Students have alleged that they found notes on campus advertising a pick-up artist website offering advice on relationships with Asian women.
Exeposé is aware of three separate students having spotted these notes, two in the Amory building and one in the Business School building.
The notes address men who are, among others, “still a virgin”, “socially awkward with women”, “in an unhappy monogamous relationship with an overbearing girlfriend”, or who want to “date foreign exotic women”, “travel the world and have adventures”, or “have sex”, advertising that the website will “show you how to be free of the societal programming so deeply ingrained in you. It will show you how to truly be free in both your business life and your woman life”.
Lucca, a student who found one of the notes, said: “When I first found the note I prayed that it could be a joke, and the web address would lead someone into a website full of info on consent or something. It was so blatantly misogynist, with dodgy tones of exoticism and preying on insecurities of young men”.
The advertised website features, among others, series such as “types of Chinese girls”, “screenings”, and sex advice. One student qualified the author as a “pick-up artist”, however the author of the website claims to prefer the term “life coaching”. Lucca said: “When I saw the website and realised it was serious I actually felt really sick, it shamelessly teaches guys that “no means yes” when it comes to sex with women which in my opinion is basically teaching them how to rape.
“I was shocked this had been put up on campus, especially after the #NeverOk campaigns of the last few years. I think consent needs to much more deeply integrated into education on all levels to combat this”.
A University of Exeter spokesman said: “All student posters have to be approved by the Students’ Guild. This particular notice was not approved. University staff regularly check public areas in Amory and will remove any unapproved notices. We would encourage students to report any unapproved notices they see to the Students’ Guild or a member of staff.” The notes have now been removed.
