We need to talk about Addy “Agame”

The behaviour of this so-called pick up artist shows toxic masculinity is as big a problem as ever, yet is still being ignored 

It’s difficult to tell what is real and what is fictional in the category of offensive behaviour from men this month. Around the same time as the release of Netflix’s new series You – a drama which follows a stalker’s hunt for a young girl – the BBC Social’s video on Addy “Agame” surfaced. Unless you have been living under a social media rock, then it is likely you will have heard of Glasgow’s most recent serial predator: Addy “Agame”. Agame is a self-proclaimed “pick up artist” and leader of the gang DWLF – Dicks Will Live Forever. His mission statement is “making an alpha male the best version of himself.”

Agame, the ringleader, and his clique approach women on the street and harass them until women hand over at the very least their contact details, all for the purpose of “the game”. Agame frequently uses the term “game” to refer to picking up “good quality women”. Of course, language like good quality and game objectifies women by describing them as if they were a steak choice from Miller and Carter. His clear lack of respect for women is replaced with an animal-like hunger to get with any and every woman. If you ever needed a shining example of toxic masculinity this man would be it. In one video Agame revealed he went as far as exposing himself to the woman he was trying to attract to get “good game”.

The online reaction to Agame has been phenomenal, with several women speaking up about their own experiences with this man. A unanimous consensus has risen from the allegations that he is a serious threat to women in Glasgow. For example, in one instance his continual harassment forced a young woman to run into a hotel to escape his hostile advances.

His string of disciples only inflates this cultish figure’s ego, by kissing the ground he walks on and following his sexist preachings. From his consistent dehumanization of women to his aggressive slander of anyone who has called him out on his philosophies, this man exhibits unsettling behaviour.

But Addy Agame is not alone in his rampant misogynistic ways. The question at the heart of this issue is how far society jas truly come if we still have men on our own high streets attempting to “pick us up” for sport. Despite all the progress that has come about as result of recent women’s equality movements including the heavily publicised #MeToo campaign, a noticeable gap still exists between the genders when it comes to safety in our cities. The last few years have seen the #MeToo movement become a central focus in our media to the point where it has become a new trend for people to jump in on. With all this focus on introducing gender friendly traffic lights in London, why aren’t bigger issues being addressed like women being targeted in our streets? Is it too much to ask for women to be treated the same way as men? That is without being approached, looked at for a second too long, catcalled, and overly sexualised, and that’s just on the walk home.

Although this movement has created an astounding awareness of the horrible treatment of many victims, there still remain Hollywood celebrities infamous for sexual misconduct, James Franco to name one, who are jumping on the bandwagon in order to add another hashtag to their Twitter bio. What do pins and badges and gender friendly traffic lights do without substance standing behind them? I’d rather feel safe on the streets than see another celebrity not being held accountable for their actions all while wearing a girl power accessory.

Addy Agame’s grotesque honesty about his attitudes towards women scared Glasgow residents this month, but what I find even scarier is the men underneath the radar that the media is turning a blind eye to. What’s the more terrifying reality? Someone who is sickeningly candid about their misogynistic conduct or someone who lurks under the surface, pretending to be someone we can trut? Deciding the lesser of these two evils is not a challenge any person should face in 2019 so-called “woke” society. Every case should be treated with the same severity until women feel safe on the streets no matter what time of day it is, what they look like, or what they’re wearing. Luckily, in this case, the authorities took action and Addy Agame was arrested and we are yet to hear more about his case. However, until stronger laws and precautions are put in place to diminish any possibility of this happening to another woman, I won’t be happy with pins or badges.