Tanner Conley
Staff Writer
From the terribly cheesy, to the straight-up terrible, many have heard a fair share of pick-up lines. Whether it is a well-crafted ruse from Barney Stinson, or a lovable “How you doin’” from Joey Tribbiani, many are surrounded by a culture of clever lines and smooth talkers.
“I usually only get them when I go out,” said Bailey Miller, a junior. “I don’t ever really remember them. I only remember the funny ones or the creepy ones.”
However, is there a transition from these on-screen personalities to the students on UW campus?
“As a whole, I don’t usually experience pick-up lines that much, usually just by friends as a joke or later in a relationship to get a smile,” said Hannah Branson, a junior.
Both ladies bring up an excellent point; pick-up lines just are not ever used in public. Well, why not?
This is one question that Branson may have the answer to.
“With the heavy use of dating apps and the concept of seeing the way someone looks and matching without having to be face to face makes people more confident. People are generally scared, and it gives them a safety net,” said Branson.
The lack of face to face communication gives people a sense of confidence, which in turn, negates their fear of making a fool of themselves. When it comes down to it, using a pick-up line is putting a person on display for the intended target. People can try and sway their opinion in one way or the other, but in the end, it is all about their judgment.
“It depends on who [the line] comes from,” Miller said. “If it is a guy you are interested in, it’s cute. But if it’s a creepy old man, or someone you aren’t interested in, it’s just weird.”
In the world of communication theory, a pick-up line is an example of what is called a Face-Threatening Act (FTA). The concept of the “face” within communications and psychology is what constitutes the public image or how people see themselves in the world. So, a FTA is anything that can potentially damage self-image. In this specific case, it is the prospect of rejection and failure that can potentially damage this self-image.
Showing capability of conquering that fear is paramount to improve the self-image in another’s mind.
But it certainly may never hurt to have a killer pick-up line. With so many options available, the campus picked their favorites to make for an easy choice.
The Branding Iron conducted a survey in which 100 random students were asked to select their favorite pick up line among four student submitted options. Individual options were kept anonymous; two options came from men and the other two came from women in order to represent both sides accurately. The results are as follows:
First place with 37 votes: Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got fine written all over you.
Second place with 25 votes: Are you a bank loan? Because you’ve got my interest.
Third place with 23 votes: Are you a beaver? Because dammmmmm.
Fourth place with 15 votes: Are you Israeli? Because you Israeli hot.
Another important aspect to remember is timing. Pick-up lines can be funny but will utterly fall flat on their face if used at an inappropriate time. It is crucial to maintain a respectful attitude and to not push any luck if things start to go poorly. There is no need to dig the hole deeper.
“The idea of pick-up lines is rather ambiguous. It probably won’t work, but it shows your confidence,” Branson said. “At least to me, the words aren’t what matter, it’s the fact that you put yourself out there.”
