Slywalker i am not trying to be a pain in the ass, the reason this is to close to me is because your "romantic movies" references "friend zone" for me is very personal, when i started natural game(there was no community) all i did was to study every romantc movie out there, and try to copy the characters in the movie, i was not a total afc, i had some natural skills and charm, but those movies, now looking back, made more harm than good, it was not till i met a african american natural(he was the bad boy) i was the romantic movie dude in competition, that i realize that shit don't work, so i think your post trying to tell dudes no to be scare of being in a friend zone, and to watch Romantic movies, is a really bad idea...With all due respect...The ghetto dude has it right:

1.- hit on her best friend or friends.
2.- share your successful pick ups, dates, sex, talking as friends( no bragging, no trying to impress)
3.- take a break and come back a different man.
4.- Pick up other girls in her presence.
5.- Escalate on her sexually
6.- if none of that shit works adios, move on, do not waste your time on a freaking girl...ONitis..

now the only romantic movie that is similar to that "the ugly truth"

Guys rely too much on what other people tell them, so when they read about the boogie man friend zone they think it is a real threat and all of a sudden they can't be good friends with a girl they are interested in.

I agree with OP, female friends can be great.

Reason: Female friends will invite you out to parties and group things in which there are other women. And if you're out with a group of people where there are single women who know your friend, it's so much easier to pickup because you already come packaged with a certain level of trust. Also, it's cool if you're with a group because it can be a really fun night going out with a bunch of people you know you like rather than just having it be you and your target.

These days I only go out to pickup by myself once in a blue moon, most of the time I run with various groups of friends I've established and pickup either in those or at parties or gatherings they go to.

I'd say don't think of EVERY interaction with a woman as a pickup situation. If you're a social person, just seek to make lots of friends among women and crack into new social networks in your locality. Because therein lies a lot fluffy-tailed arses.

I need to interject one important distinction that seems to be being ignored.

Like many things in Gaming what is true for the PUA is not true for the AFC.

The PUA can work the friend zone dynamic and coming from an abundance perspective he is not going to get emotionally out of control when it happens, rather he will take advantage of it. I think you all have covered this half of it.

However

The AFC cant emotionally handle the friend zone well, or leverage it into ancillary pussy. It will end up most likely being an emotional torture chamber and in almost all cases the AFC is better off nexting a girl who throws him in the FZ rather then trying to poorly game his way out of it.

The FZ is usually a result of good rapport/comfort but lack of attraction most likely due to lower perceived social value then the target. Again, the PUA can often dig into his arsenal for the tools needed to raise the attraction and free himself of the FZ, The AFC wont have access to these tools and being "cool" with the FZ becomes a masochistic exercise in futility..