It's time for the second installment of “relationship advice from a guy who's never been in a relationship.” As some of you may know, there exists a book in this world that promises that even the geekiest and most social inept males can score with beautiful women. And if I know my audience, you all just put down whatever microwave food you were eating and inched closer to the screen.
This book is called The Game by Neil Strauss and has been providing seduction help for the past five years. I'm here to tell you all a huge secret: it's all a scam. Fuck negs, IOI's, kino, and all that garbage. Here's my patented guide to seduction: if you see a girl you like, go up to her and say hi. Crazy, right? What we as men don't understand is that women, for the most part, want to be approached and talked to. That's why they wear cute outfits, get their hair done, work out, and buy ridiculously expensive bags—they want to get noticed.
The only thing worse than Ed Hardy dudes are those guys who walk around “peacocking” with feathered top hats.I'll admit that the book does provide solid help in terms of openers. It tells you to ask the girl(s) a question and have them respond with their opinion. Where the book goes wrong is by giving the reader too many rules to follow: first you open, then set a false time constraint, then demonstrate value, neg, isolate, kino, etc. You need to be able to speak to women without following a linear set of rules. What happens if you forget a step? You're fucked because you don't know how to talk to women without your crib sheet.
Why am I harping so much on something like this? I think that the only thing worse than the Ed Hardy dudes charging around when you're at a bar with friends is those guys who walk around “peacocking” with feathered top hats and beads walking around offering palm readings. Nothing kills a good time faster than a dude sauntering up and trying to steal your date, especially if this dude is covered in some sort of reflective-neon-polyester material and is wearing ski goggles while he tries to get your opinion on some fictional scenario.
Guys, this book has been out for five years! There have been reality shows on it, magazine articles in Cosmo, and Neil Strauss has even been interviewed on The View. Those are the three main sources of information for most women, so they know exactly what you're doing. The only thing worse than looking like an idiot, is people knowing that you look like an idiot because a book told you to do so, especially if it's a book about getting laid.