Elliot Rodger, the 22 year old whokilled six people in an act of 'retribution' for being a virgin, has since, depressingly, been praised by various people online, including Men's Rights Activists (MRAs).
The former student, who turned the gun on himself during a police shoot-out following the killings in Santa Barbara, California, was not only part of the Pick-Up Artists (PUA) community – where men discuss online how to hook up with women they would rate a 7/10 or above – he was also part of PUAHate, a website for those who want to pick holes in the methods of the PUAs, arguing that women aren't predictable enough to play 'The Game'. Well, duh. Referring to themselves as 'incels' – involuntarily celibate – the PUAHate-rs discuss the difficulties they have because they can't get the sex they feel entitled to.
And, disgustingly, after the killings, Elliot has been referred to as a 'hero' on the PUA hate site, reports* The Times*. We're not going to go into the details of what those posting about him are saying, because they're grim. But, trust us, on this one. Trust us, too, when we say there's some horrible women-hate going on in the comments under the YouTube testimonials he uploaded of himself talking about how much he couldn't bear women's rejection. On PUA's Reddit account there is also speculation that he was gay, with someone pointing out, 'Everything about his mindset was setting himself up for disappointment.' And someone's created a 'ElliotRodgerFans' subreddit. Yuck.
We'd loathe to give the gunman who stabbed three people and then shot three others, wounding more in several drivebys, the sort of coverage he wanted. Elliot Rodger wanted notoriety for his crimes, acting out of a hatred for women, which he repeatedly confessed to in a YouTube video uploaded shortly before his rampage and in an 140-page document called My Retribution.
He wanted international acclaim for his plans to kill women for not sleeping with him and men for taking away from him the women he felt entitled to sleep with. He had Asperger's Syndrome and had been in therapy since childhood, but his feelings about women seemed to be aided by some of the many factions out there on the internet which thrive on anti-woman sentiment. Which is why we're reporting on it, because the hate that Rodger felt wasn't just felt by one 'crazy' gunman, but helped along and encouraged by the people on these forums who, even now, are celebrating Rodger's hatred. And that's something we all need to be vigilant of.
Follow Sophie on Twitter @sophwilkinson
This article originally appeared on The Debrief.