Television series
The Pickup Artist
VH1's early-2000s reality competition where socially awkward men live together to learn "pickup artistry" from self-styled seduction guru Mystery. It's equal parts cringe comedy and genuine awkwardness—watching strangers attempt ridiculous social tactics on unsuspecting women. For anyone curious about pre-social-media dating culture, toxic masculinity's televised birth, or just spectacularly uncomfortable entertainment.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you enjoy watching awkward men try to reinvent themselves under a coach, and you find the gap between the swagger being taught and the nerves underneath more entertaining than the pickup tricks themselves.
Skip it if you want the subject treated seriously, since this is dating advice built on showmanship, mugging for the camera and a fairly narrow idea of what makes someone attractive.
What it asks of you: Sixty-minute episodes, sixteen across two seasons, set mostly in one house with plenty of talking-head asides; repetition and mounting awkwardness carry it more than plot does.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
The Bachelor2003
The blueprint for reality romance competition: attractive people, manufactured drama, roses, overnight dates, and the illusion that love can be won. Slicker and more genuinely romantic than The Pickup Artist, though equally absurd.
But Twenty-plus seasons means commitment, and the formula gets repetitive fast. If you find the premise exhausting, you'll find it exhausting here too.
Flavor of Love2006
Peak VH1 absurdity in the same era: Flavor Flav surrounded by women competing for his affection. Raw, unfiltered chaos that makes for genuinely entertaining television and a fascinating artifact of mid-2000s culture.
But It's deeply offensive by today's standards and pretty offensive by 2006's standards too. The misogyny isn't ironic; it's the whole point.
Jersey Shore2009
Eight strangers crammed together for dramatic hookups and ridiculous behavior. Dumb fun that embraces its own stupidity, with actual chemistry between the cast that makes it weirdly watchable and sometimes oddly wholesome.
But The target of endless mockery for a reason. If you find the setup premise—young people being young—boring, nothing here changes your mind.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from The Pickup Artist
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Shame2011
Both examine the seductive fantasy that technique and confidence can solve loneliness. Shame shows what that cost actually is.
Brandon is handsome, successful, and enslaved to compulsive sexual behavior. Michael Fassbender's performance is electrifying; it's a serious exploration of addiction, shame, and the gap between who we present and who we are. Brutal emotional honesty.
But Sexually explicit, unflinching about addiction and self-destruction. No redemptive arc or easy answers. Bleak and sometimes difficult to sit with.
More like this (8)
Love Island2015
Modern dating competition with real stakes: strangers couple up, new arrivals destabilize the group, eliminations are merciless. Fast-paced, surprisingly strategic, and the social dynamics are genuinely complex.
But Can feel exhaustingly dramatic if you're not invested in the players. Some seasons drag; others peak early and never recover.
Dating Around2019
Documentary-style dating series where one person goes on five first dates, all in one evening. Intimate, funny, occasionally heartbreaking. Real conversations instead of manufactured rose ceremonies.
But Not a competition. If you want stakes and elimination, you won't find them here. Quietly observational rather than bombastic.
Undeclared2001
College comedy-drama about freshmen navigating dorm life, classes, and dating. Cringe humor comes from genuine social awkwardness and character embarrassment, not manufactured challenges. Warm underneath the awkwardness.
But Cancelled after two seasons so it never fully developed. The comedy style is very 2001 and can feel dated, though not in an enjoyable archival way.
Entourage2004
Ensemble comedy following a Hollywood entourage where seduction and social performance are constant subtext. Guilty pleasure wish-fulfillment with better writing and more sympathetic characters than the premise deserves.
But Wildly misogynistic in ways the show treats as just how guys talk. Hasn't aged well and wasn't particularly thoughtful when it aired.
The Hills2006
Reality television about beautiful people navigating work, friendship, and dating in Los Angeles. Less about competition than observation; weirdly addictive as a study of how people perform themselves.
But Zero stakes except social drama. If you need plot, real conflict, or character growth, this offers only the performance of those things.
Tough Love
Dating coach Patti Stanger mentors single men and women separately, teaching social skills and confidence. More genuinely helpful than The Pickup Artist and actually interested in emotional maturity alongside dating success.
But Preachy and repetitive. The advice, though sound, gets recycled endlessly across episodes. Earnestness can feel preachy after a while.
Tootsie1982
The mirror image of The Pickup Artist: what if the lesson isn't how to perform better, but that performance is the problem?
An unsuccessful actor dresses as a woman to get a role and discovers he's better at connecting with people as a woman than he ever was as a man. Hilarious, smart, and genuinely moving about genuine attention and authenticity.
But The premise (a man in drag) gets repetitive, and the romantic subplot can feel thin. Some comedy relies on dated gender stereotypes.
Crazy Ex-Girlfriend2015
Both are about manufactured social personas and the fantasy that you can seduce your way to happiness. This one actually examines why that thinking destroys you.
Rebecca pursues a guy across the country and the show systematically demolishes her self-deception, desire, and the narratives she tells herself. Musical comedy-drama that's sharper about romantic delusion and attraction than anything built on technique alone.
But The first season is uneven; you need commitment to find the good. Musical numbers won't work for everyone and some arcs feel stretched.
