Friday, June 27

Paging Mrs. Ringo Starr . . .







So this week we're blogging about crushes--and for me, it all started with Ringo Starr.

I was six years old and feeling very grown up to be hanging out with my older sisters and several of their uber cool friends--all of us taking turns drooling over the Let it Be album cover, choosing which Beatle we'd most likely marry--when pretty much everyone there (predictably) chose Paul

Except me.  I went straight for Ringo.

Partly because of his assumed availability since nobody present seemed to be interested in him, and partly because he had the coolest name I'd ever heard at the time. (Also, something about his long scraggly hair and moustache really spoke to me).

I carried this crush on Ringo for years--imagining how Alyson Starr would look on our wedding announcement (quite good, I still think). Only to enter junior high, cave to peer pressure, and replace Ringo with a number of the popular teen idols at the time. Guys like: Leif Garrett, John Travolta (um, this was back in the Saturday Night Fever craze), and Parker Stevenson--definitely my Hardy Boy of choice.

To say my tastes had hit the mainstream would be putting it mildly. But by high school, all of that changed and my affections switched to the serious rock stars--and the more British the better! I spent major hard earned $$ saved from working my after school job to sit third row at the David Bowie Modern Love concert. And did the same with Paul Weller of The Jam and Style Council Fame, as well as Morrissey, those guys from the Cure, and, no, I'm not at all ashamed to admit it, Adam Ant--whose white stripe and come hither gaze, drove me wild!

But lately, my affections have changed. Now it's the smart, quirky funny types that garner my interest. Which means if Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, Dennis Leary, or Ricky Gervais ever wants to buy me a coffee--well, that's okay by me.

But then again, if David Boreanaz from Angel fame ever wants to brood on my balcony--he's more than welcome.

So tell me, have your crushes changed through the years--or do you stick with one type?

16 comments:

Cara King said...

Oh yeah, no reason to feel embarrassed for having crushed on Adam Ant -- he was yummy. And Bowie!

I admit my major singer crush was Thomas Dolby. (I've always had a thing for fellow geeks!) And Bowie. And the singer for Thompson Twins.

And then there was Kiefer Sutherland, Kevin Bacon, Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton, Ralph Fiennes, John Cusack...

I guess my current crushes are all actors -- everyone from Christian Bale to James McAvoy to Ben Browder.

But I think all along I've tended to crush on a fairly similar type of guy -- guys who are somewhat sensitive, and smart. :-)

Cara

Sara Hantz said...

Wow.... you saw David Bowie.... I'm so envious.

I keep singing Stand and Deliver to myself having read Adam Ant.

Alyson Noel said...

Cara- That is one fine list of crushes--and I happen to agree with quite a few of them--John Cusack--Christian Bale--YUM! And btw, I met Thomas Dolby once, a LOOOONG time ago at a club in LA! Oh, and I saw the Thompson Twins in concert too!

Sara- I still listen to Kings of the Wild Frontier!!

Erica Orloff said...

LOL! I loved this post. I liked George. Now that I am a Buddhist . . . seems somewhat fitting since he was the "spiritual one." :-)

Then I went through the British Invasion too. Liked the "different" rockers. LOVED Nick Lowe, Bowie and just about every Brit rocker there was.

NOW, I am into the brainiacs. Physicists are my crush. The smarter the better.

E

Alyson Noel said...

Erica- If I had to choose today- I pick George too. Got lots of his songs on my iPod as well. And oh yes, smart definitely has it's place! I dated a few dumb ones, but made sure to marry a smart one!

Anonymous said...

Three little words: Simon Le Bon. Swoon!

Alyson Noel said...

Hey there Daphne- Ah yes, Duran Duran--how could I forget? For me it was all about John Taylor--in fact, he still makes me swoon!

Amanda Ashby said...

Alyson, we truly are as one. Bowie and Boreanaz - my cheeks are flushed!!!

Alyson Noel said...

Amanda- Yes, let's hope it always remains theoretically, so we don't actually have to come to blows . . .

:-D

Keri Mikulski said...

Ringo Star? I love it. :)

I've always loved athletes. Especially, wrestlers - yummy. :) Even during college when I turned my attention toward alternative types after Gavin Rossdale of the band, Bush grabbed my attention, the guys were still athletes. :)

Great post.

Alyson Noel said...

Hey Keri- I never went for the athletic type-though I appreciate the skills, and, um, muscles . . .
And I'm totally with you on Gavin Rossdale!

Wendy Toliver said...

My crushes have TOTALLY changed as I've grown up. Used to think George Michael and the Depeche Mode guys were delish. Now I just might have a little crush on Tim McGraw. No, I don't particularly like country music, but he's good looking and I like to watch him perform. Also, it doesn't hurt that he seems to be a great husband and father and person in general.

Wendy Toliver said...

Oh! I just read the posts about Gavin. I got to see him in person, with Gwen, at a film premiere. They're a beautiful couple. Oh wait, didn't I already tell that story? :)

Alyson Noel said...

Hey Wendy- Isn't it funny how character suddenly becomes as important as looks once you, um, mature a little bit?

Oh, and if you saw Gavin & Gwen you're more than welcome to repeat that story as many times as you want!

Melissa Walker said...

I've always gone for boyish... which might be getting weird now that I'm 31. My sister, however, was a Bowie ADDICT. She told me his eyes were two colors because he'd gotten in a fight over her and the other guy punched him in the eye. I believed her (I was 7, she was 17, and she was a goddess to me).

Alyson Noel said...

Melissa- that story is hilarious! Both of my sister's are older than me,one by 10 years, one by 5, and I pretty much believed everything they said too--which is why I gave all of my dolls short haircuts- they said it would grow back!