Requited Love
Someone (usually a younger person) is relentlessly hitting on a character who is not interested in them, and another character gives them the advice that if they pretend they're really into the flirter, the flirting will stop. It usually works, but occasionally it doesn't.
The Dick Van Dyke Show
Appearances
- The Dick Van Dyke Show: Season 3, episode 14, "The Third One from the Left" (1964). A new, young dancer on the Alan Brady Show has a crush on Rob and constantly flirts with him, so Laura suggests he should flirt back to get her to back off. It works.
- The Mary Tyler Moore Show: Season 1, episode 13, "He's All Yours" (1970). A new, young cameraman at the newsroom is infatuated with Mary and won't leave her alone, so Phyllis gives her some advice from one of her self-help books: flirt back, and he'll go away. When Mary refuses, Phyllis decides to test her theory herself; it doesn't work.
- WKRP in Cincinnati: Season 2, episode 16, "Put Up or Shut Up" (1980). Herb's wife is out of town for 10 days, and Herb is amping up his flirting with Jennifer, so Bailey suggests Jennifer say yes to Herb to scare him away.
- Mr. Belvedere: Season 2, episode 18, "Valentine's Day" (1986). A girl in Wesley's new advanced class is relentlessly flirting with him, and Wesley's terrified. Mr. Belvedere tells him to pretend to return her advances and she'll stop, so Wesley starts dressing fancier and acts like her, and she's just as interested as ever.