NationStates Jolt Archive

http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/newsbeat/newsid_7887000/7887032.stm

There are many places a young man can go for romantic advice - friends, family, and if the worst comes to the worst, the internet.

Now, desperate bachelors, looking for a fresh perspective, are taking dating tips from a nine-year-old boy.

Alec Greven, from Colorado, is the author of How To Talk To Girls.

The book, which started as an elementary school project, has become a New York Times best-seller.

"I just observed around the playground how boys mess up and what mistakes they make," said Alec.

"A lot of boys made the wrong conversations or they couldn't get over it when a girl dumped them."

Role models

Alec believes showing interest is the key to winning a girl's heart.

He said: "Your goal is to make sure she does most of the talking so then you can't mess up."

In his book, Alec suggests that men find a cool role model to base their behaviour on.

However, he warns against pursuing A-list females.

"The best choice for most boys is a regular girl. Remember some pretty girls are cold-hearted when it comes to boys," he said.

Radio 1 Newsbeat invited Alec to demonstrate his chat up technique on 22-year-old Kristina Sorge from California.

Alec said: "Have you, um, seen that episode of Star Wars or something. I heard there's like a new episode of Star Wars?"

Kristina replied: "You know, I've seen all of the Star Wars movies. The old ones and the new ones."

Asking her out

Alec: "Have you seen the Indiana Jones movie?"

Kristina: "I've seen the old one."

Alec: "It's really good."

After a strong, movie-based start, Alec's chat dwindles a little.
How To Talk To Girls cover
Alec's best-selling book started life as a project at school

However, he insists it's easy to move the conversation on.

He said: "If I was older, maybe I would ask her, do you want to go out somewhere?"

Kristina's verdict? "I think that he's on his game. His advice is great. He'd need to add about 10 years though," she said.

Alec also offers advice for when relationships don't work out so well.

On breaking-up, he said: "You say something like, 'I don't think this is really going to work but would you like to be friends'."

On being dumped, he replied: "I say, life is hard, move on. If you can't get over it, it's ruined."

Despite his junior love-guru status, Alec says there are no ladies in his life, aside from his mother.

"I'm a little too young for all that dating and everything," he said.

Alec is working on several follow-ups to How To Talk To Girls.

How To Talk To Moms, How To Talk To Dads and How To Talk To Grandparents are already in the pipeline.

First, I am amused. Second, I smell someone who sees a market in this sort of thing and has the economic sense to leap on it. All at nine year's old to boot. What a smart kid.

Of course, none of us here at NSG need his advice...certainly not...:wink:

His chapter on how to avoid cooties was a solid read, but I found it difficult to empathize with the subtle racist undertones of the author, given his very obvious bias against "poopieheads"

Hahaha. Clever kid. :)

I'm curious to see what the book is about now. :P

I read about this ages ago, I'm surprised its only being posted about now.

Still, too cute!

I just told my roommate about this. He is going to go buy it and, in the time honored fashion of the bum on the couch, I am going to immediately borrow it.

First, I am amused. Second, I smell someone who sees a market in this sort of thing and has the economic sense to leap on it. All at nine year's old to boot. What a smart kid.
You mean, "What smart parents."
Or teacher. Or whoever else is putting this kid forward and cleaning up on the novelty act.
Of course, none of us here at NSG need his advice...certainly not...:wink:
Not really, no. Everything I've heard mentioned during various soft news stories on this precocious little brat is the sort of thing any idiot should be able to figure out for themselves.

And yet, having been asked out in all kinds of ridiculous, and, frankly, insulting manners, I can assure you that plenty of idiots have NOT been able to figure it out for themselves.

And, no, it seems to me that the kid is smart. He saw a need on the playground, and filled it. Smart parents and teachers for encouraging him and having the business sense to get him published. Doesn't make the kid less smart though.

I was going to make some snarky comment about Fiddlebottoms' last post, but then I got distracted when I realized that I know the girl in the interview! Kristina Sorge used to go to my school, then moved out to Cali. Small world...

Not to take anything away from the kid who is obviously as smart as something very intelligent but if we replaced the self help shelves in bookstores with books written by 9 year olds, I don't think many people would see the difference.

I was going to make some snarky comment about Fiddlebottoms' last post, but then I got distracted when I realized that I know the girl in the interview! Kristina Sorge used to go to my school, then moved out to Cali. Small world...

Weird, my roommate is dating a Sorge. Actually, the Sorge is my roommate while she subleases from the roommate dating her. There is a conspiracy of some sort at work here.

And yet, having been asked out in all kinds of ridiculous, and, frankly, insulting manners, I can assure you that plenty of idiots have NOT been able to figure it out for themselves.
You're on NSG, therefore I can only conclude that you hang out with nerds in real life. Therefore any social awkwardness on their part is to be expected.
And, no, it seems to me that the kid is smart. He saw a need on the playground, and filled it. Smart parents and teachers for encouraging him and having the business sense to get him published. Doesn't make the kid less smart though.
He completed a school project and someone realized that said project could be exploited on the US market for stupid novelty products and pathetic self-help guides. It doesn't make the kid smart at all, and I can't imagine that this early success and publicity won't turn him into a huge jerkass ten years from now.

And yet, having been asked out in all kinds of ridiculous, and, frankly, insulting manners, I can assure you that plenty of idiots have NOT been able to figure it out for themselves.

And, no, it seems to me that the kid is smart. He saw a need on the playground, and filled it. Smart parents and teachers for encouraging him and having the business sense to get him published. Doesn't make the kid less smart though.

This is, frankly, the part that confuses me most. How many nine-year-olds are trying to get some ass out on the playground? When I was nine, most boys were still gross and they felt the same way about us.

Perhaps the 13 year old father on the front cover of today's Sun read it

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/

That kid understands far too much about emotions and girly stuff like that.

He's clearly going to turn out to be one of them gays.

People are going to rely on a prepubescent future gay to tell them how to attract women?

Thats the most ridiculous thing I've heard since I heard the folk over in America are going to rely on a brown man to get people back to work.

*Waits for someone silly enough to take this seriously and get annoyed*

BTW, just confirmed: it is my friend Kristina in the BBC story. I contacted her about it, and she apparently works for them now. Thought that was kinda cool.

Soon we will see a 13-year-old who looks seven, writing a book titled "How to Score".

Soon we will see a 13-year-old who looks seven, writing a book titled "How to Score".
Or maybe "How to Be a Daddy."

http://generalitemafia.ipbfree.com/uploads/ipbfree.com/generalitemafia/emo-_facepalm__by_Chimpantalones.gif

And yet, having been asked out in all kinds of ridiculous, and, frankly, insulting manners, I can assure you that plenty of idiots have NOT been able to figure it out for themselves.


It's true. I was just discussing this with a friend the other day, and she told me an anecdote that may set a new record for "stupid ways to hit on girls." Heck, I've had a guy hit on me by - I am not making this up - telling me that I "looked a lot like [his] wife, only she has a prettier face." AND HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THIS DIDN'T WORK.

It's true. I was just discussing this with a friend the other day, and she told me an anecdote that may set a new record for "stupid ways to hit on girls." Heck, I've had a guy hit on me by - I am not making this up - telling me that I "looked a lot like [his] wife, only she has a prettier face." AND HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THIS DIDN'T WORK.


It makes perfect sense. "you are prettier than the girl I married" is an obvious compliment and should immediately want to make you have sex with him.

Incidentally, you have a pretty face.

It's true. I was just discussing this with a friend the other day, and she told me an anecdote that may set a new record for "stupid ways to hit on girls." Heck, I've had a guy hit on me by - I am not making this up - telling me that I "looked a lot like [his] wife, only she has a prettier face." AND HE WAS SURPRISED WHEN THIS DIDN'T WORK.

At least he tried. Girls don't even bother, as if us men have to do all the work.

WHERE'S THE CHANGE OBAMA??

Neo Art, I'm pretty sure he was saying his wife was prettier than Poli.

Or maybe "How to Be a Daddy."

http://generalitemafia.ipbfree.com/uploads/ipbfree.com/generalitemafia/emo-_facepalm__by_Chimpantalones.gif
Step 1: Have stupid parents
Step 2: Find ugly/desperate British girl with parents as stupid as yours
Step 3: Knock her up
At least he tried. Girls don't even bother, as if us men have to do all the work.
Men should unionize. We demand that at least a 50% of all pick-up attempts be made by women of the opposite sex!

It makes perfect sense. "you are prettier than the girl I married" is an obvious compliment and should immediately want to make you have sex with him.

Incidentally, you have a pretty face.

No, no, I was less pretty than the girl he married (who, he informed me, was out of town this weekend so he had the house to himself, wink wink nudge nudge). And he was genuinely surprised when I wasn't desperate to head over to his house right then! My mind, it was boggled.

Incidentally, :fluffle:

We demand that at least a 50% of all pick-up attempts be made by women of the opposite sex!
Women of the opposite sex? :confused:

I'm thinking they hired him as the fake "writer" of the book. I bet they use some kind of ghost writer. And he probably doesn't even understand the fundamentals of emotion.

Man, that kid is going to be up to his eyes in pussy once he hits puberty.

He's "too young to be dating", by his own description, yet he knows how to dispense advice on dating, and even breaking up? Nice.

The reason why a kid is better able to give good dating advise than a grown man with experience is because he is detached from the whole experience. It's actually all very simple common sense advise. It's just that us grown ups don't think with our minds we get all excited and confused by opposite sex and think with other parts of our bodies which are better suited to other things besides thinking. Love in theory is a lot easier than in practice.

Women of the opposite sex? :confused:
Of course! (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zlhU2tagDs)
The relevant part starts at 3:40, but the whole episode (and series) is a good waste of time.

Chapter 1: Cooties
Chapter 2: Girls are not icky
Chapter 3: Things at Toy-R-Us, she'll really love!
Chapter 4: The best Disney movies to watch!
Chapter 5: Which High School Musical star to compare her to!

I totally said something about this maybe 2 months ago.

<_<

Alec said: "Have you, um, seen that episode of Star Wars or something. I heard there's like a new episode of Star Wars?"
Kristina replied: "You know, I've seen all of the Star Wars movies. The old ones and the new ones."
Alec: "Have you seen the Indiana Jones movie?"
Kristina: "I've seen the old one."
Alec: "It's really good."

What the fuck? Is that supposed to appeal to girls? Idiot.

Of course, none of us here at NSG need his advice...certainly not...:wink:
Whatchu talkin' 'bout?
The kid *is* a regular here! He ... whoops, said too much.
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