A Bengaluru matchmaking event requiring women to bring and pitch single male friends has triggered intense debate online, with many criticising its provocative name, “Pimp Your Pal. Addressing concerns about the choice of words, one of the organisers, Jaideep Sharma, explained that the name was intentional. Speaking to hindustantimes.com, Sharma highlighted that women hold complete agency throughout the event.
The event’s provocative title drew sharp criticism online, with many users questioning the choice of words for a dating event. Addressing the backlash, co-host Jaideep Sharma clarified the team’s perspective on the terminology and public reaction. “We got some criticism on the name. Sharma recalled, “One random night in August, Me (Jaideep) and Nikhil (flat mates) were sipping Kombucha on the terrace while discussing the current tech event culture in BLR when we decided to organise something of our own and bring a relaxing but fun vibe to the otherwise boring dating scene in the town. Everyone is busy swiping on dating apps, and nobody likes to call their origin story of how they met their special person as ‘just a match on Hinge/Bumble’. Recalling how Vinit got roped in, Sharma shared, “We met Vinit, founder of Wavelength (the dating app) and his team, who loved the idea and helped us out in driving the whole event to execution. Without them, we would not have reached this level of reach and organisation.”
For that, our reply is – the ‘R slur’ is thrown around so nonchalantly to criticise women on the Indian internet; most people don’t even bat an eye anymore,” Sharma told hindustantimes.com over Instagram DM.
