What has 142 teeth and holds back the incredible hulk? My zipper.
Pick-up lines are a hot topic. Some people love them, while others can't stand the sound of them. One thing they do, for sure, is get people talking.
Students have vastly differing views on the merits of pickup lines.
"It shows he has guts," said Tara Bodziak, a junior business administration major.
Last semester Bodziak was sitting in the Student Union when a male student handed over a piece of paper and remarked that she dropped it. Bodziak unknowingly opened the paper, which had the student's phone number and name.
"I have a boyfriend, so I didn't call, but he made a good attempt," Bodziak said.
While some women appreciate the courage it takes to use a line, others like to play hard to get.
"You need to be fluent," said Jeff Mann, a junior psychology major. "If it's choppy and you're unsure of yourself, you sound stupid."
Mann admits to using pick-up lines occasionally, reporting great success when dropping corny lines such as "Are you a thief? Because someone stole the stars and put them in your eyes."
"Most girls laugh and think it's funny," Mann said. "Once she smiles, you're in."
While Mann claims he never came across a girl who didn't love one of his lines, there are a significant number of female students who aren't fans of pick-up lines in general.
"I turn and walk away when I hear a pick-up line," said Deondra Savage, a junior psychology major. "I think that they are corny."
Even when some girls find pick-up lines funny, they still walk away uninterested.
"I think one of the worst pick-up lines I've ever heard was, ‘Do you have a quarter, because my mom told me to call her when I fall in love,'" said Antinette Brown, a junior health and human services and nursing major. "I did laugh, but then I walked way."
Overall, female students commented that laughter is the most common response, but then they quickly walk away, mirroring Brown's actions.
"Usually, someone who would use a pick-up line isn't someone I would seriously consider dating," said Marissa Dombroski, a sophomore English major. "If he's sketchy, I would definitely walk away."
All of the males interviewed admitted to using pick-up lines, either in a joking or serious tone, at least once in their lives, but it was not the same case for women.
"It's not necessarily the guy's department to pick up the girl," said Skye Simpson, a junior English major. "However, using a pick-up line is definitely a guy thing."
After interviewing 20 UB female students, not one of them admitted to using a pick-up line on a male.
"I think it would be great if a girl used a pick-up line on me," said Matthew Sydor, a junior psychology major. "I would like that she has the confidence to pick up a guy."
Most UB students polled agreed that the best pick-up line to use is, "Do you know how much a polar bear weighs? Enough to break the ice."
"If a guy used the polar bear line on me I would definitely laugh and appreciate it," said Jennifer Riccardi, a senior biological sciences and psychology major.
"I like the polar bear line because it's not gross," Bodziak said. "It may be old, but it's still cute."
It seems that students think pick-up lines are a trend that died with bell-bottoms, but they appreciate the confidence and courage that it takes to use them.
E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com
