How Do You Open?

Submission 12,205

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About

How Do You Open? refers to a catchphrase and series of memes parodying pickup and seduction problems that involve striking up a conversation with a stranger with a hypothetical scenario posed alongside it. The trend started with tweets parodying one such challenge posed by a pickup artistry Twitter account in early November 2021.

Origin

On November 3rd, 2021, pickup-artistry-themed Twitter^[1] account @PUA_DATING_TIPS posted a hypothetical scenario in which one had to approach a woman at a local food market and strike up a conversation with her. The tweet gained over 100 retweets, 4,100 quote tweets and 1,100 likes in three weeks (shown below).

Starting on November 4th, 2021, the tweet was quote tweeted by multiple users who wrote humorous and mocking replies. For example, that same day, Twitter^[2] user @arhu_mk posted a No More Heroes reference that gained over 1,200 retweets and 5,300 likes in three weeks (shown below, left). On November 5th, Twitter^[3] user @ZeroSuitCamus posted a tweet that gained over 120 retweets and 4,200 likes (shown below, right).

Spread

Starting on November 4th, 2021, users on Twitter posted humorous tweets parodying the post by @PUA_DATING_TIPS. On that day, Twitter^[4] user @leslieleeiii posted one of the first such tweets that referenced the Japanese horror film Audition, with the post gaining over 300 retweets and 1,700 likes (shown below, left). On the same day, Twitter^[5] user @jokesdepartment posted a meme that gained over 120 retweets and 2,200 likes (shown below, center). A November 5th tweet^[6] by user @eatinginmycar, based on a viral image of a monitor lizard climbing supermarket shelves, gained over 900 retweets and 12,700 likes in three weeks (shown below, right).

In the following weeks, the meme format maintained prominence on Twitter, including a November 15th tweet^[7] by @PUA_DATING_TIPS, which gained over 3,100 quote tweets in two weeks, assisting the spread.