Look I got why Joanie loved Chachi, didn’t we all? The better question is, why did Chachi Love Joanie … and not me, not us? I went through much of the early 80s asking myself this very question. Why didn’t the 80s heartthrobs I so desperately wanted, not love me back? Because we never met? Maybe. What did Joanie have that I didn’t have? A frizzy boy-cut? A square but endearing older brother?Boobs?
For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out why that muscle shirt wearing bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks with the “cool” genes of the Fonze and looks of perfection, wasn’t dating me.
I was sure Scott Baio was just as awesome as Chachi in real life and may have been even better looking, since he seemed to dress more on trend in his 2 page spreads in Tiger Beat. Every one of those posters made it to my wall, where he winked or glared at me in a way that I was pretty certain he wouldn’t do for any other 9 year old girl. (Little did I know, those leering looks he gave me from my walls could have gotten him arrested. Not to mention the kissing we did. I don’t want to brag but we may have gotten to 2nd base … I don’t know who was flatter Wall Scott Baio or me.)
After all that heavy petting I was positive that we had a magical connection through his pin-up. I truly believed this, the way at 9 years old, you may believe that if you have a dream about someone else they may be dreaming about you, or the way you believe there are unicorns disguised as horses and some day one of them will expose it’s true self to you because you are a REAL believer. Then you will ride over a rainbow together where you may or may not meet a live Care Bear. (Of course Funshine would’ve been my first choice, but I would’ve taken a run in with Love-a-Lot.)
That said, I knew that one day Scott would come visit our school for some assembly. You know like a One-to-Grow-On in person? He would probably discuss why I shouldn’t try cigarettes or answer the door for strangers or stick my finger down my throat. Because I knew not to do those things already we were a perfect match. I simply had to have my best friend (you know the one with the other half of my best friend charm?) give him a note that read: Will you go with me? Check a box below, yes, no, maybe. The “maybe” was really just a safety net in case a big celebrity like Scott needed to contact his managers and his mother and make sure he could fit me into his busy schedule. I had thought of everything.
Sadly, that day never came, but the loss didn’t linger (like his glares). He was torn down and replaced with other 80s heartthrobs like: Matt Dillon, Ricky Shroder Rob Lowe …
Tom Cruise, Val Kilmer …
Kirk Cameron, John Stamos (who has me eating Oikos) and Jason Bateman (who I may have a new poster of, I’m not telling, but if I did it would be somewhere between Ryan Gossling, Bradley Cooper, and Ryan Reynolds).
Wow, I’m a serious wall slut.
Tell me I’m not alone, which 80s heartthrobs leered at you from your walls?
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Funshine! HA! Almost forgot about the Care Bears.
I had a thing for the kid from Terminator 2. Eddie Furlong. And Wil Wheaton. And Harry Connick, Jr. I call it Geek Chic.
Later on, though, those longings were replaced by darker-skinned, broad shouldered shirtless men. Though that’s a grownup conversation I’d have to have in person. 😉
Well really other than Eddie, I’m with you, but like I said I was super slutty I would’ve made out with almost any one dimensional celeb and there were so so many of those!
I am not afraid to admit that I had an 80’s worthy crush on Andy Gibb and could be found, any after-school afternoon, counting the chesthairs on his album cover.
PRINCE.
Wall to wall of his purple majesty. I even had one of him in a speedo in the shower. Before manscaping was in style. My dad ripped it off of my wall though, and I ran out and got another one.
I saw Prince in a club in Minneapolis as an adult. I could jump over him with a running start.
Yes, Prince had his day. But frankly, I could never date a guy with better heels than me… it’s a rule I’ll hopefully never have to put into effect. I once had to break up with a guy who had better hair though!
I bet Chachi is regretting his decision these days! Whew, have ya seen Erin Moran lately? From celebrity fit club, to psycho and homeless. Thangs are purty bad when ya get kicked outta da trailer park.
Yes, and I’m not regretting my decision to not go steady with him, not that he ever asked.
LOVED THIS! I’m off to blog things I used to love including hot actors from the 80’s! Haha… I loved Chachi, are you kidding? DREAMY…
Sounds like one I’d like to read. Send me a link when you’re done!
Sean Cassidy had my heart and my wall. He was later replaced by Billy Idol, Emilio Estevez, and Judd Nelson (I had a thing for rebels, can you tell?)
Ooh Shaun Cassidy was on my walls before Scott, Da doo run run run baby. He was so dreamy! You went for the rebels huh, then you must have enjoyed Leif Garret, no?
C.Thomas Howell was my crush – he’ll always be Ponyboy to me. But loved me some Scott Baio too – in fifth grade, I had an orange t-shirt with “Scott Baio” on the chest in those fuzzy black iron on letters. A fashion plate even back then.
Oh how cute was he in secret admirer??? SO cute. Oh and fuzzy iron on letters, how fun were they. We were all class back then.
I had a big poster of Dukes of Hazard, but all I really needed was Bo. I was certain we would be the perfect couple. I also had a thing for Jon from CHiPs and may or may not have made out with his poster. Val Kilmer, yikes. I totally had the hots for him, but DAYUM!
Really? I liked Erik Estrada, we could’ve doubled. Listen nothing is sexier than being able to get into your car without using the doors.
My teenage crush was C. Thomas Howell ….. and still is, even though age has not treated him very well.
My walls were plastered with every Teen Beat, Bop, Tiger Beat, etc. magazine poster I could get my hands on. There were others, but Tommy was the ONE. One side of my walls was angled cuz of the roof so I even put a poster down low angled right over my bed so I could look at him as a went to sleep.
We were so sad weren’t we? I’m a bit jealous hearing about your ceiling, so I guess that makes me the sadder one of the two of us.
Donnie Wahlberg and Joey McEntyre (not sure of that spelling). There were others, but that seems like another life ago. So many, so many. “dodged that bullet, huh?” Love it.
LOL Amanda you must be younger than me. I was too old to like NKOTB in that way, I remember my step sister had the pillows though. Did you know they made a pillow of each one?
Shaun Cassidy!! Still love his music! Couldn’t believe that he made an appearance on General Hospital within the last decade as a recurring role….Wow. Audrey is still a favorite song of mine that I found on line and have in my itunes….
I always wanted to know who Jill was and why she made his heart stand still????
I was totally convinced that Scott Baio was going to marry me. I was sure of it! But then I moved on to Shaun Cassidy. I have one atrocious school picture in which I am wearing my Shaun Cassidy sweatshirt, my Shaun Cassidy jeans (with his face airbrushed on the front of the right leg–oh yeah!) and my powder blue satin Shaun Cassidy jacket (with same face airbrushed on the back). Good thing they didn’t have stalker laws for 7th graders.
If I had to pick a poster to hang today, it’d be Mark Wahlberg. I told my hubby if Mark Wahlberg comes a’knockin on the door, I’m outta here. I’m not even packing a bag!
LOL I would KILL to see those SC pants! I’d also probably covet them.
While there were many short lived crushes, Rob Lowe was the one that held my heart the longest….and possibly still could! He is just as hot if not hotter, and now having read his book and listened to him be intereviewed, he is just as cool and fun as I always imagined.
Steff
I loved Gregory Harrison (Trapper John, M.D.) with a 13-year-old, Kissing Potion passion. He introduced me to sexy doctor shows and I’ve never given them up. Patrick Dempsey has turned out rather well, hasn’t he?
OMG! I had a huge crush on Gonzo as well. Had totally forgotten about that, so thanks for the memory. He was definitely a favorite of mine along with Rob Lowe in About Last Night, Maxwell Caulfield in Grease 2 and Jack Wagner from GH – and the list goes on.
My celeb crushes were Ralph Macchio(?)..you know, the Karate Kid…and River Phoenix. No posters though…I did all of my crushing in secret.
When I was younger, it was Shaun Cassidy. Like Leslie, I have a formal school portrait where I am wearing my fabulous Shaun t-shirt. Later on it was John Stamos. I actually had a picture from some magazine where he was with another girl (*gasp*). I cut out a picture of myself and glued it over her face. We were quite a cute couple.
I was all about Rick Springfield. I not only put up posters and pin-ups of him, but any and all pictures of him that came my way. All four of my bedroom walls were completely covered in Rick. Yeah, I was a bit obsessed.
Even though I gave up on his marrying me long ago, I still think he looks good. And I still would totally leave my husband for him if he asked me to. 🙂
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