Seduction is a strong word, and not one we hear or use frequently in daily life. It’s the kind of word you might hear in movies about divorce and infidelity (“he was seduced by the nanny!”), in a dime store romance novel or in an ad for personal lubricant. The word has a bit of a nasty rep and often alludes to one person being persuaded into a sexual encounter. Zan Perrion, however, loves the word seduction so much, he uses it to brand himself. He is an “enlightened seducer” — someone who makes a living from educating men about the art of attraction.

Perrion was once a white-collar worker, but he quit his job and gave away all his belongings to travel the world and make a living from his passion: women. Now he is a seduction, dating and lifestyle coach based in Vancouver. He travels around the world giving lectures, seminars and one-on-one mentoring, teaching his own “natural game” method of meeting and charming women.

I had never heard of Perrion before I attended his free lecture on October 23, but it became clear in observing the small audience that he had some fans in the room. Composed mostly of young men in their early 20s, the group was attentive, and several guys nodded in agreement with Perrion’s sweeping, generalized philosophies about what women want in a man. In an era where the sexes are redefining their social roles, the ambiguity of unlimited options can be stifling. “We need a male uprising!” says Perrion. “We are champions! There was chivalry once upon a time. Where is that now? Be a real man. That’s what successful, attractive women crave. They are on your side, cheering you on, wanting you to succeed when you approach them.”

Perrion’s website is geared towards selling the idea that, with his guidance, any guy can pick up a hottie. As I clicked around, I stumbled upon mention of the international “seduction community.” I wanted to know more about what this is, and when Perrion’s question-and-answer session ended, I was able to find out. At least a third of the male audience hung around afterward. These were my specimens.

A couple of gentlemen came up and introduced themselves to me — curious about why I chose to attend Perrion’s talk. One of them told me some interesting things about the Calgary Lair (a group of men who are interested in meeting women) and how it changed his life. He suffered a bad breakup and ended up harbouring hateful feelings towards women, but he learned through the community that he could become a more enlightened guy and have success with women again. I was just starting to feel sympathetic when the conversation took a turn. He described how the Lair, which is run by a dating company, operates. Members go to bars and try repeatedly to “interact” with women. I tried to convince myself there wasn’t anything creepy in their indiscreet persistence, but I couldn’t — it just sounds wrong.

Perrion is highly respected by his “seduction community” colleagues and he appears sincere and well meaning. He advocates complete honesty and respect towards women and he promotes self-awareness and self-esteem. He distances himself from professional pick-up artists, but although this particular talk was free, there is no doubt that Perrion is a salesman. He sells the concept that if you keep asking the right questions, eventually you’ll get the right answer. What is the right question? Perhaps we could learn more if we invest in a DVD or a 90-day intensive.

My lingering feeling is that Perrion’s ill-defined philosophies lend to some dangerous misinterpretation by his disciples. Casual flirting, compliments and pick-up lines are generally harmless, and Perrion isn’t encouraging his fans to be aggressive or intimidating. Yet, for some reason I leave the lecture theatre feeling uneasy. The Art of Seduction appears more like the maze of interpretation. Perrion insists that “Men need to stop apologizing for being men!” But I think some of the students only hear this as an excuse for primal behaviour.

All of my girlfriends tell me that they instantly gets their backs up when men approach them in bars. Even if they’re attractive, smell nice and wear cool shoes, they start at a disadvantage and need to realize that the girls they’re going to chat up have been receiving catcalls since they were 12. And they’re guarded. I believe Perrion knows this, but for the sake of hope, and sales, tends to skip over this part.