There has been a gaggle of deliciously seedy reality T.V. shows on VH1 as of late…I’ve seen the leftovers from 90s boy bands shake their old, fat, drunk bums on Mission: Man Band, I’ve watched Bret Michaels and his perpetual stiffy get doted over by some skanky chicks on Rock of Love, and I’ve watched Chachi finally settle down on Scott Baio is 45 and Single. One of the latest shows, The Pickup Artist, depicts a bunch of geeks learning the art of macking, as this Criss Angel wannabe “Mystery” shows them the methods of being a sleazebag and picking up what look like contestants for Rock of Love 2.
One of the guys they’re trying to pass off as a geek is Brady Sprunger. When I first saw Brady and learned that he was a photographer, I leaned over and asked my boyfriend, “What’s wrong with this guy? He’s completely adorable!”
And yet, they’re trying to act like there’s something wrong with him, and that the only way he can get a girl is by learning a list of cheesy pickup lines, such as, “do you floss before or after you brush?”
Personally, this sort of thing would not work on me, and I’d laugh my butt off if “Mystery” ever approached me and demanded I buy him a drink. But, perhaps I am just as nerdy as one of the contestants…maybe even more so! Even so, I simply cannot seem to wrap my head around this technique. Are women really that stupid? And are these guys really so ignorant as to take this trash as gospel?
I’ve decided to get to the bottom of this. And after an interview with Mr. Sprunger, he softened my cynicism a bit.
Enigma Magazine: How did you hear about the show? How did you audition, and what do you think made you get selected?
Brady Sprunger: I actually heard about the show on Craiglist. It was looking for “lovable losers” who needed help talking to women. I responded with an email and a picture, and they called me and had me come in for an audition. It wasn’t until about 3 months later that they called again and wanted me to come back for a second audition. The point at which I felt like they decided to have me on the show was when I told them that I wanted to wait until marriage to lose my virginity. After I said that, the woman in the room said “Aww, that’s so sweet! We don’t need to ask him anymore questions.”
EM: What were your thoughts when you first entered the house?
BS: It was awesome. There were so many guys with huge video cameras, and I was meeting all of these guys. It felt so surreal.
EM: How did/do you get along with the other guys in the house? Did you make any lifelong friendships? Was there anyone there you just couldn’t stand?
BS: I really felt like I bonded with all the guys in the house. We were all so supportive of each other. Even though it was a competition, we were all trying to help each other study and help each other win. I know, it sounds crazy, but it felt like you’d almost be happy to go home, knowing that one of your buddies got to stay in your place. I felt like the only guy that kind-of got on everybody’s nerves was Fred (the 45-year-old virgin). He really didn’t appreciate the fact that we couldn’t have cell phones or Internet access and that we didn’t have the freedom to leave the house. But after he was gone, everything was great.
EM: What were your first thoughts when you met Mystery, J-Dog, and Matador (the master pickup artists/teachers)? What did you think of their technique?
BS: These guys were really fun to be with. They seem pretty stern on the show, but a lot of that is just the lines that they have to do. Off camera they were really encouraging and helpful. Although I don’t agree with their ideas about getting women into bed, I do have to say that their concepts are pretty good. The idea was that pickup lines don’t work, but pleasant openers do. I think the biggest thing that I took away from my experience with Mystery is letting go of your outcome. In other words, don’t have an agenda when you’re talking to girls, and don’t try to get anything out of them.
EM: Have you found Mystery’s method helpful?
BS: Very much so. I really felt like my biggest downfall was that I was never making myself vulnerable to women. I could build attraction, but I never allowed myself to share my feelings about them. This is obviously a vital part, I guess it was just the illusive obvious for me!
EM: What’s your favorite pickup line and why?
BS: One of my favorites, and probably one of the most used is “Hey do you know 80’s music? because I’ve got this song stuck in my head… You know that song ‘You spin me right round baby right round…’ yeah, do you know who sings that? Because I can’t think of it.” This opener is just so nonthreatening, and it really breaks the ice. It’s something that you can say anywhere, anytime.
EM: What have you learned most from this experience?
BS: Stop worrying about what could go wrong and start anticipating what could go right.
Seriously, I feel like I practiced this religiously during this entire experience.
EM: How do you feel you fared verses the other guys in the house? Do you find any of your attempts better or worse than the other guys?
BS: Well until the show came out, I could only guess how the other guys did, since none of us got to see the other ones in field. And after watching how we did in field, I really feel like they just left out so much stuff that you still can’t tell how you did! (Laughs) I feel like I did pretty well, but conversation is more of an art than anything else, and it’s really hard to judge.
EM: If you had the opportunity to do it all over again, would you? Why or why not?
BS: Well if I had the opportunity to do it all over again, I think there would be a few things I’d do differently, knowing what I know now. But yeah I’d do it again, just differently!
EM: Tell me about your photography and what you do for a living.
BS: Well right now I just shoot photography for a living. It’s really kind of off and on; I basically just take on the projects that I’d enjoy most. I really try to enjoy everything I do.
EM: Has being on this show helped you or hurt you in any way? How so?
BS: Well it’s really weird to be so recognized, I’ve had so many people stop me and say things like “Hey! Has anyone ever told you that you look like that guy from ‘The Pickup Artist’? YEAH! Has anyone ever told you that you look like him?” And so many people know my name without me telling them; it’s really weird. It’s really fun to be able to make somebody happy just by saying hello to them!
EM: How do you do with the ladies now? Do you have a girlfriend? If so, did you use Mystery’s curriculum to your advantage?
BS: I don’t have a girlfriend right now, but I definitely feel like I have a lot of options, which I never felt like I had to this degree before. I suppose I always did, but now I just believe it’s true. I feel it really comes down to just getting your ego out of the way and finding joy in making another person happy, whether or not you get anything out of it. Plus the method helps, because it kind of gives you an outline of how to accomplish that.
EM: Did you ever find Mystery’s teachings a bit corny or forced? Did you ever wonder about what kind of girls would be perceptive to such methods?
BS: Well, I think his teachings sound corny and forced if you’re using them to get a girl into bed. I feel like things tend to sound corny and forced when you’re trying to manipulate people. A lot of things Mystery teaches are things that people who don’t have agendas do, like have casual body language, don’t come on too strongly, say things that would show her that you’re not trying to just impress her.
EM: If you had one thing to do over, what would it be?
BS: I wouldn’t have told the dirty joke in episode 4!
EM: Why platinum blond?
BS: I love platinum blond!
EM: Did you ever feel like you were losing yourself in essence to become someone you weren’t? Did you ever feel like Mystery was turning you all into cookie cutter mack daddies?
BS: I felt like there was a large emphasis on kissing and picking up on girls. I really like getting to know girls for a much longer period of time, this was pushing you to move very fast.
EM: Well, thank you for taking the time to talk with me. To clarify, are you still waiting until marriage to have sex?
BS: Definitely still waiting until marriage!
The Pickup Artist airs on Monday nights at 9 p.m. on VH1. You can see Brady Sprunger’s photography at http://www.bradysprunger.com.
by Jessica. P. Wallin
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment