The History Of The Pickup Artist Community: A Timeline
The pickup artist subculture is no stranger to pop culture references, with movies dating back to the late 1980s. However, there are some very interesting references to pickup artistry dating back even hundreds of years.
Pickup Artist Timeline
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Ars Amatoria
Publius Ovidius Naso, a Roman Virgil, wrote a series of three books titled Ars Amatoria, giving advice on finding and keeping a woman.
1630
Don Juan
Tirso De Molina, a Spanish monk, creates the fictional character Don Juan in the play El Burlador De Sevilla Y Convidado De Piedra.
1742
Casanova
Giacomo Casanova becomes a seducer, later traveling throughout Europe on a grand tour.
1967
The Art Of Erotic Seduction
Albert Ellis, a psychologist, publishes a book called The Art Of Erotic Seduction.
1970
How To Pick Up Girls
Eric Weber publishes a book titled How To Pick Up Girls, it becomes a bestseller.
1978
Movie Adaptation
The movie How To Pick Up Girls is released, loosely based on Eric Weber’s book of the same name.
1987
The Pick-Up Artist
Robert Downey Jr and Molly Ringwald star in the movie The Pick-Up Artist.
1988
Ross Jeffries
Ross Jeffries, father of the pickup artist community, applies neuro-linguistic programming to seduction, and releases the book How To Get The Women You Desire Into Bed.
1992
Ross Jeffries On NBC
Ross Jeffries appears on the Faith Daniels talk show on NBC and takes on hundreds of feminists in the audience.
1994
Alt.Seduction.Fast
Lewis De Payne, a student of Ross Jeffries, creates the Alt.Seduction.Fast online community.
1999
Magnolia
Tom Cruise portrays a character based on Ross Jeffries in the 1999 movie Magnolia.
2001
The Art Of Seduction
Robert Greene publishes a book called The Art Of Seduction, it becomes a bestseller.
Pickup Artist Bootcamps
The first ever bootcamp is hosted by Erik Von Markovik (Mystery), with Neil Strauss (Style) in attendance.
2002
Mystery’s Lounge
Mystery’s Lounge is launched by Erik Von Markovik (Mystery), becoming a community of pickup artists centered around his teachings.
Project Hollywood
Project Hollywood, the most famous example of a game house, was established by Erik Von Markovik (Mystery) in Los Angeles.
Rise Of Real Social Dynamics
The famous pickup artist company called Real Social Dynamics (RSD) is founded by Nick Kho (RSD Papa) and Owen Cook (RSD Tyler).
2005
The Game
Neil Strauss (Style) releases the cult classic book The Game: Penetrating The Secret Society Of Pickup Artists.
2006
The Mystery Method
Erik Von Markovik (Mystery) releases the book The Mystery Method.
2007
VH1’s The Pickup Artist
Erik Von Markovik (Mystery) has his own TV show on VH1 called The Pickup Artist, running for 2 seasons.
2014
Julien Blanc Scandal
Julien Blanc (RSD Julien), a popular Real Social Dynamics coach, becomes the subject of controversy following criticism of his dating advice and videos.
2016
The Game Movie Adaptation
James Franco entered negotiations to portray Erik Von Markovik (Mystery) in a movie adaptation of Neil Strauss’s book The Game. The movie was never made.
2018
Downfall Of Real Social Dynamics
Real Social Dynamics, a major pickup company, takes down its YouTube videos and disbands its communities.
2019
Rise Of Game Global
Game Global becomes the new center of the pickup artist community, hosting local groups for wingmen in over 300 cities around the world.
2021
Tom Torero Suicide
Well known British pickup artist, Tom Torero, is found dead just weeks after being the subject of criticism in a Newsweek article.
2023
Rise Of AI Pickup Artists
The AI boom spawns several original AI wingman tools, including MGAI and Speed Seduction AI.
Dating Coach Panel
Ice White creates the Dating Coach Panel, a podcast panel of pickup coaches, to answer questions from the pickup community.
2024
Ross Jeffries VS Mystery Debate
Game Global hosts a debate between the two original pickup artists, Ross Jeffries and Erik Von Markovik (Mystery).
2025
Upcoming Pickup Artist Documentary
A documentary on the pickup artist community is in the works.
