On Sunday, at least 200 men gathered in New York City’s Union Square Park for what theythoughtwould be a first date with a woman they had met on Tinder. Instead, the men arrived to find that they were part of a social experiment, and would have to compete for a night out with the woman.
According to several accounts, the woman, now identified as Natasha Aponte, seemed to use the same script with all the men, telling them she’d be busy with work but would get back to them when she had free time. She then invited them for a date in the popular N.Y.C. park, telling them that the outing would happen “rain or shine,” according to theNew York Times.
“I get there and there’s probably 150 to 200 guys outside,” 21-year-old Amir Pleasants told theTimes. “All kind of looking at each other, trying to figure out the situation. That’s when we know we kind of got set up.”
“Everyone here today was brought here to be on a date with me. I am single. The reason behind this is dating apps are very difficult and I said, ‘Okay, how do I solve this problem? Maybe I can bring everyone here in person and see how that goes and solve this once and for all,’ ” she is heard saying in the video. (She ignored several jeers from the crowd as she gave her speech.)
“So, do you have what it takes to compete against everyone here to win a date with me? Maybe you’re disappointed, but I don’t see why it’s disappointing because it’s a great story. It’s an amazing story. You’re like, ‘Hey, I’m competing to go on a date with this girl.’ So, look around the crowd. Can you last longer than all these other guys?”
Then the games began. Aponte had the men do push-ups, race each other, and even explain why they wanted to date her.
Pleasants told the publication that he opted out of the competition. And he isn’t the only man who decided to sit the game out. One Twitter user shared his experience in a lengthy thread, even sharing a photo of Aponte on the stage.
“I’m just like, ‘Woah, I just met theKanye Westof cat-fishing.’ She just really got me and all these other guys,” he told the publication. “I thought it was a really smart marketing idea for her brand.”
Eventually, one man did come out the victor, Pleasants told theTimes. It seems the stunt wasn’t just a prank, though. Creative director Rob Bliss toldGood Morning Americathat he was behind the incident was an “entirely creative endeavor.”
“The video is about the gender, dating, and technology issues of what it’s like to be a woman on a dating app, as well as the absurdity of modern dating,” he told the site.
Bliss confirmed the stunt to PEOPLE, noting that there were “hundreds” of men present.
source: people.com
