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The Lowdown on Pickup Lines

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UFL chapter.

Did it hurt? …When you fell from heaven? I can hear the crickets chirp softly in the distance already.

Many folks would agree that the only thing less funny than a pickup line is the attempt of the poor soul using one. You may be thinking, “Aw, come on! Are they really that bad?” Well, Her Campus UFL did some research and found out that yes – yes they are. While some collegiettes™ found the one-liners endearing, most agreed guys should toss out the old technique for the following reasons:

It’s immature: “That’s never going to make me take you seriously.” – Lindsay L., 21

But there is a chance: “Sixty percent of the time it works every time.” – Emily H., 21

As long as they don’t say something racist: “This has happened about three times, so I felt the need to bring it up. Guys – when I reject a dance from you, don’t respond, ‘Aw come on, you should definitely know how to dance.’ Are you insinuating that because I’m African-American I should be a good dancer?  Well, No. 1: Yes, I am black. No. 2: Yes, I can dance. No. 3: Just because No. 1 and No. 2 are true does not give you the right to stereotype. No. 4: I still don’t want to dance with you, and you’ve only pissed me off and made yourself seem racist. Goodbye.” – Ebony J., 19

Just plain stupid: “The worst pickup line I’ve ever had directed at me was, ‘Hey yo girl. Lemme holla at you.’ I couldn’t even.” – Melissa F., 21

Or straight up offensive: “[A guy once told me] ‘That’s some serious hair to be taming,’ in reference to my head full of curls. I was taken aback. Surely he meant it as a conversation starter, but it infuriated me. One of the worst things to say to a girl with curly hair is that her hair is something to be tamed or altered. It’s basically insinuating that she’d be better off with straight hair. Contrary to popular opinion, there are plenty of girls who love their curls. Pickup lines can definitely work. Personally, I like ones that have a bit of humor and self-deprecation. Honestly, you can’t beat being genuine.” – Sam R., 21

Because the line doesn’t have to be funny if you have a sense of humor: “Well, pickup lines do not actually work. But they are usually so outrageous, outlandish, or just plain out-there that it makes me laugh. So I guess it breaks the ice in that sense, but it wouldn’t go much further than that. I can’t think of a specific pickup line a guy has used on me before, but that’s probably because they’re too stupid to take up space in my memory. If a guy really wants to get a girl’s attention, being funny is usually the key to my heart but without insulting pickup lines along the way.” – Rachel K., 21

If you can laugh it off, there’s no harm done: “One night, when I was out with my friends, this guy walked up to me in the club and asked me what my name is. I told him my name, and his response was ‘That’s my sister’s name!’ I just laughed as he tried to redeem himself, but I just couldn’t take him seriously anymore. I think pickup lines are super corny but actually really amuse me if they are unique and are used correctly. If a guy can laugh off a corny pickup line with me, then they have my attention.” – *Sofia O., 22

He’s not trying to impress you with his comedic skill; he just wants to get your attention: “I have had quite a bit of cute, corny, and extremely creepy pickup lines. The best pickup lines are the most humorous. There’s the extremely overplayed, ‘Do you know CPR? … Because you took my breath away.’ Pickup lines can often break the tension between two people, and they do work most of the time. It can spark a conversation based on how bad a pickup line can be or just interest the other person because it’s really flattering if the line is said the correct way. If he is smooth, relaxed, and confident and plays on the humor, it can definitely attract a girl.” – Ailin L., 20

Even so, there are other ways: “Overall, pickup lines are just a copout to try and get a girl’s attention. It’s the easy way out, which never produces good results. Instead, to get a girl’s attention, if you both make casual eye contact at least two to three times, go over and introduce yourself. Or better yet, buy the girl a drink and walk over and give it to her. Then you could maybe lamely discuss whether this was a good choice of drink or not.” – *Hayley V., 22

The bottom line: “It’s creepy. Why can’t we just have a normal conversation? It’s like they can’t talk to you unless there is some end reward for them – the reward being your phone number.” – Beatrice D., 21

But there is an exception: One collegiette™ encountered the winner of them all. Brace yourselves for the line a clever guy used on *Sarah T., 20.

“I noticed you checking me out from across the room. So, the only logical way to proceed is for us to move to Europe where we will spend the next five years becoming con artists. We will then con our way across Europe. Later, we will retire where we will live out our days as billionaires. The only problem we may run into is people recognizing you from winning America’s Next Top Model.”

Now who could ignore that? You’ve got to give the guy credit where credit is due.

So ladies (and gents), what do you think about pickup lines? Leave your thoughts in the comment box below!

Disclaimer: The * indicates that a name was changed for privacy.

 

Photo Credits:www.pinterest.com www.blog.hubspot.com

 

Marisa Ross is a proud Gator alumna from the University of Florida's College of Journalism, where she had the privilege of working with the UFL chapter of Her Campus as a writer, blogger, and editor. Shortly after graduating in 2015, she spent some time abroad teaching English in Madrid, Spain, and voluteering with the press team for the Rio 2016 Olympics. Currently, Marisa resides in South Florida and is thrilled to be a part of Her Campus yet again, this time as the Branded Content Specialist for Integrating Marketing with the national team. In her free time, she stays active by training for races, playing volleyball, and doing anything outdoors or on the water. And if she's not daydreaming about her next travel itinerary, she's probably embarking on a cultural adventure to explore new cities, cuisines, and activities.
Cara oversees Her Campus Media's community department and serves as strategic lead for the expansion, development and management of all HCM communities, including the Her Campus Chapter Network, InfluenceHer Collective, College Fashionista, Spoon University, Campus Trendsetters, alumni and high school. She works closely with company leadership to develop new community-related sales offerings and the Integrated Marketing team to support all community-focused client marketing programs from end to end. Cara has experience working with high-profile talent, such as Jessica Alba, Andrew Yang, Amber Tamblyn, Aja Naomi King, Troian Bellisario, Jessica Marie Garcia, Nico Tortorella, Nastia Liukin, Rebecca Minkoff, Cecile Richards and Samantha Power, as well as brands like Coca-Cola, L'Oréal Paris, The New York Times, HBO, Uber, H&M and more. Having been a part of the HC family since 2011, Cara served as Campus Correspondent of the HC chapter at the University of Florida where she studied journalism, women’s studies and leadership. A New Yorker turned Floridian, Cara has a Friends quote for any situation. You can usually find her with her friends and family at the beach, a concert or live sports event or binge-watching Grey's Anatomy or Sons of Anarchy. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter @thecararose.