LINCOLN SQUARE — Good gentlemen of Chicago, put down your phones and pick up a book.
New York is kicking our collective booty when it comes to Hot Dudes Reading.
First an Instagram account, then a viral sensation, now a book in its own right, "Hot Dudes Reading" is exactly what it sounds like — hundreds of photos of good-looking guys reading real books (not electronic versions), almost always whilst riding public transportation.
An exhaustive, deep dive into the Hot Dudes archives turned up just two Chicagoans. Two, putting us in a tie with Toronto. Toronto! Oh, Canada, the shame.
We cannot let this stand.
Surely Chicago has hot dudes. Thousands of them ride CTA every day, don't they? So what's the deal? Are we not the City of Big Readers?
Guys, you do your part — here are some bookstore suggestions and Little Free Library locations if you're cash-strapped — and the rest of us will do ours by flooding the Hot Dudes' inbox with pictures (send to submissions@hotdudesreading.com).
Pro tips that might boost the chances of Chicago's handsome bookworms:
Dress the part.
Go full-on captivated.
Never underestimate the power of specs appeal.
Product placement. (We do not, however, endorse manspreading or hogging a seat with YOUR BAG.)
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