The "Pick Up Artist" recap

Outside of TNT's The Closer and Top Chef,  TV watching was an abysmal disappointment.  Let me put it out there, I love pop culture. I love watching bad TV. I love The Office, Ugly Betty, Project Runway and Grey's Anatomy.  I couldn't wait for Heroes to start up again. After a show, I love to read the blogs and message boards. I know, I am SUCH a dork I am.  After Grey's Anatomy, I read the Grey Matter blog, anxiously awaiting the team of show writer's thoughts about their work.  I heart Shonda, the creator of Grey's, who is a working mom, who blogs and writes with her child in toe.

Regardless, I have to comment on this summer's loser show, "The Pick Up Artist".  It might be my penchant for the random or not being able to find the remote control, but this show took the cake this summer.

The basic premise is one cool guy and his friends teach a group of nerd boys how to be "playahs".   Remember Will Smith In Hitch, where he played this guy who coached awkward men in succeeded with women?  Obviously he found out that when it was his turn to fall in love all his tricks and tips fell to the wayside.  Hitch, the uber cute Smith, was just as awkward as his students.  Somehow this movie worked, the premise was silly, but was still endearing.  In the movie, the message was clear that women were smarter than men, so men had to up their game and be respectful.

On the other hand, in the "Pick Up Artist", the cool guy, was anything but. First, he called himself, "Mystery", I'm sure not a name his mama gave him.  He had ths affinity to wearing swim goggles and extravagant hats as fashion accessory. His "Master Pick Up Artist Crew" was made up of his pals, " J Dog and Matador" , who served as mentors for the "nerds".

The men signed up as "mentees" were your stereotypical nerds - nice, a few even handsome, but awkward and scared to death of women. The looked like normal guys.  Mystery and his pals dressed them up, taught the mentees about hair gel and tanning cream and tutored them in the finer points of "opening lines" and "kissing".  Check out the glossary of "Pick up Artist" terms here. 

What stuck out for me was the complete disrespect of women in this show.  Women were things to be conquered and won.  Most of the mentees seemed genuinely sweet, but simply did not know how to approach a woman in a public setting.  Granted, who really meets anyone in a bar and then starts a meaningful relationship? These masters tutored their students with tips like, "Lock in on your target" and "When speaking in a trio, completely ignore the girl you want and talk to the other girl to make the first girl jealous".  How high school does that sound?

This season finale not only showed the final battle, but had audience members text their favorite pick up lines.  Here are some of my favorites:
*Miss, you forgot something…my phone #
*Be different from all the others, say yes.
*I like my women like I like my peanut butter – chunky
*Your legs look cold. Do you want me to warm them up?
* Hey I’m looking for treasure, can I check out your chest?

Kosmo, who was crowned "Master Pick Up Artist" said, "I am not a pimp… I am a pick up artist and there is a huge difference…. "  Uh Kosmo, how is that different?  Is it because you now wear hair gel with an artistic flair?

Seriously, maybe it is because I am old and married, but these lines and these tips seem so desperate and DUMB.  Has dating changed that much?  sigh...  My husband and I watched in amazement at these men.  My hubby is one of those typical SV engineer, so I suppose he technically coulda been on the show.  But he and the enginerds he knew were MUCH cooler:) and certainly did not need to have Mystery and Crew show them how to pick up the ladies and teach them the ways of the bar/club.

BTW - Who does VH1 think watches this show? What demographic were they going for?  I think that many VH1 viewers are women.  We all should be mad at the lack of respect that VH1 showed us all.

Comments

[Julie]

I only watched an episode or two, but I completely agree. Most of the men had serious issues that really had nothing to do with being a little geeky. Some therapy would have been much more beneficial, and less demeaning to the half of the population who doesn't scratch themselves in public.

[BirdieRoark]

Ok, I know the feminist in me should be screaming about the show. But I found it quite funny. Hysterically funny. Especially Mysterey and his swim goggles.

Where did VH1 find him? And why would anyone listen to him and his "lock in on your target" advice???