Thursday, March 4, 2010

In My Mind Holden Caulfield Was Hot

When I was a kid, I often developed crushes on fictional characters. I totally forgot about it until today when I confessed to Copyboy at Not Worth Mentioning that his blog/screen name was "cute." 

The thing is, I know Jesse, kinda. I mean, I don't "know him, know him"...  We send each other emails throughout the day comparing blog notes, comments and follower tips.  I know him enough that he actually let me "friend him" on Facebook. So it's not like I've formed this fake image to go along with his blog the way I've done with other bloggers who don't post their photo on their blog profiles. 

There's just something about his blog name that's hot-ish. I guess I can compare it to names like Ben and Adam are too.  I have no way of explaining this other than I had several crushes on stars and kids in school who were named Ben and Adam.

Here's the deal. When I was a kid, I'd read a book and fall in love with different guys in the story. I know you must be thinking of these cheesy lover types from Harlequin romance books. No! Not that type. These were just everyday dudes with sexy names. Some were even cartoon characters - I know you might be thinking, "Well those anime chicks are smokin' hot." Really, that's not the same thing ... Those chicks are designed for hotness. 

The very first crush I developed on a fictitious character was Christopher Robin of Winnie-the-Pooh. I didn't know he was based upon A.A. Milne's real life child! He too was adorable. As an adult, not so much, but that's okay.  Photos here: A Brief History of Winnie-the-Pooh.

In junior high, I became obsessed with Steven King. I had to read everything I could get my hands on. I discovered the book Different Seasons. The book includes several short stories and the one I was most sucked into was called The Body. I fell in love with Chris and Gordie. 

Gordie was a bit like me. We shared a love of writing and storytelling, however, something about Chris Chambers was incredibly hot. At first it was his name. To this day, I love last names like Anderson, Chase and Blake. Names people can pronounce and spell and don't react with, "Oh you're a pisan!" when you tell them your last name ends in an "I".

Maybe it was because he was from a troubled home and I wanted to help make things better for him. I'm not quite sure what it was really. One thing I do remember is that I imagined Chris looking much like River Phoenix who later portrayed him in Stand By Me-- obviously the movie version of the novella. I remember my reaction upon learning he had landed the role while flipping through an issue of Tiger Beat or Teen Beat. I was like, "No way, he totally looks like the Chris Chambers in my mind!"

In high school we read Catcher In The Rye. I loved the book, but to be honest, I don't remember much about it now. Maybe I should re-read it. I'm sure my blogger bud, Nikki would be all, "Yes, yes, re-read it!" Nikki has this awesome blog, Are you there youth? It's me, Nikki based upon young adult fiction she scores online for cheap. She reads and reviews all of these cool books we loved as teens and preteens.

Anyway, I had such a crush on Holden. I knew he had to be super cute. I imagined him preppy but like sloppy preppy, tousled hair and smoking cigs (something I never did nor did any of my straight-laced friends). He was angry and something about that was attractive. He was hurting, again very attractive quality in a young man. 

And on that note, yes I fell in love with every character in The Outsiders, but unfortunately my view was tainted having seen the movie before reading the book. I already knew Pony Boy and Soda Pop were my guys. Oh Tommy Howell, how I loved you and your character and your character's older bro, Rob Lowe.

20 comments:

LittleAppleBlossom said...

Holy snap, I think exactly the same way! I think Holden Caulfield is waaay atractive. I'm waiting for someone to make it a movie so I can drool over whatever actor they cast.

Ian said...

Ain't nothing with falling in love with fictional characters. Betty was much hotter than Veronica. Just sayin

nikki said...

W00T! Thanks for the shout out of my blog! I'm going to stun you here for a minute. I made the decision several years ago to never re-read Catcher in the Rye. The reason? The angst and alienation spoke so much to me as a teenager and I'm terrified of re-reading it as an adult and finding Holden Caulfield whiny and boring. I really really want to hold on to the perfect Holden Caulfield in my mind. As an aside, I got into quite a debate in my 12th grade AP Lit class by insisting that Holden Caulfield is probably gay. Which, me being me, only makes me love him more.

But yes. I pretty much want everyone to re-read books from their adolescence!

Samantha said...

You're not alone. I fall in love with characters too, although not because of names, but because of personality and demeanor. The way characters say, act or do things. For instance, Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates of the Caribbean, hot! I could write an entire list of characters I have developed a crush on.

Copyboy said...

Thanks SO MUCH for the "hot" name comment. Feel very honored. Hopefully the 5' 4" / 39 yr. old part of me won't disappoint the ladies. Haha.

Kate said...

Nothing at all weird about fancying fictional characters although i don;t get holden he always struck me as a bit of a odd ball. Heathcliff always got me.... incredibly sexy

TS Hendrik said...

I notice that you don't mention Gordie beyond the book. Wil Wheaton not live up to your mental image? lol

Ally said...

@Copyboy, tall is overrated and so is skinny. Hee hee.
@TS I honestly laughed loudly at your comment. Can't fool you, man! Ha ha! I did like Will but I dunno, I visualized him more as my number one teen love, Jason Bateman. Ha ha.

Kitty Moore said...

That is really sweet Ally - I fell in love with fictional characters too, much better when you can create the image of them in your head. Fantasy is infinitely better than reality in that respect! x

Pandorah's Box said...

Oh, I fell in love with fictional characters ALL the time! It was a bit of a problem because 'real' guys could never measure up. Never. I guess that's why I didn't like real boys for so very long...

P.S.- I was in love with Holden Caulfield as well. Thankfully so were all the boys I liked, so I could crush on them legit-like, you know? :)

Erika said...

I still have crushes on every hero in every Jane Austen novel I have read.

Sadly, middle school Erika did not have a good reading list. Lot's of bland historical fiction that I never actually read. Catcher in the Rye would have been WAY to scandalous for my school.

Unknown said...

LOOOOOOVED (still do) Stephen King - i think we had the same obsession at the same time. Stand By Me is still my fave movie, and River Phoenix is one of my all time faves!!

Anonymous said...

I just wanna hug you! I am the same way. I have been having an affair with Mr. Darcy for 15 years! ("Pride and Prejudice" for you guys out there) and oh I love me some Chris Chambers... and there was something hot about Patrick Bateman ("American Psycho).

Rawknrobyn.blogspot.com said...

Christopher Robin did it for me too. What a clean cut, gracious, gentlemanly boy he was/is. Sigh.
Cheers,
Robyn

California Keys said...

Typically, when I'm reading, when I envision the lead male protagonist, I see my head on Matthew Macconaughey's body. However, there are a few exceptions....

When I imagine Holden I always see Macauly Caulkin.... The dark Caulkin, not the Home Alone Caulkin.....

Patrick Bateman was awesomely twisted and maniacal.... But his character was driven by vanity, even willing to murder colleagues who have a better business card.

There was always something about Atticus Finch.... He always came off as a handsome man....

Ally said...

@Nikki that is sooo true! I won't re-read it! Thanks for the tip! Really good call!

@Asblackas how about Kiernan Culkin-think that movie Digbie Goes Down! Today he's too old...

California Keys said...

Kieran totally works!

Jerry said...

Since you brought up Stand By Me. What about Vern (Jerry O'Connell)?? I so wanted to be him growing up! I looked a lot like him being a chubby one. LOL.

Have you seen My Friends Tigger and Pooh? It's not Christopher Robbin anymore. Now it's a girl named Darby. Where was she when I was a small boy?

Unknown said...

Dude. I had crushes on these exact same people. I wrote letters to River Phoenix telling him my mom fed me tofu just like his vegan parents did. I read that part about Holden and Jane playing checkers (I think she climbs in his lap or something), over and over and over. And yes - Tommy Howell of the Outsiders... yummmeeee.

Serenityville said...

Great topic - super cute!! I didn't crush on imaginary people...but I did want to be like them. Encyclopedia brown, Nancy Drew, the Bobsy Twins. I was such a sleuth...in my mind anyway.

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