Lessons from the Pick Up Artist

I admit. I watch VH-1’s reality show The Pick Up Artist (PUA). Why? Part train wreck, part research.

I watch to:

1. Evaluate what tactics boys could employ to pick a girl up
2. Assess what tactics girls should employ to engage a pick up

(It only makes sense to understand the weapons of war for both sides.)

Although I’ve watched the show for a while and have been out and about all during that while, last weekend was the first time I really paid attention to my surroundings and actually noticed if and how any PUA methods were put into play. Fortunately for all of you…absolutely.

There is specific terminology used by PUAs and PUA wanna-bes (PUA-WB) that I’ll be sprinkling here and there. There are other terms of my own I’m dropping in. If you want further elaboration on PUA-bulary, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pickup_artist or http://www.fastseduction.com/acronyms.shtml (the latter if you’re not offended easily).

Lesson #1: Use Props
Unique personal items, often accessories, that help a PUA differentiate himself and/or use in the Field as a conversation piece or flirting tool to engage targets.

Scenario 1
9:35 p.m. Girls’ Night group walks into establishment
9:40 p.m. Girls start ordering drinks at the bar while scoping out the scene
9:42 p.m. Girl #1 leans over to Girl #2 and says “Brown shirt, cowboy hat.”
9:42:03 p.m. Without looking up, Girl #2 responds “Already saw him.”
Grade: A

Scenario 2
Cast of Characters:
PUA-WB: We’ll call him Rev Run
Girl #1: We’ll call her Red

Rev Run is wearing thick plastic, white-rimmed sunglasses. Prop works to get him noticed (thumbs up). But he’s wearing them inside…a dark establishment…while riding the bull…while falling off the bull (thumbs down)…while stumbling away from the bull (big thumbs down).

Rev Run comments to Red, “These are Run-DMC sunglasses. Do you know who Run-DMC is?” (thumbs down when she believes she saw Run-DMC live before he was even born.)
Grade: C-

— Ballyhoo Backcaster