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If you’ve ever had things explained wrong to you by a guy, been annoyed by an annoying finance guy at a bar, or feel the need to get back at the guy who did something dirty to your best friend, a new book has what it claims are the 109 pick-up lines guaranteed to make the guy look like a fool.
And it’s written by a self-confessed “gender traitor.”
Kyle Prue, who wrote her first book at just 18 and has nearly five million followers on social media, has condensed her viral TikTok series into the manual. How to make men angrydetailing the ways he believes the male ego can be destroyed quickly and mercilessly.
Prue, who lives in Los Angeles, begins by clarifying: ‘Making someone angry is not, strictly speaking, a good or nice thing to do.
‘However, if you’re going to do it, I recommend doing it with discretion and surgical precision.’
“I like your shirt,” a line that may not tug at the heart of Harry Styles’ masculinity, but Kyle says it effectively annoys almost any other man (as long as he’s wearing a shirt).
“I love your cosplay” – Don’t use this on Travis Kelce or any other real athlete.
And he adds by way of warning: “Please use the insults in this book only if you feel safe and comfortable doing so. Public spaces and witnesses are not only good armor; they are also a good audience.”
He insists he didn’t start the series because he hated men, but because, he says, “I think it’s time for men to take our cultural medicine. To let our anger inform our pain and ultimately heal from it.”
‘I like your blouse’
Kyle says this works on pretty much any guy, as long as he’s wearing a shirt.
“I thought your voice would be deeper”
Need to escape a disastrous date on Hinge? This is a great option.
‘Oh, I saw it on Pinterest’
Kyle suggests using this particular phrase when a guy is bragging about something he’s interested in or showing you one of his tattoos. This will have two effects:
- It drives a stake through the heart of their ambitions for originality.
- Remember the words of comedian Ali Wong: “If a man has a Pinterest, he’s probably Pinterestized into men.”
‘I love your cosplay’
That guy who always wears a sports jersey? He’ll hate this and will no doubt respond with something like, “It’s not cosplay.” To which you reply, “Well, it kind of is… you’re not really a basketball, football, or baseball player.”
‘That continues’
Tell him this when he tells you his zodiac sign.
Apparently even men who like James Corden don’t want to be compared to him.
Kyle Prue confesses to being a ‘gender traitor’ with her book How To Fuck Men
“You remind me of James Corden”
He’ll wonder why you think that, of course. When he asks you, you’ll say, “Oh, you’re funny like him.” Kyle says, “Even guys who like James Corden don’t want to be James Corden.”
Call your outburst a fit of rage.
Guaranteed to make him even angrier. It’s probably best not to use this phrase if he’s already over the threshold of hitting the wall, Kyle advises.
“You would make a good Frodo”
Ideally, this conversation should happen while you’re watching Lord of the Rings. Then, you can pause and add, “Actually, do you know who you might be?”
He’ll expect you to say Aragorn, the rugged hero played by Viggo Mortensen.
“Samwise,” you say, referring to the loyal, if slightly overweight and not very intelligent, hobbit.
However, Kyle points out that the effectiveness of this conversation depends entirely on how big of a Lord of the Rings fan the target is.
“A true fan will know that Samwise is, in fact, the best character,” he says. “In this case, the most devastating burn will be Boromir’s.”
When watching Lord of the Rings, the most annoying thing is comparing a man to Boromir (left), while a true fan will know that Samwise (right) is the better character.
“You have the confidence of a much taller man”
Disclaimer: Don’t use this with a man you plan on having any sort of relationship with. Once you’ve said it, there’s no going back, unless he has a really good sense of humor.
‘I’m here’
This one comes with very specific instructions. It should just be run in the middle of the night and immediately after sending it, turn off the phone.
Kyle then advises waiting “as many days as you want” before finally responding by saying, “Sorry, wrong person.”
‘Ooh-la-la’
This works for anyone who considers themselves classy, but especially for someone who proudly tells you they attended an Ivy League college.
“Men from America’s ‘best and brightest’ institutions ruin any cool factor they provide by not stopping talking about it for the rest of their lives,” Kyle says.
For example, the conversation might go something like this:
Them: ‘I went to Penn.’
You: Penn State?
They: “No, Penn.”
You: ‘What’s the difference?’
They: ‘Penn is an Ivy.’
You: ‘Ooh-la-la!’
How to Make Men Angry: 109 Things to Say to Destroy the Male Ego by Kyle Prue is published by Sourcebooks