Tactics Tuesdays: Bait-and-Switch Tension Pops

When girls create unhelpful frames, use a bait-and-switch tension pop (a B&S pop). B&S pops build investment, seize the frame, and tease her all at once. Have you ever done the thing where a girl was waiting with bated breath for what you were going to say, thinking it was some big, significant reveal… … only for you to tell her something absurdly lame or mundane? And she just started laughing, maybe punched you in the arm or called you really bad, as ALL the tension in the air evaporated and the two of you were chill… perhaps there was even a little magical spark because of it? Even if you haven’t, you’ve doubtless seen this tactic from time to time in shows and movies. I call this technique the ‘bait-and-switch tension pop’. Or the B&S pop for short. It’s a bait-and-switch (she THINKS she’s about to hear something profound from you… instead she gets something cheesy) that POPS whatever tension you’d built up with her. It’s a niche tactic with a handful of excellent uses, and one wort