The pickup artistry industry doesn't seem to have faltered after the pandemic. But perhaps that's just the impression we get from their very cringe and very prolific part of Twitter. There are many, many Twitter accounts that claim to put the power in the hands of socially awkward men who are seemingly incapable of meeting women. But they really just smack of incel tendencies, and probably reinforce them in the people who follow their every tweet. Instead of seeming helpful and wise, the accounts tend to objectify women - without any of the charisma of characters like Magnolia's Frank T.J. Mackie (one of Tom Cruise's finest roles).
One questionable prompt that PUA accounts have been using is the "How do you open?" tweet. It pairs a scenario (you see this hot babe, you want to date her, etc) and a picture of a sexy woman, and asks the viewer how they'd start a conversation with her. A prime example of this, featured below, went viral for its absolute ridiculousness - leading to a wealth of parodies from Twitter users.
You're shopping at your local food market, and you notice this young woman from behind.
— The Seducer Lifestyle ☠️🗡️ Master Opener of Women (@PUADATINGTIPS) November 3, 2021
How do you open? pic.twitter.com/THgotjPIui
The tweets have been popping up since November, but it's proven to be a lasting copypasta, as some special Twitter memes are known to do. Instead of disappearing into the ether, it's even been used in the context of other memes such as the "Tweet like Pokémon were real" trend - an impressive feat when considering the fleeting nature of this type of meme. We've rounded up our favorite examples below, but we can't wait for it to reach peak irony and self-awareness. That's when things really get good.
