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Roosh V

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Roosh V
Roosh V in 2014
Born
Daryush Valizadeh

(1979-06-14) June 14, 1979 (age 45)[1]
Washington, D.C., U.S.
Alma materUniversity of Maryland

Daryush Valizadeh[2] (born June 14, 1979),[1] also known as Roosh Valizadeh, Roosh V and Roosh Vorek, is a former alt-right American blogger[3] and pickup artist.[4][5] Valizadeh wrote on his personal blog[1] and also owned the Return of Kings website,[6] Roosh V Forum,[7][8] where he published articles by himself and others on related subjects. Valizadeh has self-published more than a dozen dating and travel guides, most of which discuss picking up and having relations with women in specific countries.[9] His advice, his videos and his writings have received widespread criticism, including accusations of misogyny,[10] antisemitism, homophobia, and having ties to the alt-right.[11]

Many of Valizadeh's publications have been taken down. On May 30, 2018, DreamHost took down Kings Wiki.[12] On September 10, 2018, several of Valizadeh's books were removed from Amazon.com's self-publishing platform. He was also sanctioned by YouTube, another source of revenue for him, for violating their rules.[13] On October 1, 2018, citing a loss of revenue and traffic due to PayPal's and Disqus's terminating their partnerships with him, Valizadeh announced Return of Kings would no longer be publishing new articles.[14]

In March 2019, Valizadeh converted to the Armenian Apostolic Church and condemned extramarital and casual sex as sinful, also stating that he was embarrassed about the books he wrote in the past, unpublishing some of them.[11][15] On May 1, 2021, Valizadeh was received into the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR) at Jordanville Seminary in Jordanville, New York.[16]

Background

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Early life

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Valizadeh was born June 14, 1979, in Washington DC, to an Iranian father and an Armenian mother.[1] Valizadeh graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2001[17] with a degree in microbiology.[18] He began blogging about his attempts with meeting women, but once his internet anonymity was broken, he turned to blogging and writing full-time as a means to supporting himself,[19] first with the publication of Bang: The Pickup Bible That Helps You Get More Lays (2007), and then with dating-themed travel guides on the countries he had visited.[20]

Personal views

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2007–2018

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Valizadeh began his writing career with advice based on pickup artist culture, although by 2016 no longer identified with the term.[21]

Valizadeh calls his system of beliefs "Neomasculinity", which he describes as a combination of biology and traditional beliefs on masculinity, and as a rejection of "Western degeneracy".[22][21] Valizadeh advocates adherence to traditional heteronormative roles for men and women, and believes that feminism has harmed women, men, and society in general.[23][24] In addition, he states that men and women are physically and mentally very different and that much of women's value comes from their fertility and beauty.[25] Valizadeh describes himself as "pro-woman" in that he wants women "to live a life that is according to their biological genetics."[26]

In a 2013 Washington Times Communities interview, he alleges that feminism has left a legacy of weaker men who are more androgynous. He went on to say that women abstain from having sex with them in preference for "bad boys".[27]

Valizadeh has been described as a men's rights activist by The Daily Beast,[28] Salon,[29] S. E. Smith,[30] and others.

He has expressed qualified support for Donald Trump.[31][32] He said that Trump's election as President of the United States would lead to the "death of political correctness".[33] He has also said The Daily Beast is run by the CIA.[31][32]

By 2016, Valizadeh had changed his focus from pickup advice to political commentary. His book Free Speech Isn't Free discusses ways in which, he says, straight men are denied freedom of speech.[26]

2019–present

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On March 29, 2019, Valizadeh announced that after years of backsliding, he had committed himself to God and the Armenian Apostolic Church, an Oriental Orthodox Christian denomination, but he shortly left the Oriental Orthodox Church for the Eastern Orthodox Church, being baptized by the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (ROCOR).[11] In light of his conversion to Christianity, Valizadeh instituted a set of new rules on his forum in which he banned discussion of extramarital sex;[11] he also removed many of his books from print as he felt they would lead other men into committing sin.[15][34] Valizadeh has stated that the "red pill" was a transitory stage in his life before he came to the realization of and taking "the final 'pill': God." Valizadeh has stated that "The God pill does feel like the final destination, where life becomes about asking Him for help and performing His will in a way that embraces good."[15]

On October 9, 2023, Valizadeh announced that he would be closing the Roosh V Forum down after 15 years of operation, citing his desire to put his Internet presence behind him and the fact he had obtained employment.[35][non-primary source needed] Return of Kings had been closed down a year prior, on December 21, 2022, citing Valizadeh's religious views.[36][non-primary source needed] The forum closed down on October 29, and remained online as an archive until December 1, when it and his blog were taken down.

Controversy

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United States

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In a March 2012 report on "The Year in Hate and Extremism", the Southern Poverty Law Center included Valizadeh in a list of manosphere sites which it described as hateful and misogynistic.[37][38] His inclusion on the list was reported by several publications, some of which mocked the inclusion for being extreme.[9][39][40][41] In response to criticism, the SPLC later clarified that it was not labeling the sites as members of a hate movement, but wished to draw attention to "specific examples of misogyny and the threat, overt or implicit, of violence".[42]

In 2014, The Washington Post columnist Caitlin Dewey stated that Valizadeh was one of a number of internet writers considered misogynist, writing: "Valizadeh owns the website ReturnofKings.com, which bans 'women and homosexuals' from commenting." Dewey commented that recent articles on ReturnofKings.com included titles such as "5 Reasons to Date a Girl With an Eating Disorder", "Don't Work for a Female Boss" and "Biology Says People on Welfare Should Die".[43]

In February 2014, The Daily Dot magazine named Valizadeh "The Web's most infamous misogynist" and observed "his extraordinarily vitriolic and misogynistic views about women and society as a whole".[44]

In May 2014, Valizadeh commented on the 2014 Isla Vista killings, in which Elliot Rodger shot several people after writing a manifesto attributing his actions to frustration over his inceldom. Valizadeh said that his community "is the solution to this sort of murder rampage" and that "exposing him to game may have saved lives".[7] Valizadeh argued, "Until you give men like Rodger a way to have sex, either by encouraging them to learn game, seek out a Thai wife, or engage in legalized prostitution ... it's inevitable for another massacre to occur."[45] He also stated that "if Rodger came to me, he would have received actionable and effective advice".[46]

In February 2015, Valizadeh was criticized for a blog post that he wrote titled "How to Stop Rape" in which he proposed legalizing rape on private property.[47] In the post, he wrote: "If rape becomes legal under my proposal, a girl will protect her body in the same manner that she protects her purse and smartphone. If rape becomes legal, a girl will not enter an impaired state of mind where she can't resist being dragged off to a bedroom with a man who she is unsure of—she'll scream, yell, or kick at his attempt while bystanders are still around. If rape becomes legal, she will never be unchaperoned with a man she doesn't want to sleep with. After several months of advertising this law throughout the land, rape would be virtually eliminated on the first day it is applied."[48] S. E. Smith at the online magazine xoJane asserted that "we need to talk openly not just about how many MRAs [men's rights activists] like Roosh promote rape and violence against women, but how many of them may be rapists themselves".[30] Valizadeh has since said that the post was meant as satire, arguing that its very title indicates that it was not intended as pro-rape advocacy.[49]

Canada

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In 2015, Valizadeh scheduled speeches to take place in Montreal on August 8 and Toronto on August 15.[50] In July 2015, Vancouver resident Sara Parker-Toulson launched a petition on Change.org that called for Valizadeh to be barred from entering Canada, accusing him of violating Canadian hate speech laws.[51] It gathered over 38,000 signatures.[52] Concordia University student Fannie Gadouas publicized the petition and was interviewed by the media following her efforts, with Montreal resident Aurelie Nix, to organize a protest event in Montreal. Nix also lodged a complaint against Valizadeh with the police, saying that he had incited his followers to make rape and death threats against her.[51]

The petition and protest were in response to plans by Valizadeh to give speeches in Toronto and Montreal.[50][53][54]

Quebec Member of the National Assembly Carole Poirier called on Stéphanie Vallée, Quebec Minister of Justice for Conditions for Women, to ban Valizadeh and his rhetoric from the province.[54][55] Vallée responded by condemning Roosh's statements, but declined to make further comments regarding whether he should be denied entry to Canada.[56] Reportedly in response to the negative publicity and threat of protest, the Hotel Omni Montreal, where the speech had been scheduled to be held, cancelled the event.[57] Valizadeh asked that his followers assist him in a "counter-attack" against the demonstrators by collecting personal information about them.[58] A café owner, who surreptitiously took a photograph of Valizadeh sitting in his establishment and published it to Instagram with an invitation to others to come confront Valizadeh, later said he felt threatened by the ensuing response from Valizadeh's followers.[59]

Valizadeh stated that the event location was changed to a different venue and took place on August 8 as scheduled with about 34 people in attendance.[60] Afterwards, a crowd of protestors confronted Valizadeh at a local bar and threw drinks at him, prompting him and his companions to leave the bar as the group followed while continuing to scream at Valizadeh and curse him.[61] Valizadeh filed a complaint with police over the incident, and police said they were investigating a person known as "Jennifer" who was alleged to be one of the assailants.[25][62][63]

Before Valizadeh's scheduled speech in Toronto on August 15, city councillor Norm Kelly and mayor John Tory denounced Valizadeh and encouraged city venues to turn him away, declaring publicly that he was not welcome in Toronto.[61][64][65] On August 15, a protest against Valizadeh, attended by Member of Parliament Cheri DiNovo, was held at Queen's Park.[66][67] Later that day, Valizadeh tweeted a photograph of himself at what he said was the event venue in Mississauga and said he delivered his speech to 56 people. Both Valizadeh and the protestors declared victory in their dispute over his appearances in Canada.[60][68][69][70]

Nordic countries

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The Icelandic publication DV published a number of stories about Valizadeh's release of his book Bang Iceland, calling it "derogatory".[71][72] Icelandic feminist organization Femínistafélag Íslands condemned the book as a "rape guide."[73] Another publication labelled it "slander."[74] Icelandic writer and media persona Egill Einarsson said the book was "as wrong as possible".[75]

Danish Ekstra Bladet published five articles on the release of Valizadeh's book Don't Bang Denmark,[76] and Danish TV aired several discussions sparked by the book.[77][78]

Norwegian Dagbladet newspaper questioned the morality of Valizadeh's seduction tactics in an article warning about the rise of the "manosphere".[79]

In Finland, Valizadeh's mention of the Helsinki nightclub Milliklubi in his article "The 5 Easiest Clubs In The World To Get Laid" had a negative impact on the club several days after it went out, according to the door man. The increased number of male visitors inspired by the article raised security concerns.[80]

Baltic states

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Valizadeh's books Bang Estonia, Don't Bang Latvia, and Bang Lithuania were met with a generally negative reaction from media outlets of those countries, where he was described as a "sex tourist".[4][81] During an interview with Delfi in response to a question about whether he was a sex tourist, Valizadeh responded that he was a love tourist, not a sex tourist.[82]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "About Roosh V". rooshv.com. Archived from the original on December 30, 2020. Retrieved March 31, 2015.
  2. ^ Price, Rob (February 2014). "The Web's most infamous misogynist regrets nothing". The Daily Dot. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
  3. ^ Peters, Jeremy W. (November 20, 2020). "Tucker Carlson Dared Question a Trump Lawyer. The Backlash Was Quick". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 15, 2022. Retrieved July 19, 2022. Roosh Valizadeh, an alt-right figure with a history of extremist views whose writings have attracted a following, was an example of how the large online community of far-right, pro-Trump commentators started to mobilize against Fox after Mr. Carlson's comments.
  4. ^ a b "Seksiturist: Eesti naised on paksud ja ülbed, aga välismaalased neile meeldivad" [Sex tourist: Estonian women are fat and arrogant, but they like foreigners]. kroonika.delfi.ee (in Estonian). October 16, 2012.
  5. ^ "Controversial Pick-Up Artist Gets Beer In His Face In Montreal (NSFW)". The Huffington Post. August 9, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  6. ^ "About". Returnofkings.com. April 23, 2012. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  7. ^ a b Hess, Amanda (May 24, 2014). "The Pick-Up Artist Community's Predictable, Horrible Response to a Mass Murder". Slate.
  8. ^ Angela, Washko (January 1, 2015). "Tightrope routines : a feminist artist interviews the internet's most infamous misogynist" (PDF). EScholarship.
  9. ^ a b Greenwood, Arin (March 10, 2012). "Southern Poverty Law Center Lists 'Roosh V' On Misogyny Report". The Huffington Post. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
  10. ^ "Daryush "Roosh" Valizadeh | Southern Poverty Law Center".
  11. ^ a b c d "Infamous Pickup Artist RooshV Says He's a Christian Now". RELEVANT Magazine. May 23, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  12. ^ Pennacchia, Robyn (May 31, 2018). "This Incel-Forum-Owning, Pro-Rape VA Congressional Candidate Got Kicked The Hell Off The Internet". Wonkette. Because in addition to taking down Incelpocalypse, Dreamcast took down all of Larson's other sites as well – including not only the bliki, but also the wiki for Return of Kings, which he made for garbage human Roosh V, which, sadly for all of you, means that the post about how I am a clownface-would-not-bang is no more, along with a post I found there, apparently from Larson, about the host of problems that making it legal for men to kill their wives for things like "cutting their hair" would "solve."
  13. ^ Murdock, Sebastian; Cook, Jesselyn (September 10, 2018). "EXCLUSIVE: Amazon Removes 9 Books By Notorious Rape Apologist 'Roosh'". The Huffington Post.
  14. ^ Lamoureaux, Mack (October 2, 2018). "Roosh V Shuttering His Godawful Misogynist Website After Successful Boycotts". Vice.
  15. ^ a b c Shugerman, Emily; Sommer, Will (May 23, 2019). "Noxious Pickup Artist Roosh Says He Has Found God". The Daily Beast. Retrieved January 30, 2020.
  16. ^ Telegram channel for Roosh Valizadeth, dated May 8, 2021
  17. ^ "Full text of "Commencement"". Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  18. ^ Jule Banville, "Blogger Stud Living in Dad's Basement, Writing Second Book on How to Get Laid", "Washington City Paper", 2008
  19. ^ "Roosh Cribs" (video). May 7, 2008. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015 – via YouTube.
  20. ^ Sommer, Emily Shugerman (May 23, 2019). "Noxious Pickup Artist Roosh Says He Has Found God". The Daily Beast.
  21. ^ a b "Everything You Wanted To Know About Daryush 'Roosh' Valizadeh But Were Afraid To Ask". rooshv.com. February 4, 2016. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved September 3, 2016.
  22. ^ "What Is Neomasculinity?". rooshv.com. May 6, 2015. Archived from the original on March 23, 2016. Retrieved August 31, 2016.
  23. ^ Rensin, Emmett (February 5, 2015). "The internet is full of men who hate feminism. Here's what they're like in person". Vox.
  24. ^ Bruenig, Elizabeth (February 5, 2015). "Pick-Up Artists and Pro-Family Conservatives Agree: Women Only Marry for Money". The New Republic.
  25. ^ a b Sheridan, Kate (August 10, 2015). "Roosh V files police report after Montreal woman throws beer in his face". Montreal Gazette.
  26. ^ a b Kutner, Max (October 13, 2016). "Roosh V's journey from pickup artist to right-wing provocateur". Newsweek.
  27. ^ Cotto, Joseph (March 14, 2013). "Asking Roosh V: What legacy has feminism left for men?". Communities.washingtontimes.com. Archived from the original on November 12, 2014.
  28. ^ Kelly, R. Tod (October 20, 2013). "The Masculine Mystique: Inside The Men's Rights Movement (MRM)". The Daily Beast.
  29. ^ Williams, Mary Elizabeth (February 4, 2016). "Let the ironic male tears fall: The 'make rape legal' guys cancel meetups because they don't feel safe". Salon.
  30. ^ a b Smith, S. E. (February 19, 2015). "MRA Roosh V Wants To Legalize Rape To Teach Women A Lesson". Xojane.com. Archived from the original on August 6, 2016.
  31. ^ a b Dewey, Caitlin; Ohlheiser, Abby (February 8, 2016). "The sad spectacle of a radical misogynist's basement press conference". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  32. ^ a b Suebsaeng, Asawin; Zadrozny, Brandy (February 6, 2016). "'Pro-Rape' Leader Endorses Donald Trump". The Daily Beast. Retrieved August 21, 2016.
  33. ^ Buncombe, Andrew (November 16, 2016). "Controversial pick-up artist Roosh V celebrates Donald Trump's victory: 'If the President can say it then you can say it'". The Independent.
  34. ^ Valizadeh, Daryush. "I Have Unpublished 11 Of My Books". rooshv.com. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  35. ^ RVF is Closing on October 29. Roosh Valizadeh, Roosh V Forum, October 9, 2023. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  36. ^ Return of Kings is Closed. Roosh Valizadeh, Return of Kings, December 21, 2022. Retrieved October 23, 2023.
  37. ^ SPLC, "Misogyny: The Sites", "Intelligence Report", 2012
  38. ^ Greenwood, Arin (March 10, 2012). "D.C. Blogger Makes Misogyny Watch List". The Huffington Post.
  39. ^ Mike Riggs, "The Southern Poverty Law Center Is Now Writing About Pickup Artists as Hate Groups", reason.com, March 9, 2012
  40. ^ The Corner, "What's after ‘Jumping the Shark’?", National Review, 2012-00-00
  41. ^ Roar, Tomas (March 27, 2012). "Scoreguide pusher kvindehad" [Score guide pusher misogyny]. ekstrabladet.dk (in Danish).
  42. ^ "Intelligence Report Article Provokes Fury Among Men's Rights Activists". Southern Poverty Law Center. May 15, 2012.
  43. ^ Dewey, Caitlin (January 24, 2014). "Hunter Moore is in jail, but that just means some other despicable character is "the most-hated man on the Internet" now". The Washington Post. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  44. ^ Winkie, Luke (March 5, 2015). "The Web's most infamous misogynist regrets nothing". The Daily Dot. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  45. ^ "Welcome to the manosphere: A brief guide to the controversial men's rights movement".
  46. ^ Dewey, Caitlin (May 27, 2014). "Inside the 'manosphere' that inspired Santa Barbara shooter Elliot Rodger". The Washington Post.
  47. ^ Cowburn, Ashley (February 1, 2016). "Militant pro-rape 'pick up artist' has organised events in eight UK cities". The Independent. Retrieved February 2, 2016.
  48. ^ Roosh V, "How to Stop Rape Archived January 17, 2018, at the Wayback Machine", RooshV, February 16, 2015
  49. ^ Menon, Vinay (August 12, 2015). "How Canada turned a blogging Casanova into a martyr". Toronto Star.
  50. ^ a b "Roosh-V Pickup Artist Shouldn't be Allowed in Canada Says Petition". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. July 24, 2015.
  51. ^ a b Campbell, Emily, "Movement underway to bar U.S. 'pick-up artist' from coming to Montreal", CJAD News, August 4, 2015
  52. ^ Roosh V, Controversial Pick-Up Artist, Gets Beer Thrown In His Face In Montreal, Huffington Post (Canada), August 9, 2015.
  53. ^ CBC, "Montreal woman wants 'pickup artist' banned from Canada", July 24, 2015
  54. ^ a b Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (ICI Radio Canada), "Protestation contre la venue à Montréal d'un blogueur qui banalise le viol", August 4, 2015
  55. ^ Poirier, Carole, "Venue à Montréal d'un blogueur misogyne – La ministre de la Condition féminine va-t-elle laisser Daryush Valizadeh propager sa haine des femmes au Québec? Archived August 5, 2015, at the Wayback Machine", Government of Quebec, August 4, 2015
  56. ^ Richer, Jocelyne, "La ministre Vallée ne s’oppose pas à la venue du blogueur Roosh V", Le Devoir, August 5, 2015
  57. ^ Dumont, Marie-Eve, "Roosh V aurait perdu sa salle pour sa conférence à Montréal", Le Journal de Montréal, August 5, 2015
  58. ^ Laframboise, Kalina (August 6, 2015). "Controversial blogger facing strong opposition over upcoming Montreal appearance". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  59. ^ Noel, Marie-Christine, "Le proprio d'un café menacé par Roosh V?", Le Journal de Montreal, August 8, 2015
  60. ^ a b Adams, Joanna, "Roosh V's Toronto Lecture Held In Mississauga, Despite Protests: Report", The Huffington Post, August 17, 2015
  61. ^ a b Russell, Andrew, "Mayor John Tory says controversial pick-up artist Roosh V has 'no place' in Toronto", Global News, August 11, 2015
  62. ^ Deland, Maxime, "Roosh V: deux enquêtes policières en cours", Le Journal de Montreal, August 10, 2015
  63. ^ "Beer thrown on pickup artist Roosh V. probed". Toronto Sun.
  64. ^ Shah, Maryam, "Pickup artist Roosh V. not welcome in Toronto: Tory", Toronto Sun, August 10, 2015
  65. ^ CTV News, "CTV News Channel 'Sounding the Alarm Bells'", August 11, 2015
  66. ^ Vella, Erica, "MPP Cheri DiNovo petitions for Roosh V ban", Global News, August 14, 2015
  67. ^ CityNews, "Protest against 'pick-up artist' Roosh V held near Queen's Park", August 15, 2015
  68. ^ Westoll, Nick, "Controversial Roosh V. says he spoke in Toronto Saturday", Toronto Star, August 15, 2015
  69. ^ Rosella, Louie, "WATCH VIDEO: Roosh V. says he held his Toronto event 'in the original hotel'", The Mississauga News, August 16, 2015
  70. ^ Taekema, Dan, "Roosh V. claims he ‘conquered’ Toronto; critics disagree", Toronto Star, August 16, 2015
  71. ^ Ritstjórn, "Ráðleggur fólki hvernig á að sænga hjá íslenskum konum" Archived February 1, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, "DV.is", November 2, 2011
  72. ^ "Mælir með því að hella konur fullar og einangra þær – DV". Dv.is. November 3, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  73. ^ "Femínistar fordæma flagarabók Vöreks – DV". Dv.is. November 5, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  74. ^ "Icelandic Womanhood (JB)". Iceland Review. Archived from the original on December 3, 2013. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  75. ^ "Gillz um flagarabók Vöreks: "Eins rangt og hægt er" – DV". Dv.is. November 4, 2011. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
  76. ^ Roar, Tomas (February 6, 2012). "Derfor skal du ikke knalde danske piger" [That's why you should not slap Danish girls]. ekstrabladet.dk (in Danish).
  77. ^ Katrine Bøg Larsen, "Danske kvinder er grimme og usexede", "GO TV2", 2012-00-00
  78. ^ Katrine Bøg Larsen, "Danske kvinder: Vi er feminine og sexede", "GO TV2", February 9, 2012
  79. ^ MAGNUS BERNHARDSEN, "Kvinneforakten på nett", "dagbladet.no", August 7, 2012
  80. ^ HS Nyt: Väite helposta seksistä toi miesten aallon Milliklubille, "is.fi", February 8, 2013
  81. ^ "Seksiturist üllitas Eesti kohta juhusuhte-reisijuhi" [The sex tourist published an occasional travel guide about Estonia]. kroonika.delfi.ee (in Estonian). September 24, 2012.
  82. ^ Zālītis, Kristaps (December 1, 2012). "Intervija ar sekstūristu, kurš izbrāķēja Latviju" [Interview with a sex tourist who rejected Latvia]. delfi.lv (in Latvian).
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