Blowjobs, boobs, and butts. “Deep down,” one of the talking heads argues, “that’s what appeals to most guys.” The filmmakers capture fascinating insights into the characters they interview. There’s Erik von Markovik, “commonly known to the world as Mystery,” who proves his fame to the interviewer using Siri. There’s Maximillian Berger, a coach, who promises an incredible sex life to those that follow his way. And then there’s the hapless Andrew, a pickup student harassing women on the streets of Miami. “I only get 5% of the girls I walk up to,” he states.
The Pickup Game darkens as it progresses, cutting deeper into the industry it so masterfully indicts. An especially memorable sequence involves Julien Blanc, perhaps one of the most loathsome individuals to grace celluloid. He compares Asian girls to obedient dogs, among other things. “In Tokyo, if you’re a white male, you can do what you want,” he tells his group of enticed disciples, before nonsensically yelling, “Head on dick, yelling Pickachu!,” in a horrendous display of everything that’s wrong about contemporary Man. Thankfully, his little stint was recorded, went viral, and the douchebag was kicked out of Australia and banned from many countries.
“…darkens as it progresses, cutting deeper into the industry it so masterfully indicts.”
The directors don’t stop there, ending things on a memorable note. Essentially, The Pickup Artist is a deconstruction of Andy Tennant’s Hitch and all of the predatory implications buried underneath its Hollywood gloss. It’s about how men reduce women to objects of desire, keyword being “objects,” to be used and disposed of, emotions be damned. It’s a powerful dissection of toxic masculinity, the alpha male syndrome, at its worst. The filmmakers examine how fear of rejection can lead to a form of revenge.
Jeffries may claim to be the first to start the titular craze, but let’s face it – this chauvinistic attitude has been steadily built up over centuries. Now, because of documentaries like The Pickup Game, we may be experiencing a major paradigm shift. This isn’t just an educational tool, though it functions perfectly as such; it should be watched by everyone. I know quite a few of my college friends could’ve used a viewing.
"…compares Asian girls to obedient dogs, among other things."
