On Friends, Joey was notoriously known for loving his bachelor lifestyle and his love of women. Whether it was because of his skills as an actor or because he had a natural charm, Joey knew the right things he had to say to end up with a date. It was the only area of expertise where his advice was taken seriously by Ross and Chandler.
However, while some of Joey’s pick-up lines have proven to be successful, fans have wondered if they would work in the real world, because sometimes the things Joey did made no sense at all. From him creating a fake alias to pretending he owned a Porsche, here are 5 pick-up lines that worked (& 5 that shouldn’t have).
Would work: Faking an alias
Although this wouldn’t have been successful once he became a regular on ‘Days of Our Lives’, creating an alias would be the most successful technique. Similar to Barney in How I Met Your Mother, an alias allows you to pretend to be someone your not - which would make it easier to lie and seduce someone.
In Friends itself, Joey admits to having used the name Ken Adams while he was on a date. His alias had gained a reputation in the dating field as Rachel reveals that a close friend of hers had heard the most romantic story from him. It has probably saved Joey a few times as well, especially since he tends to not call his dates back after promising to do so.
Wouldn’t work: Pretending he has changed for the better
In the episode “The One With The East German Laundry Detergent”, fans see another one of Joey’s schemes put into place. The episode begins with the gang all talking in the coffee shop. However, Joey soon becomes distracted when his ex walks into the shop and convinces her to go on a fake double date with him and Monica.
Joey’s ex, Angela, reveals that Joey dumped her because he said they would be better off as friends. However, Joey manages to sweet-talk her into believing he had changed and would like to date her again. As fans know, Joey was just doing this to get her back into bed. Considering Joey dated Angela for three years, she deserved more respect from him.
Would work: Let’s try to be friends first
In the later stage of the show, Joey tells the gang that he may be ready to start dating someone for real. Since Joey has a dream that he was dating Monica, the gang reassures the actor that he just wants a relationship like Monica and Chandler’s.
However, he finds out that asking his date if they can “take things slowly” can be a better chat-up line than anything he has ever come up with. With Joey’s romantic prospect believing him to be serious about getting to know her, Joey ends up sleeping with her and her roommate. Although this is an (extreme) example of how well it can work, there is some truth around the fact that the most successful relationships are built on friendship.
Wouldn’t work: Relying on his good looks
Everyone knows Joey values his looks. Yet, he receives a reality check in “The One Where Phoebe Runs”, when Joey realizes personality is just as important.
However, Joey fails to notice that Janine likes to have intellectual conversations and is “immune” to his tricks. He assumes that since he is attracted to Janine, the feeling must be mutual, which is why he is surprised that his “how you doin’?” quip doesn’t work charm her like everyone else. Sometimes, all it takes is to be yourself and not to resort to cheap tricks.
Would work: Single father ploy
In the episode “The One with The Baby On The Bus”, Joey and Chandler are put in charge of looking after Ben while Ross attends a medical emergency. Whilst they are babysitting, Joey comes up with the idea of using Ben to pick up women because “they love guys who love babies - it’s a whole sensitivity thing.”
Although their first time was proven unsuccessful, both Chandler and Joey manage to pick up two women whilst they are on the bus. They were planning on getting a drink with them afterward until they realized Ben was still on the bus. Still, it showed that this play could work on some women.
Wouldn’t work: The naked man
Another sleazy play Joey uses to try and pick up women is “The Naked Man”. This was a concept that has appeared in several other shows but looks to be originated here. Joey decides to enact the play on his first meeting with Monica, stripping down and out of his clothes in her apartment when she is not looking.
As expected, Monica is horrified by his actions and demands that he puts his clothes on. Why he thought this would be a good idea is anybody’s guess because Monica was practically a stranger at this moment and it comes across as really creepy. Joey’s also lucky that she didn’t have him arrested as Monica only invited him in to give him a drink. At least Joey didn’t think of trying this again.
Would work: The Days of Our Lives gig
If Joey said he was a famous actor, there is a massive chance that he would end up with a date. On many occasions, the viewers have seen Joey use his fame to his advantage. In “The One Where Joey Dates Rachel”, Joey reveals that he gets a bottle of wine sent over to his table and pretends it’s from a fan to make his date believe he is a big deal.
In “The One That Could Have Been”, the viewer also sees Joey trying to seduce Rachel by inviting her to The Days of Our Lives set. He then uses lines from the show to charm women. Fame definitely does open doors.
Wouldn’t work: Owning a Porsche
It’s quite obvious why this play wouldn’t work as it involves Joey owning a very expensive car that he cannot even afford. In “The One With Joey’s Porsche”, the actor finds a pair of car keys belonging to an unknown Porsche. Instead of returning them to lost and found, Joey decides to keep them after many women take an interest in him.
Joey then uses the car to try and pick up several women. However, he is forced to improvise when the real owner of the car turns up and demands to have it back. Joey then creates the shape of a Porsche out of boxes and hides it under a tarp. It wouldn’t have worked out in the long run as someone would have asked to see the vehicle.
Would work: The backpacking story
The notorious backpacking story has been seen as a mass success on the show. Created by Joey in an attempt to seduce his date, the actor would begin his tale by telling them about the time he went backpacking in Europe. He says that while he was in Barcelona, he found a beautiful woman crying at a lake.
The story proves to work in Joey’s favor because of the way he executes it. The way he tells it sets a tone and pace, which keeps the reader engaged and wanting to know more. You would have to be an avid storyteller to make this work though. And maybe, unlike Joey selected not to use a real story from his life, those who use this method would fare even better with the truth.
Wouldn’t work: How you doin’?
This may be the most controversial entry, but Joey’s catchphrase would never work if you tried it in the real world. If a stranger came up to you in the street, asking “how you doin’?” whilst looking you up and down, it’s safe to assume that most would be uncomfortable. It implies that the person is only interested in you physically and is not looking for anything serious, which can be sleazy to some.
The only time this would work if it was over text and that’s because someone would mistake it in the literal sense. It’s unrealistic how many women did fall for this on Friends.
