He opened on Tinder with a joke about their future divorce and about ‘taking the dog’ — it actually worked
It's been eight years since their first conversation, but it still cracks them up every time.
Dating apps do work — at least for a few whose love story begins with a right swipe. Atleast Tanner Bessinger (@zebulajams), a Utah man who found his wife, Maddie, on Tinder, can definitely vouch for that. Unlike most, he did not throw an unusual cheesy pickup line; instead, he joked about their future divorce, and guess what? It worked. Bessinger shared his first conversation on April 22, and the post has received over 44,000 likes on Threads. Its caption reads: "8 years ago I sent this as my opening line on Tinder. She passed the vibe check, and we’ve been together ever since."
Bessinger's 'not-so-cheesy' pickup line
Bessinger and Maddi felt an instant chemistry from the very beginning. "Maddi, I've got some bad news," the Utah man confessed in his first-ever text to his then-Tinder match. Understandably, Maddi thought this was some attempt at a lame pickup line, but Bessigner refused, leaving her dumfounded. "Worse. Our divorce papers are being finalized. I'll be taking the dog and the good sheets," he added. Not missing a beat, Maddie played along and said she would be taking the house and the cat as well after the separation. Taking the joke to the next level, Bessinger agreed to let her keep the cat but warned her against eyeing his house.
Determined to keep her imaginary house, Maddi replied, "My garden has taken me years to become all that it is! Rebuild your stupid man cave at your wh**e's house that's tainted with m*th." That was all it took for the couple to know their level of compatibility. Over the years, the couple grew closer and celebrated several milestones together. Recently, on April 14, Bessinger shared a picture with his wife, celebrating their 8th wedding anniversary.
Do pickup lines really work?
Pickup lines can be a hit or a miss. In fact, a poll (by OnePoll cited on StudyFinds) of 2,000 Americans found that 55% of respondents are strictly against one-liners and think they should be banned. More men agreed to this than women. But more men have fallen for a pickup line as compared to women (42% vs. 27%). Moreover, when asked about the most "cringe-worthy" lines, 45% of respondents mentioned, "I got my library card and I’m checking you out," and 39% shared, "Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see."
The netizens found Bessinger's post amusing, but also wholesome. People also shared their own stories in the comments. For instance, @iamkatierau wrote, "I matched with someone whose first message was 'you’re so beautiful, we should get married.' Met in person 10 years ago today, and exactly 6 years later, we did, in fact, get married." @that_b_lisa commented, "Oh my goodness, two matches with a sense of humor and they’re still together. Love to see it."
You can follow Tanner Bessinger. (@zebulajams) on Threads for more updates.
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