Remember those impending meet-ups that were scheduled all over the world, prompting outrage everywhere (including from Ottawa’s mayor)? Apparently, the world “isn’t ready” for them. At least, that’s what Internet crybaby Daryush Valizadeh (aka Roosh V) of Return of Kings is likely telling himself. The stupidity has been cancelled. At least, we hope.
Yesterday, Valizadeh announced that the ROK worldwide meet-ups were cancelled out of his concern for “safety” and “privacy” concerns:
I can no longer guarantee the safety or privacy of the men who want to attend on February 6, especially since most of the meetups can not be made private in time. While I can’t stop men who want to continue meeting in private groups, there will be no official Return Of Kings meetups.
Funny, because I think that many people were worried about their own safety and privacy when hearing about planned gatherings of men who advocate the ‘legalization’ of rape.
However, his word choice was interesting, what with the inclusion of “While I can’t stop men who want to continue meeting…” He’s right, he can’t stop them, and while the locations for the proposed February 6th meet-ups have apparently been removed from his website, there’s always the possibility that some meet-ups might still happen. There’s also the possibility that this may be a diversionary tactic.
Dave Futrelle, editor of anti-MRA site We Hunted the Mammoth, has sources with accounts on the ROK site to keep track of stuff like this and, having announced the initial cancellation, he has also announced that his sources report some activity:
Huh. Should we take him at his word on this? Roosh, in addition to being a terrible person, is also a bit of a troll. It wouldn’t exactly shock me if Roosh’s alleged cancellation turned out to be nothing more than a ruse, that the meetups are still on, and that he’s simply moved the planning for his meetups out of the public eye.
[EDITED TO ADD: It looks like this is indeed what he’s doing, organizing them secretly on the Roosh V forum, now closed to outsiders, at least according to sources with accounts on the forum.]
Here’s my take on this whole business. While we have to report this stuff because it’s technically news, the fact is that I kinda put Return of Kings in the same camp as the Westboro Baptist Church folks and the KKK in that they talk a big game, but don’t actually have the support, or any real impact, save being hugely annoying. Obviously, we live under a patriarchy and sexism exists — I’m not saying it doesn’t. But I sincerely doubt, even if these meet-ups happened, that enough people would show up for them to even matter.
I’ve been imagining, like, five dudes on street corners in a couple of cities giving each other the He-Man Woman Haters Club high sign, asking each other about pet shops (seriously, that was their “code”), and grumbling about feminists for a while. Even if it did happen, it’d likely be pathetic and drowned out by the myriad counter-protests that were organized in response despite Valizadeh’s encouraging his followers to take video of “crashing feminists” so that they could “tear them up” later.
Here’s the thing – if you really believe a movement is legitimate, you don’t hide. Feminists risk doxxing, death threats, and countless other things putting themselves on the line every day, because their cause is just. Meanwhile, this guy is canceling a meet-up, because “he can’t guarantee the safety or privacy” of his membership.
Or perhaps it’s because he knows that no one would show up in the first place, and if they did, he knows that they’d be hugely outnumbered by people who don’t make gender and sexuality-based hate a way of life (as well as supporting Islamophobia and anti-semitism, because why stop at just sex-related stuff, amirite?). Cool “movement,” bro.
As Catherine Scott over at The Daily Dot points out:
It seems that even Roosh is aware that his appeal is extremely niche, as one of the FAQs on his blog post about the meetups is “What if no one shows up?” His tactful answer: “That means your city is not yet ready for meetups.” So for now, it remains to be seen whether the meetups will actually occur.
With so many counter-protests waiting to unfold, it seems like Saturday Feb. 6 could actually end up being nothing but a merry feminist get-together.
One can only hope.
(image via Shutterstock)
—Please make note of The Mary Sue’s general comment policy.—
Do you follow The Mary Sue on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Pinterest, & Google +?
