sure that they were all right.
They seemed to be doing fine.
Do you have any impressions of the
Icelandic hookup/dating culture?
A lot of the relationships I know got their
start as weekend hooking-ups, which led
to more serious dating when that went
well. But it's interesting, I remember ask-
ing a girl on a date and she said "I don't go
on dates." Either she doesn't or was just
being nice, but I like to think it was the
first option.
So have you stopped asking girls out
on dates?
Uhhhh yeah. I would say I think my
mentality has shifted, which is what
happens whenever you move some-
where new and adapt to the culture.
Do you prefer the Minnesota way or
the Icelandic way?
They’re both great, each for their own
reasons. Iceland's way is much more laid
back and causal, which is nice.
Roosh Vorek, real name Daryush Valizadeh, is a 35-year-old American known for a
series of books that give instructions on “how to pick up women” using various tactics
and mind games (people like Roosh are often called “pickup artists” or PUAs—the
group was made infamous by writer Neil Strauss’ in his 2005 book ‘The Game: Pen-
etrating The Secret Society Of Pickup Artists’).
In 2011, Roosh added ‘Bang Iceland,’
to his series of books detailing how
to trick women into sex in different
countries across the globe (other
entries include ‘Bang Ukraine’ and
‘Bang Poland’). The book purports
to offer “sex tourists” advice on how
they may bed as many attractive lo-
cals as possible through tricks and
guile (or as he calls it, improving
their "game").
Roosh is a self-described "anti-
feminist," and in his writings argues
for and justifies men’s dominant po-
sition over women through a post-
hoc Darwinistic view of biological
and social evolution, in which men
have a "very pressing urge for forni-
cation." As someone who claims he
turned his sex life around by learn-
ing good "game," Roosh offers pickup
artists advice on a regular basis on-
line. He is regularly criticized for the
blatant misogyny he promotes in his
writings, among other things con-
stantly referring to women as “sluts”
and “whores” if they have had more
than a couple of lovers while offering
his male followers articles such as
"How To Cheat On Your Girlfriend
Without Getting Caught."
While some of Roosh’s observa-
tions of Reykjavík nightlife and dat-
ing culture in ‘Bang Iceland,’ seem
accurate, the overall viewpoint he
espouses is detestable and sad. In the
spirit of this issue, we reached out to
Roosh and shot him some questions.
His Penis Did Benefit
What can you tell us about your
experience of dating culture in
Iceland? Do you think Icelanders
are a nation ripe for the picking
for pickup artists?
I did not find a dating culture. I found
a sex culture fuelled almost entirely
by alcohol, where
people need to drink
obscene amounts of
liquor just to have
intimacy. I'm not
complaining, because
my penis did benefit
from this system, but
it did seem weird to
me that people had
to detach themselves
from their human-
ity with alcohol just
to physically connect
with another person.
Iceland is not a good
place for "pickup art-
ists," since girls here
will be too drunk to
appreciate any type
of charm or wit, but
it's great for alcohol-
ics who also happen
to be good looking.
What kind of feed-
back have you gotten since pub-
lishing 'Bang Iceland?' Have you
heard similar success stories from
other pickup artists who’ve vis-
ited Iceland?
The feedback I received from ‘Bang
Iceland’ was 99.9% negative from
people who were from Iceland. I was
told that if I were to return to Ice-
land, my skull would be smashed and
my testicles ripped out from my body,
but that was three years ago so I
think it's safe to return again as long
as I wear a disguise. Thankfully, my
American readers enjoyed the book.
Many American guys who bought it
did go on to have success in Iceland
with my advice, especially my tip to
wait until the very end of the night to
make your move on a girl. There is no
point in trying to talk to an Icelandic
girl early in the night before she has
reached her maximum intoxication
level.
After my book came out, about
ten or so Icelandic girls emailed me
to say they agreed with what I said.
I tried to develop a long-distance ro-
mance with these girls so that I could
have sex with them in the future, but
no romance developed and I have
not fornicated with an Icelandic girl
since 2011. I hope that one day I will
sleep with an Icelandic girl again.
Dog Eat Dog
In 'Bang Iceland' you talk about
techniques such as hitting women
with the "guilt" routine, with the
goal of getting them to sleep with
you. Do you think it is ethical to
trick women into sleeping with
you in this manner?
If you want to argue that my routines
are unethical, which I'm sure you
can, then we can start to examine a
woman's behaviour: their lies, their
disrespect, their manipulations,
their cheatful ways, and their unre-
liable behaviour where they cancel
dates at the last minute with no valid
excuse. So if I'm unethical, they are
more so. Dating is sometimes like a
battle, and only the person who has
the most weapons will succeed in
getting what they want before they
get screwed. I did not make this rule,
but it is reality, not just in Iceland,
but all over the world. I feel sorry for
any man who goes into battle with-
out his weapons.
You've stated in no uncertain
terms that if the mass-murderer
Elliot Rodgers had learned to be a
pickup artist from you, he would
never have gone on his killing
spree. Do you not think that men's
belief that they are entitled to sex
is the driving force behind their
violence against women, rather
than the supposed cruelty of wom-
en who refuse their advances?
Gabríel, if you really think that "sex
entitlement" drives men to mass
murder, I have a New York bridge
that I want to sell you at a discount
price. Use your brain for a minute
instead of believing every piece of
nonsense that feminists tell you.
I'm ready to give you free copies of
all my books so that you can be de-
brainwashed.
Roosh V.
Who?
Words by Tómas Gabríel Benjamin
@gabrielandmore
“We can start to exa-
mine a woman's be-
haviour: their lies, their
disrespect, their mani-
pulations, their cheatful
ways, and their unreli-
able behaviour where
they cancel dates at
the last minute with
no valid excuse. So if
I'm unethical, they are
more so. ”
Icelandic Dating
In An Instagram
Words by Rebecca Scott Lord
Photo by Alex Brown