Tag: dating

You may think this comic is outlandish, yet Perk’s approach is not the worst in the world. In fact, there’s an argument that this could be an excellent approach because it’s earnest in nature.

You may have heard all sorts of advice about pick-up lines. Would you agree that pick-up lines, in and of themselves, are cheesy and dumb? There is no magic line to pick up a girl unless it’s transactional like hiring a prostitute but let’s not go there (even though I just did).

Here’s what I’m saying: there are pick-up lines and there are approaches. Cal is advising Perk on an approach. Which makes sense. That said, I think we can agree that Perk’s approach could use a bit of finessing.

But here’s the thing, Perk’s goofy approach could work for a few reasons:

1. The girl may actually like the movie and appreciate another fan
2. The girl may have a sense of humor and like that this guy is approaching her in an off-beat manner
3. The girl may be sick of the ol’ “Hi. I’m [insert name here]. What’s your name?” lame approach (or any pick-up line for that matter) – not boring
4. The girl may be happy to have someone ask her a genuine question, even if it’s weird
5. The girl may be curious about what a “creature from the black lagoon” is. Maybe she’s thinking it’s local folklore

There may be more but you get the idea. Of course, the girl could respond with a blow-off like, “Please don’t bother me,” or “No,” as she dismisses him and goes back to reading. If she doesn’t want to engage, don’t push it, dude.

But what if she says something like, “What’s a creature from the black lagoon?” Here’s how Perk could navigate the conversation:

Perk: It’s my favorite movie of all time! It’s an old black and white 3D movie from the 1950s, one where you wear those red and blue 3D glasses to watch.

Girl: They actually had 3D movies that long ago?

Perk: Yeah! They’re SO much better than the current 3D movies. They’re fun! That’s why I like old movies, the people that made them knew they were movies and didn’t take the whole thing so seriously. Movies nowadays are too heavy.

Girl: Not all new movies. But… why exactly did you ask me if I’ve seen some old movie?

Perk: I wanted to talk with you and my buddy over there said to just come up and talk about anything, like my favorite movie or whatever. I guess I got nervous. I’m not good at just walking up to a pretty girl to talk.

Girl: [Blushing] We’ll, I’ve heard worse. What’s your name?

All this, of course, is fiction. But you can see how talking to a stranger (romantic interest or otherwise) doesn’t have to be some big ordeal. Just talk about what you like and connect with them on what they like. An important note is don’t linger on what you like, but to guide the conversation to what they like and how there may be overlap or dynamic contrast; both are good.

What do you like? What’s your favorite movie and why do you love it? What do you care about? What turns your crank? What are you curious about? What makes you confused? Any of these can be an approach.

None of these are pick-up lines. But we don’t need those now, do we?

Oh, and if you’re curious about the movie, you’ll need these.