Why was the "pick up artist" movement so popular in the mid 2000s to 2010s?

Aha! Found the thread, and it wasn’t that old (early 2020). It started out by listing different Pick-Up Techniques he was studying:

Warning: You’ll be cringing as this guy uses terms like “getting friendzoned” while never using critical thinking to evaluate that point of view.

Oh, geez, we were pretty blunt with the guy. The very first reply:

These things are so lame. The content is not interesting, unless you consider astrology, numerology and horoscopes to be interesting. It’s all basically the same crap.

Women are not Pokemon. There are no tricks or skills involved in “catching” them. There is nothing to master. Just be yourself. The sooner you can do that and stop trying so hard, the better off you’ll be.

Mush later the OP said:
…Maybe I’ll look into Dr. Nerdlove, or change my behaviors toward women.

I replied:
I vote for change.
You have to. Or you will go through life self-centered and lonely.