I’m not sure if I’m proud or ashamed… I’m one of the winners of Oxblog’s ‘Political Theory Pickup Lines’ contest.

In light of the recent scandals, however, and in the interest of full disclosure, I must admit that I cribbed part of it. I was once at a small restaurant in Santa Cruz with a date, also a political theory student, when we heard the smarmy chap at the next table croon to his date:

“I just want to go home with you, sit in front of the fire. sip some chardonnay, and discuss Wittgenstein’s warm humanism.“…As my date had just finished a paper on Wittgenstein, and Annie Hall was fresh in our memory (and I was a proto-Tucker Max at the time), we stood as one and said “What? Warm humanism? Do you have any idea what you’re talking about? Have you ever read one of his books? Can you name one? We don’t think so.” and sat down at our table.

The gentleman followed us and we had a ‘full and frank exchange of views’, and then all decided to leave the restaurant before the police showed up.