Meet the ‘real men’ of Bengaluru! They are not just taught the art of how to approach a woman but to woo her too. All this and more can be picked up in a two-day course in the ‘Bangalore Real Men meet up’— a workshop that focuses on the art of, possibly, seducing women.
Aman Lal (name changed) signed up for this workshop because he was simply curious. “I’ve been in the city for eight years and because of work timings and pressure, I haven’t been able to make any real friends. That was the sole reason I went for this workshop. It’s similar to going for a public speaking workshop. I would like to learn practical things like body language. I believe there is a certain way to act in front of a woman without making anyone uncomfortable.”
One of the interesting aspects about these meet-ups is that registration is under the cloak of secrecy and anonymity. And the reason? It is also a place where one can learn how to be a pick-up artiste. Cobi Simon, an architect, says, “It’s about helping men on how to throw open lines at girls in parties and social gatherings. It may not be all that innocent as it’s made out to be. The PUA (pick-up artiste) is a global society which was supposed to be a secret. But, I guess it’s slowly becoming popular.”
While, earlier, such wooing measures were depicted in movies like Hitch and The Ugly Truth and now in reality shows like Superstud, the fact that they are happening is a sign of our times. “This is like reading a self-help book. It might just help on the superficial level and might put off a woman if she even gets a whiff of it,” says Dr Mythili, a psychologist. She agrees that maintaining relationships is getting tougher, but says that the spontaneity of love is threatened, “This works for those looking for something lighter and on surface level. Nothing more.”
And what happens if a girl discovers that she’s being wooed by someone who has been trained? “The idea of ‘orchestrating wooing’ will really put me off! It completely blurs the line between being genuine and contrived,” insists Abhilash Varma. So guys, go easy or you might end up with egg on your face!
