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Special Report : October 24, 2007
A Night In the Game
Local pick-up group stresses confidence, camaraderie
It is Friday night in a popular nightclub in Cincinnati, and a secretive group of men has come to field test new methods for attracting beautiful women.
A mix of dance, hip-hop and electronic music permeates the air. On the main level, the overcrowded dance floor resembles a jumping can of sardines, moving rhythmically to the music. Tables and chairs provide seating on the multilevel deck that forms the back of this complex. It looks and feels like a beach house on the Ohio River.
Welcome to the singles' trenches. Meet “Z,” “Redwood” and “Dumah,” members of a group calling itself the Cincinnati pick-up lair. They have come to score.
They are not content to stand on the sidelines as suburban women are on the prowl. These women — lightly covered in their fashionable attire and attention-demanding accessories — confidently stride past, ignoring any sign of eye contact or interest. The lair, also mildly peacocked, takes action.
"Basically all we are is a group of guys who help ourselves to be the best we can be," explains Z, the apparent leader.
He continued, describing his style as "going caveman," a term he uses meaning being direct.
"I use no lines or tricks. I am honest and upfront, while being friendly, sincere and warm," Z explains.
Zan, a founding pick-up guru, demonstrates. PRWeb
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The night culminates as Z and Redwood get phone numbers from two young, vivacious ladies after a brief conversation full of giggling and playful banter. The women seem to like the caveman approach.
FOUNDING FATHERS
This Friday night, in a city where fashion expression is limited, guys don a prototypical midwestern wardrobe: blue jeans, t-shirt and sneakers.
It is a sharp contrast to the outrageous outfits of Mystery, who has been partially credited with popularizing pick-up culture.
"I was a late bloomer … In order for me to get social, while I was a kid, I used … magic," said Mystery, 35, in a 2007 Salon interview.
"What I ultimately discovered was that I could remove the magic from my interactions … People would [still] be captivated — they would gravitate toward me because of my fascination in things."
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Mystery is not alone in his journey from geek to sheik. There are a whole slew of other masters, each with their own brand of pick-up.
The schools of game are divided into "direct" and "indirect."
Direct entails boldly declaring romantic intent to a woman, while indirect game involves subtly going "under the wire" and concealing romantic interest, explains Zan Perrion, a Vancouver-based "direct style" guru, in a video series he has released.
Peacocking — wearing outrageous clothing or wielding eye-catching accessories — is one example of tactics used in the indirect method. |
For an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Mystery, at a towering 6'6" showed up fully peacocked. Fingernails painted black, he was sporting a tunic resembling a frontiersman's pelt, black cowboy hat with feathery headpiece and a pair of binoculars strung around his neck.
FEAR & LOATHING
Despite the seemingly benign interactions the guys in the Cincinnati lair were having that night, many outside observers are critical of the pick-up community. They claim it objectifies women and promotes dishonest and manipulative techniques.
"Many guys in the community do degrade women," says Z. "Many manipulative schools prey on men's fears by objectifying women. The guys that objectify and stay fearful, however, never become successful," he says in response to this criticism.
"If people are hating on guys going out … to get the girl of their dreams … apparently they do not want to see other people happy, and that is sad," he says.
Z comes across as confident and smooth, but claims he was not always so.
"I was what they refer to in the Community as a WBAFC (way-below-average-frustrated-chump). I had little, if any, friends. I had never even kissed a girl, and talking to girls I liked seemed out of the question," he says.
Since joining the community, "I have lots of friends. I have met tons of girls. I have [gone] on dates. I have gotten more numbers than I can remember," Z says.
The other members have similar frog-to-prince stories. But none without work. Pick-up requires persistence for a great payoff. Goals are a big part of success.
"My goal with pick-up is to lead a no excuses lifestyle," Z says. "Go after what I want. Make no apologies for doing so. If I see a girl I want, then I will let her know. If I want a great body, then I will work out hard. If I want to be rich, then I will work for that, too. No excuses. No apologies."
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editors@queencityforum.com
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Links
- For archives of any QCF Magazine contributor, just type their name into the "QueenCityForum" Google search
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