How To Be A Good Wingman

You’re going to need to be subtler than sitcoms would have you believe.

- Sophia Benoit

MOVIES, ESPECIALLY ONES INVOLVING SETH ROGEN, love a good wingman scene. You know the type: A wise, frequent sex-haver gives his less-lucky-in-love friend some very simple tips (‘just be yourself, man’), and then boom! our protagonist is getting laid. Unsurprisingly, movies get it wrong. The characters are too aggressive, too persistent or fundamentally misunderstand the task at hand. Most character-to-character advice either revolves around terrible pick-up lines or ways to get women alone with you in situations they don’t want to be in. A common trope of buddy comedies is the idea that the wingman is meant to ‘take one for the team’ by flirting with a less attractive woman so that his friend can get a chance with the hotter one. Real life is not like that! As a wingman, you don’t need to attempt to create chemistry by listing your friend’s allergies in case a hot woman has one in common. Instead, show her that your bud is a fun (and safe!) person to be around.