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Feminism: chat

Creepy APA psychologist Lucio Buffalmano offering Red-Pill & PUA- inspired advice on self-improvement website

45 replies

AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 06:05

I've been doing some research into the manosphere in my spare time. I came across an article where APA psycologist Lucio Buffalmano criticised the RedPillers. I thought at first it was good that a man was calling them out. But then I looked a bit further at his site, & he seems to espouse a lot of really unpleasant & dangerous stuff while shying away from blatant manosphere stuff to avoid being called out.
He runs this social skills thing called The Power University which seems fairly popular. It's worrying he clearly has influence over socially unsure men who want guidance on how to act. I'll link the worrying stuff I've seen later : for now I'll just say that he claims to promote happy marriage, but in fact sees himself as a Casanova & recounts examples from multiple hookups in his articles, on the pretext of giving lessons. The women he sleeps with all seem to speak English poorly and be from different countries. There is no indication that they've agreed for intimate texts to be shared on his website - is this likely?
Here's a link to an article where he says there are cases where it's fine to ignore a woman's no, & it's often only token resistance.

thepowermoves.com/last-minute-resistance/

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 06:09

In this article, more of the same, & also linking to an audio recording of a sexual exchange w a woman. No indication if she agreed to it being published.

thepowermoves.com/sexual-escalation/#Token_Rejections_Are_A_Mating_Dance

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 06:18

It'd be funny the way he gives examples from Goldfinger & Five Easy Pieces as the way to treat women, if it weren't that a lot of men seem to take his stuff seriously judging by what I've found.
The first article again recommends pushing kisses & being sexually dominant, appearing to err on the side, no means yes really.

https://thepowermoves.com/dominance-in-dating/#1_Master_Social_Dominance

https://thepowermoves.com/forum/topic/test-your-girl-by-tasking-her-with-these-words-go-get-it-baby-then-judge-her-reaction/

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 06:34

The advice for women pages are not quite so bad, he got some feedback the website was too male- centric so toned it down.
Still full of gems though! Smarts & knowledge don't make a high value woman ofc. No, it's all about how positive you seem & whether you have minimum intelligence to laugh at his jokes.
It's interesting he picks on Greta Thunberg as a low value woman. I think she's being manipulated to be extreme, but I do admire her conviction & focus on deeds rather than how she looks. & I love how she gets the back up of shits like this 'psycologist'!

https://thepowermoves.com/how-to-be-feminine/

https://thepowermoves.com/high-value-women/#2_Has_Vast_Knowledge

thepowermoves.com/strong-women-vs-feminine-women/#The_Truth_of_Strong_VS_Submissive

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 06:54

Every good woman wants her man to lead, apparently! Flirtation is framed in terms of 'breaking barriers' and needing her to 'crack' establishing man as dominant. Ie. He gets sex early on despite her not initially being keen.
Men preferring lesser, submissive women is portrayed as natural & inevitable.

https://thepowermoves.com/leadership-to-seduce-women/#CalibrationLeadershipInConservativeSocieties

https://thepowermoves.com/frame-control/

Frame Control: Mastering Perception | Power Dynamicsâ„¢

Frame control examples and techniques to master frame control, both socially and with women, including how to impose your frame and how to negotiate frames

https://thepowermoves.com/frame-control

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 07:03

Women are portrayed as bad for not granting sex early on, or framing initial encounter as friends, & men are encouraged to push sexually & react coldly to any hint of friend zoning, even a clear rejection.
https://thepowermoves.com/forum/topic/bad-dating-game-example-fight-for-power-get-a-lose-lose-brawl/

https://thepowermoves.com/forum/topic/bad-dating-game-example-fight-for-power-get-a-lose-lose-brawl/?part=2#

Silence is seen as indicating acceptance/submissiveness.

thepowermoves.com/forum/topic/how-to-cement-a-frame-step-by-step/

Bad dating game example: Fight for power, get a lose-lose brawl | Page 2

Games people play during socialization is a big topic of this website.Games are not bad per se.There can be good games and even great games fostering win-win.But …

https://thepowermoves.com/forum/topic/bad-dating-game-example-fight-for-power-get-a-lose-lose-brawl?part=2#

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 07:13

Interesting that he repeats in several articles that women who encourage independence in other women are doing it so they have less competition for men, & are spiteful & bitter to submissive women who can get men so make them seem masculine in contrast- whereas ofc they should be taking lessons from them 🙄 (But presumably they're independent themselves, so would want a man who isn't drawn to submissiveness?) Female anger & solidarity threatens these types, so they're keen to stamp on it through shaming (Oh that's just bc you're unattractive & can't get a man, & want others to be like that) He describes extreme feminists as 'angry, manhating lesbians', in true 70s style, w the caveat they're not all extreme. & ofc he advises women to never wear anything a 'stereotypical lesbian' would, God forbid!

https://thepowermoves.com/low-quality-women/#12_She_Is_Spiteful_Confrontational_and_Always_Angry

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 07:38

Despite claiming his site is equally for women, he insists in relationships one always has more clout, & recommends it should be the man, even while admitting it's more stable if woman. But ofc men should keep this quiet, to avoid being seen as chauvinists which they are if they believe this crap.https://thepowermoves.com/relationship-power-dynamics-101/#2AfterSexpowerstartsshiftingonhisside. His piece on the Madonna/Whore complex was a bit better, but this text exchange he includes is v unpleasant. His poor gf being harassed isn't a concern, he just wants the convo to get onto sex. The fact the women he quotes often have poor English suggests he is preying on newcomers who are more vulnerable.

9 Stages of Relationship Power Phases | The Power Moves

This post shows how relationship power dynamics change as the relationship progresses. It's based on biology and evolutionary psychology.

https://thepowermoves.com/relationship-power-dynamics-101#2_After_Sex_power_starts_shifting_on_his_side

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 07:39

Image below.

Creepy APA psychologist Lucio Buffalmano offering Red-Pill & PUA- inspired advice on self-improvement website
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3WildOnes · 11/11/2024 08:02

I haven't had a chance to read all of your links but what I have read is awful. Are you sure that he is an APA certified psychologist? I'm not sure on the American system. I can't imagine a BPS accredited clinical psychologist being able to write garbage like this and remain accredited.

AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 08:03

I'm sorry for posting so much- it just really weirded me out bc it's not a RedPiller w a minor blog, or even a clearly beyond the pale Andrew Tate type, but an accredited psycologist whose stuff seems fairly reasonable on the surface of the site & is taken seriously by a lot of insecure men. Buffalmano says he was once such a man himself but learnt not to be through research
He claims not to be redpill & is now doing stuff like praising Kamala Harris to detract from his earlier misogyny but his Matrix references are the tip of the iceberg of his RedPill leanings.

More 'women want to be led' thepowermoves.com/high-power-behavior/#13_Lead_Your_Dates_Dating

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 08:08

3Wild, that's what he says. He's published 2 books, which seem more innocent, not overtly redpill, & is on LinkedIn. Presumably he's not lying? I agree it's infuriating APA have accredited him, while he's done nothing exactly illegal, there are red flags all over..
If the gfs didn't agree to private texts being shared, albeit anonymously, that still wouldn't be illegal, would it? It would be horrible but legal.
But what about the sexual convo he recorded & shared? Surely that's illegal, or is it ok if woman can't be identified?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucio-buffalmano-999b5044

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 08:20

The misogyny & invasion of sexual privacy is bad enough, but if you look on his subreddit the plot thickens. He convinces people it's to their advantage to leave positive reviews publicly, & this seems all of a piece w the fact that he trained in manipulation techniques. He claims to do it so nice guys can play bad men at their own game, & change the world, but I suspect it's at least partly about manipulating everyone to believe they're becoming alpha when they're really becoming devotees to his twisted, power hierarchy - obsessed worldview. A comment on the reddit sums up, ' This guy is a master manipulator & uses his techniques on his clients.'

https://www.reddit.com/r/LucioBuffalmano/

Telling review accusing him of scamming :

www.reddit.com/r/HonestCourseReview/comments/1celfh3/power_university_by_lucio_buffalmano_a_complete/

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 08:37

If you compare to posts from the marriedredpill subreddit, the language & ideas are v similar, despite Buffalmano's denials.

https://www.reddit.com/r/marriedredpill/comments/7qyfe5/comment/iaq1wao/

www.reddit.com/r/marriedredpill/comments/1gepq6g/comment/lucs87i/

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 08:47

Similar redpill post advocating overriding a woman's boundaries.-
https://www.reddit.com/r/marriedredpill/comments/1gepq6g/comment/lubkie7/
People like Buffalmano are def more dangerous bc they seem more reasonable on surface.

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 16:36

Stuff like this makes me think the Internet should be banned for under-18s. It's bad enough inveighling vulnerable adult men into his warped worldview. He's pretty brutal to the 'low-value men' who don't fit his alpha/beta/sigma/gamma worldview. But teen boys who find this stuff are being prepped to see women as alien creatures, & relationships as a power struggle over sex & commitment, rather than a collaboration towards shared goals.
It's interesting also Buffalmano is Italian, & promotes The Godfather & Goodfellas as good examples of gender relations. (& Monroe & Miller as an ideal couple, but that's another story..) From what I've read, aggressive macho masculinity is still quite prevalent in Italy (ofc not all Italian men!)& seems to mesh well w the redpill/PUA mindset.

TLDR for the links : Slimy guru urges men to push for sex & be dominant in relationships & that no isn't always no, tells women to act submissive as both men & women prefer feminine women & feminists tell women to be independent to make them unattractive. Worst of all, he includes screenshots of many of his exes' text convos in his lessons, often sexual, & included a real time recording of him seducing a woman in one. Below is a link to his lovely reaction to the 'boring' news his gf was sexually harassed.
https://thepowermoves.com/how-to-flirt-with-a-girl-over-text/#1_Imply_She8217s_Into_Boys

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AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 21:00

This article makes clear the link between 'overcoming last-minute resistance' and rape.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/nov/05/pickup-artists-teaching-men-approach-women-industry-street-harassment

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XChrome · 12/11/2024 21:17

AliasGrace47 · 11/11/2024 08:08

3Wild, that's what he says. He's published 2 books, which seem more innocent, not overtly redpill, & is on LinkedIn. Presumably he's not lying? I agree it's infuriating APA have accredited him, while he's done nothing exactly illegal, there are red flags all over..
If the gfs didn't agree to private texts being shared, albeit anonymously, that still wouldn't be illegal, would it? It would be horrible but legal.
But what about the sexual convo he recorded & shared? Surely that's illegal, or is it ok if woman can't be identified?
https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucio-buffalmano-999b5044

Edited

His LinkedIn does not list APA accreditation.

This is all it has;

Licenses & Certifications
PRINCE2 Graphic
PRINCE2
APMG-International
Credential ID 02584216-01-AC64

The only references to him being APA accredited seem to be his site and sites that sell his books and/or promote his ideas.
I smell a liar and a scam artist. Surely he'd have his certification on his LinkedIn if it was genuine.
Mind you, I don't have an account there, so can only see the basic info. But surely his APA certification would be with the basic info. Do you have an account and can you see if there is any reference to it?

AliasGrace47 · 12/11/2024 21:33

Good point, XChrome. He def seems to be the sort of manipulative narc his books ostensibly warn against.. I have LinkedIn. There is no reference to the APA there. His profile says he has a Communication Sciences & Technologies Bachelors from Rome's La Sapienza University, & then a Master's in Communication and Social Research also there. All his jobs since then (2011) were in business, until 2017, when his only job has been running The Power Moves full time. It must be lucrative- worrying thought..
He tells men that real men don't hang on gurus' every word.. I wish the podcast Decoding The Gurus would do an episode on him..
If he is lying about the APA, wouldn't that be a criminal offence?

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AliasGrace47 · 12/11/2024 21:47

If his Bachelor's & Master's are in Communication areas, rather than actually Psycology, surely there's no way he can be an APA accredited psycologist? If it's all lies, how did he get away w it for so long? I get his followers are probs vulnerable, but it seems insane he hasn't been called out for continually promoting rape & redpill/PUA ideas essentially since 2017 (the Last Minute Resistance article says, paraphrasing, 'If your penis is a bit but not fully inside, & she says no, that's token resistance & should be ignored.' There's other v worrying stuff about when to ignore no in the article, & he speaks v dismissively about 'no means no').

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XChrome · 12/11/2024 22:14

AliasGrace47 · 12/11/2024 21:47

If his Bachelor's & Master's are in Communication areas, rather than actually Psycology, surely there's no way he can be an APA accredited psycologist? If it's all lies, how did he get away w it for so long? I get his followers are probs vulnerable, but it seems insane he hasn't been called out for continually promoting rape & redpill/PUA ideas essentially since 2017 (the Last Minute Resistance article says, paraphrasing, 'If your penis is a bit but not fully inside, & she says no, that's token resistance & should be ignored.' There's other v worrying stuff about when to ignore no in the article, & he speaks v dismissively about 'no means no').

Right, the APA only gives accreditation to those with doctorates in clinical psychology, counseling, and school psychology. They do not accredit bachelor's or master's programs, so a master's degree, even if it was in psychology, would not be sufficient. It certainly does appear that he is lying.

People get away with lying because there is no oversight. If he isn't a member of the APA, they would have to sue him to get any action. The court could then order him to stop claiming he was APA certified and hit him with a fine. We could report him to the APA, but from what I understand they rarely take much action on these matters. They might send him a cease and desist, which he could just ignore, knowing they aren't going to want to pay the legal fees to sue him.

AliasGrace47 · 12/11/2024 22:33

He's written 2 books w a protege, Ali Scarlett, & they run a more recent spin-off blog together. https://thesocialstrategist.net/about-the-authors/
The content is toned down, & ostensibly even welcoming to women. I haven't had time to sift it all yet. Ditto for his YouTube channel, which also shares photos of women he went on failed dates w. I don't want to sign up for the Power Moves program- I assume it's similar to the website anyway. But I will read the 2 books he wrote w Scarlett when I have time. I suspect they are more toned down too.
George Monbiot did call his rubbish out in the Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/mar/30/playground-politics-bullies-competition#comment-167076952
A lot of his support seems to come from the business world.
I dread to think what dangerous shit his Seduction University- Power Dynamics teaches. The men, mostly, who read his stuff, clearly feel their social skills need improvement. & he's telling them sometimes no isn't no & that women secretly want to be dominated! It reminds me of a horrible case where a man's ex bf made a fake Grindr profile saying that he wanted strangers to turn up to his house, & that no meant yes in his case. Essentially encouraging sexual assault by proxy. Men should know it's rubbish. The whole course is grooming them to follow him as a leader.

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AliasGrace47 · 12/11/2024 22:59

XChrome · 12/11/2024 22:14

Right, the APA only gives accreditation to those with doctorates in clinical psychology, counseling, and school psychology. They do not accredit bachelor's or master's programs, so a master's degree, even if it was in psychology, would not be sufficient. It certainly does appear that he is lying.

People get away with lying because there is no oversight. If he isn't a member of the APA, they would have to sue him to get any action. The court could then order him to stop claiming he was APA certified and hit him with a fine. We could report him to the APA, but from what I understand they rarely take much action on these matters. They might send him a cease and desist, which he could just ignore, knowing they aren't going to want to pay the legal fees to sue him.

Thank you- so he must be lying! I've seen articles & podcasts referring to him as a 'social scientist' but is this really an accurate descriptor for someone whose Master's is from 2011, & who hasn't completed any further study, & has been working in a different field for the past 13 years?
Is there anything else that can be done, apart from reporting him to the APA? The articles I quoted scream rape culture & female subordination.

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XChrome · 12/11/2024 23:03

AliasGrace47 · 12/11/2024 22:59

Thank you- so he must be lying! I've seen articles & podcasts referring to him as a 'social scientist' but is this really an accurate descriptor for someone whose Master's is from 2011, & who hasn't completed any further study, & has been working in a different field for the past 13 years?
Is there anything else that can be done, apart from reporting him to the APA? The articles I quoted scream rape culture & female subordination.

I don't think there is anything we can do other than get the word out about this asshole.

AliasGrace47 · 15/11/2024 03:53

I suppose he's flown under the radar bc he's not exactly well-known, & pretends to criticise redpillers, plus he's toned down the rhetoric in recent years. He claims to run the 'most-trafficked website on power in the world' (ofc 🙄) but it's not clear how many people are following it.
Re the APA thing, he could technically be a member as anyone can sign up- I tried as an experiment & you just give your email. You don't need a psycology background or anything.
On reddit, one user warned others about the Power Moves, saying Lucio had been criminally charged several times, (not clear what), & was aggressive, grandiose, threatening & a charlatan to his students. These comments were deleted by mods & the commenter seems shady w redpill leanings, but I suspect at least some was true.

https://www.reddit.com/user/BotCanadian/

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samanthablues · 15/11/2024 04:20

A man on the internet promoting rape and misogyny to young men in order to overcome their insecurities? I’ve heard that before and it doesn’t end well.