It’s times like these when I wish my laptop screen had a “3D” option . . .
You know him as Jason Stackhouse — Sookie’s dim-witted, but VERY loveable, huggable, kissable and MUCH MORE-able older brother on HBO’s hit series, True Blood.
Truth be told, you probably knew someone like Jason Stackhouse in high school (though, no where NEAR as hot as he is, I imagine). At first glance, Jason seems like the quintessential “dumb jock” . . .
. . . a high school football star (Starting Quarterback, to be exact), who has a real way with the ladies . . .
ALL the ladies (and the MEN too) . . .
But here’s the thing about this “way” he has with the ladies (and men) . . . it gets him into trouble sometimes . . .
OK . . . A LOT of times. And the fact that he has a bad temper, certainly doesn’t help matters . . .
Jason is the kind of guy who shoots first, and asks questions later.
And the questions he DOES ask, often leave you as confused as he is . . .
And that is VERY confused!
Wait . . . why should I tell you all this, when I can SHOW you?
Now, some of the aforementioned traits may seem like negative attributes, but there are lots of great things about Jason too! For one thing, he has a childlike sensibility. Jason is a TRUE believer . . .
. . . in SANTA CLAUS . . .
. . . and ANGELS !
Plus, he is always a loyal friend and confidant.
Did I mention, he is HIGHLY flexible?
And INSANELY good in bed?
But perhaps the BEST person to explain Jason Stackhouse to you, would be Jason himself . . .
OK. So, now that we’ve met the character he plays, Jason Stackhouse, we are pretty clear on where Ryan Kwanten IS. But WHERE HAS HE BEEN?
Well, for starters, Ryan Kwanten was born on November 28, 1976 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. He started acting in the early 90’s, but didn’t really hit his stride, until the latter half of that decade. Those Aussies among you might remember him as the adorable Vinnie Patterson on the soap opera Home and Away, a role he inhabited from 1997 until 2002.
But, even if you don’t remember Home and Away (because I don’t), you are sure to enjoy this VERY OLD trailer for the program, featuring Ryan Kwanten, himself . . .
(By the way, all you Pretty Little Liars fans out there should check out the “Dani” character at the 10 second mark. Look familiar to you? She SHOULD!
It’s Tammin Sursok a.k.a. BLIND JENNA! Who knew?)
In 2003, Ryan starred in the film Liquid Bridge . . .
. . . in which he played surfer dude, Nick Callum, who liked to wear his surfboard . . . and often NOTHING ELSE!
Check out the trailer for the film. It’s practically SURF PORN!
But most of us U.S. fangirls didn’t meet Ryan until 2004, on the television drama Summerland, where he played another surf star, Jay Robertson.
For your viewing pleasure, I have included a nice little clip of Ryan as “Shirtless Jay” here. (Feel free to fast forward through all the lame Jesse McCartney stuff in the beginning and middle, because that’s what I did.)
In 2006, Ryan landed a role in the feature film, Flicka. You know, the one based on the book . . . about the horse . . .
I didn’t see this one either. But I found a great gag reel fom the film on YouTube. The best part of the reel, by far, is the the end, which features Ryan doing some ad-libbing. In the scene, Ryan’s character, Howard McLaughlin, is asked if there is anyone out there more fortunate than he. He has some creative answers. Who knew Ryan was such a Faith Hill fan?
There you go! So, now you not only know where Ryan Kwanten IS, you also know where he has BEEN. But where is he GOING?
Well, in short, it looks like Ryan is GOING back to the big screen. Based on these two upcoming trailers, our favorite shirtless funny man will be taking a turn for the angsty and dramatic. This first trailer is for Home and Away, a film that was made back in 2007, but is STILL pending release (WTF producers?). In it, Ryan stars alongside The O.C.’s Mischa Barton, as a disillusioned young man, who has seemingly sold his soul to the music industry. However, during the course of the film, he gets it back, thanks to the impending loss of his father, and the love of a free-spirited woman. Check it out . . .
Now, normally, when I show a movie trailer like this, I try to precede it with the poster for the film. But this poster REALLY bugged me. See if you can figure out why . . .
Would someone PLEASE explain to me what Mischa Barton’s ginormous head is doing dwarfing MY Ryan? Didn’t I just say this film is about a “disillusioned young MAN?” So, tell me, which of the people in this poster seem to fit that description? HINT: It’s NOT the girl with a noggin that is seemingly the size of EARTH!
I think I just figured out why this film hasn’t found it’s way into theaters yet. Two words: POOR. MARKETING.
Needless to say, the poster for the next trailer I am going to show you is WAY more MY speed . . .
Now, that’s more like it!
Was it just me, or did that trailer sort of remind you of the film No Country for Old Men?
Only with WAY better hair!
According to IMDB, Ryan also has a number of other film projects in the works. Most notable among these are: (1) The Knights of Badassdom, a horror film about LARPers who unwittingly release demons on to the world (Are they SURE this isn’t supposed to be a comedy?); and (2) Griff the Invisible, a romantic comedy in which Kwanten plays . . . a SUPERHERO . . .
. . . who BETTER NOT actually be INVISIBLE. Just sayin’ . . . (Talk about a waste of a beautiful specimen!)
So, there you have it. We now know where, Ryan Kwanten IS, where he’s GOING, and where he’s BEEN.
Now, as for where Jason Stackhouse is going . . .
Well, I guess we will all just have to wait and see, won’t we? 😉
A couple of days ago, I came up with a list of the top ten plotline cliches featured in teen-oriented television dramas. In the first installment of this blog entry, I posted the first five of these cliches. That list included: (1) the Pregnancy Plotline; (2) the Death of a Peripheral Character Plotline; (3) the Student / Teacher Relationship Plotline; (4) the Cheating on a Test / Plagiarism Plotline; and, finally, (5) the “Bad Influence” Plotline.
This installment will focus on the following popular Teen Television Cliches: (1) the Love Triangle; (2) the Summer in Europe; (3) the Love / Hate Relationship; (4) the School Ski Trip; and, of course (5) the Prom. So, without further adieu, what do you say we take off our creative thinking caps, embrace conformity, and get started?
1) “Can’t we all just . . . have a threesome, instead?” – The Love Triangle Plotline
The Storyline: Girl meets boy. Boy is attractive.
Boy is also nice and sweet, albeit a tad boring (and, sometimes, a bit of a whiny b*tch).
Or, conversely, Boy is total douche;
but Girl’s parents love him;
He looks “good on paper.”
and Boy is sure to make Girl a very wealthy, but very bored, housewife, some time in the not-so-distant future, if she plays her cards right.
But then . . . Other Boy magically appears.
Unlike the original Boy, Other Boy is a little dangerous . . .
Maybe he’s from the wrong side of the proverbial “tracks” . . .
Or, perhaps he has a reputation for being a bit of male slut . . .
. . . or a criminal.
Or maybe he has a bit of a mean streak, so Girl isn’t sure she can really trust him.
But there is just something about the way Other Boy makes Girl feel . . .
She smiles and laughs more when she’s around him.
(Click the internal link to watch.)
He makes her more fun!
And Other Boy continues to believe in Girl, and support her, long after everyone else has seemingly abandoned her (including the original Boy).
So, what’s a Girl to do, when she wants them both?
Who does she choose? Well, that depends on the season . . . the Television Season, that is . . .
Examples: Joey, Pacey, and Dawson (Dawson’s Creek); Veronica, Logan, and Duncan (Veronica Mars); Marissa, Ryan, and Luke (The O.C.); Elena, Damon, and Stefan (The Vampire Diaries); Rory, Jesse, and Dean (Gilmore Girls); Blair, Chuck, and Nate (Gossip Girl); Peyton, Lucas, and Nate (One Tree Hill); Emma, Sean, and Peter (Degrassi: The Next Generation); Felicity, Ben, and Noel (Felicity); Casey, Cappie, and Evan (Greek); Lyla, Tim, and Jason (Friday Night Lights)
Why it’s a cliche? Three words (One of them is a contraction). Because . . . It’s . . . AWESOME!
When it comes to successful teen drama plotlines, The Love Triangle, is a surefire WIN! After all, what girl wouldn’t want to have two totally hot guys, who are complete opposites of one another fighting over her! Aside from allowing female fans to vicariously fulfill their deepest fantasies, Love Triangles provide the added benefit of making Teen Television watching a TEAM SPORT! Boys have football and basketball. Girls have THIS . . .
Yes, boys and girls, choosing sides in a Love Triangle War is SERIOUS business! (Girls have been shot over WAY less!) Don’t believe me? Check out the sheer intensity of THESE fan-fueled debates . . .
(The above video debate between these two twenty-somethings kind of goes off the rails, after the first five minutes. But I love their obvious enthusiasm for a show that’s been off the air now for nearly a decade! I also love their accents . . . and the very impressive “Portrait of Ben” one of them created. Scott Speedman, himself, would be proud!)
2) “Go to Europe . . . because no one could possibly ‘find themselves’ in the States!” – The Summer in Europe Plotline
“When in France, do as the French do . . . French kiss!”
(Here we go again! Internal link clicking time!)
The Storyline: It’s close to the end of the Season. Our female protagonist’s life is a mess! It’s just jam packed with unresolved love triangles, family issues, and massive blowout fights with former friends. And what better way is there to deal with all of your problems, than to run away from them? So, our female protagonist jaunts off to Europe (usually Paris), leaving pining boys and cliffhangers in her wake . . .
Once there, our female protagonist sees the sights . . .
and miraculously FINDS HERSELF! When she comes back, she’s a COMPLETELY different person, than when she left. Who knows? She might even have a new completely random, doesn’t belong on the show at all boyfriend!
Examples: Serena and Blair (Gossip Girl); Joey Potter (Dawson’s Creek); Brenda and Donna (90210); Holly (What I Like About You)
Why it’s a Cliche? The main character’s temporary departure from his or her home base is a great way to bring about a Teen Television Drama’s summer hiatus. If us fans are forced to spend an ENTIRE summer away from our beloved gang of characters, at least we can sleep better knowing that they aren’t hanging out with one another EITHER! Plus, filming a scene or two “across the pond” makes for a great excuse for the show’s writers to say to their producer, “I’d like an all expense paid European vacation, please. What! It’s for THE SHOW!”
A summer in another country is also a pretty good excuse to suddenly change the entire personality and demeanor of a character, without any rational explanation whatsoever . . .
“I got my new girlfriend and a frontal lobe lobotomy in Prague. Doesn’t everybody?
3) “He Loves Me . . . He Hates My Guts . . . He Loves Me . . .” – The Love/ Hate Relationship Plotline
The Storyline: He’s a playboy, and a real ladies man. But he comes across as mean, and kind of shallow. She’s a Type A personality, who comes across as cold and a bit uptight.
They butt heads from the moment they first appear on screen together. They fight, and call eachother names. They insult one another, and play nasty tricks on eachother.
But there is a passion boiling beneath the surface, that both he and she are trying desperately to deny.
At the time, he and she are both involved with other people. Their significant others notice the sexual tension laced beneath their supposed hatred, and try in vain to ignore it. But the tension only grows. Jealous and longing looks become prevalent. Lingering touches, and moments of out-of-character “niceness,” between the two make each member of the pair begin to question their feelings.
The guy in this scenario typically recognizes his feelings for her first.
(You know the drill . . .)
But he usually keeps this to himself, out of fear of being ridiculed by the new object of his desires. Then the two are placed in a dramatic situation. Suddenly their mutual passion for one another overtakes them. And they both give in to their desires.
Examples: Joey and Pacey (Dawson’s Creek); Buffy and Spike (Buffy the Vampire Slayer); Veronica and Logan (Veronica Mars); Seth and Summer (The O.C. – sort of . . . well . . . she hated him); Elena and Damon (The Vampire Diaries); Blair and Chuck (Gossip Girl)
Why it’s a Cliche? You know how everyone always talks about how hot Makeup Sex is? A couple fights, and then they make up. All that angst and sexual energy, built up from all that red-faced arguing, is just kindling for the inevitable Orgasmic Fire of “Getting Back Together.” And THAT’S from a fight that might last a day! You can just imagine how hot Makeup Sex would be if the couple fought nonstop for TWO SEASONS!
4) “When the temperatures get COLD, the action gets HOT!” – The Ski Trip Plotline
The Storyline: I’m going to be honest, this one was less of a “storyline” and more of a “plot convention.” (Hey! YOU try to come up with ten of these things . . . It’s not as easy as it looks.) But did you ever notice how virtually EVERY teen drama features at least one ski trip? BIG THINGS always happen on ski trips too! People get drunk, get laid, get raped, or cheat on their significant other! And someone ALWAYS hurts their foot, and conveniently can’t ski!
Examples:
Dawson’s Creek:
Jenn hurts her foot, gets wasted, and almost screws Gay Jack.
Pacey and Joey do it for the first time!
Boy Meets World:
Cory hurts his foot too! And makes out with Linda Cardellini!
Other fabulous shows featuring wild and crazy teen ski trips include Degrassi: Next Generation (Darcy gets date raped), and What I Like About You (Holly comes to terms with her feelings for Vince).
Precisely NONE of these characters were ever shown ACTUALLY skiing . . .
Why it’s a Cliche? There’s just something about being away from home and your parents . . . about sleeping in a log cabin, right next to the fire. You relax. You let your guard down. You get a little slutty and make bad choices. (Except in the case of Pacey and Joey . . . that choice was GOOD!) Plus, it’s WAY cheaper to film on location in some fake ski lodge than say . . . taking your entire cast and crew to Europe.
5) “Question: What happened at Prom? Answer: EVERYTHING!” – The Prom Plotline
The Storyline: It’s the event of the WHOLE season! The entire cast will be in attendance! But not everybody is going with the person they WANT to be going with.
A couple will break up. A couple will get back together.
Someone will win prom queen.
Someone’s heart will be broken.
A couple will finally do it.
Another couple will ALMOST do it, but decide to wait . . . Oh, and someone will get wasted and make an ass of herself.
Examples: Dawson’s Creek, The O.C., 90210, Veronica Mars, Gossip Girl
Why it’s a Cliche? For every high school girl, the Prom is the culminating social event of her entire pre-college academic career. Even the most jaded of high school students (and I, myself, was already pretty jaded by that time) can’t help but dream of having the perfect dress, the perfect limo, the perfect Prom date, and the perfect slow dance. For most of us, with all that build up and preparation, Prom itself ends up being pretty anti-climactic. (The Post Prom Beach Trip, on the other hand . . . now, THAT ROCKED!). But if we CAN’T have the perfect Prom, at least we can get the joy of seeing our television friends experience it for us.
So, there you have it – Ten Trashtastic Teen Television Cliches for your viewing pleasure! Doesn’t it all make you feel OLD?
What good girl doesn’t secretly want a bad boy by her side to rescue her from the monotony of a life spent being well-behaved? Now, in the real world, dating a guy like this is the quickest way to a broken heart — if you’re lucky — and a black eye, the slammer or the morgue — if you’re not. But in TV land, the girls who win the hearts of the baddest baddies fare quite well, actually (not to mention have the best sex lives)!
For girls like me, who are desperate to experience the thrills of the darkside, without any of the risks or guilt attached, TV Brooding Bad Boys are our salvation. And because I am so grateful to these fictional bad asses, who’s mere existence has managed to keep me on the straight and narrow all these years, I have decided to pay tribute to some of the best ones in this post . . . 10 to be exact. (They are in no particular order. although I may have saved the best for last. After all, playing favorites with bad boys is the surest way to get burned . . . literally.)
1) Don Draper – Executive Bad Boy
TV Show:Man Men
Who plays him? Jon Hamm
What makes him a Bad Boy? Let’s see. He accidentally killed the REAL Don Draper, and then stole his identity. Now, he smokes and drinks like a fish (and usually drives afterward). He also cheats on his (soon-to-be ex) wife . . . ALOT, sometimes with married women, sometimes with coworkers and/or his kids’ teachers, and sometimes with random flight attendants he meets on business trips.
Why he’s broody? On occasion, Don actually feels guilty about all the sleeping around he does (It’s rare, but it happens). He also had a miserable childhood, with a drunken dad who abused him mentally and physically, and a prostitute biological mom who named him after a private part. To top things off, Don’s wife can be a real cold b*tch sometimes. And despite being model gorgeous, she actually strikes me as a kind of snoozy lay.
Why we love him anyway? Don Draper is nothing, if not flawed. But he is also a brilliant ad man, with a keen sense of business acumen. When he wants to be, Don is actually a pretty great dad to his kids. But Don’s “parenting” goes beyond the walls of his home. The advertising executive’s paternal nature extends to his younger colleagues, particularly Peggy Olson, whose ambition and intellect he encourages, and whose career got a jump start, thanks to his willingness to put his own job on the line for her.
2) James “Sawyer” Ford – Castaway Con Artist Bad Boy
TV Show: Lost
Who plays him? Josh Holloway
What makes him a Bad Boy? Sawyer made his living as a con man who bilked little old ladies out of their pension checks, and slightly younger ladies out of their inheritances and hard-earned dough. On the island, he initially kept to himself (aside from the occasional fist fight). Left to his own devices, he survived by hoarding his fellow castaways possessions (including some very pricey drugs, and quite an impressive weapons stash). He also used Shannon’s painful and highly traumatic asthma attack as an excuse to get Kate to kiss him for the first time. It was hot, but kind of heartless too . . .
Why he’s broody? Like Don Draper, Sawyer had a pretty f-ed up childhood. When Sawyer was a little kid, a con man bilked his parents out of their life savings. Sawyer’s father became so depressed as a result, that he killed Sawyer’s mother before turning the gun on himself. To make matters worse, Sawyer is stranded on a deserted island where he is constantly fending off the unwelcome advances of Polar Bears, sadistic birds, black smoke, and those wackadoo Others. Oh, and did I mention the object of his desires keeps ditching him to make out with this lame ass pompous doctor? You’d be pretty pissed off too . . . I bet!
Why we love him anyway? Sawyer may be a con artist, and a thief . . . and he sure likes to beat the sh&t out of people! But he looks GREAT with his shirt off!
As the seasons of Lost progressed, Sawyer also proved himself to be an excellent leader, and a staunch protector of those he loved, most notably, Kate, Juliette, and, yes, even Hurley. He even stopped beating people up so much. (Well, at least he was more selective about it.) Oh, and the nicknames! I loved all those nicknames!
3) Noah “Puck” Puckerman – Mohawk-Wearing Bully Bad Boy
TV Show: Glee
Who plays him? Mark Salling
Why he’s a Bad Boy? At the start of the show, Puck was your basic jock bully (with a mohawk, of course). He LOVED tossing slushees in the faces of the Glee kids, and tossing nerds in the dumpster. He also got it on with a quite a few of his mom’s friends. But Puck’s worst offense, by far was screwing “Celibacy Club President Quinn,” while she was dating his friend. He also kept their rendezvous a secret, even after Quinn became pregnant, and Finn agreed to take responsibility for Puck’s baby . . .
Why he’s broody? You know, I could explain it to you. However this video says it better, than I ever could . . .
Why we love him anyway? Ummm . . . did you WATCH that video? Did it not make you fall in love with Puck, and make you want to give birth to all of his mohawk-wearing babies? By the end of Season 1, Puck came a long way toward redeeming himself. Not only did he stop throwing nerds into dumpsters, he also became really close with the Glee kids, most notably Rachel and Mercedes. And when it came down to it, Puck really stood by Quinn, and supported her throughout her pregnancy, even going so far as to stand by her side, as she gave birth. Now if that’s not a Redeemed Brooding Bad Boy, I don’t know what is!
4) Chuck Bass – Upper East Side Bad Boy
TV Show: Gossip Girl
Who plays him? Ed Westwick
What makes him a Bad Boy? Oh, Chuck! How are you a bad boy? Let me count the ways. Before you met Blair Waldorf, you bedded so many random women, that you made Don Draper, Sawyer, and Puck look like priests.
You tried to date rape Jenny Humphrey in the pilot episode (an incident we ALL wanted to forget about, and almost did, until you repeated the feat during the Season 3 finale.) Along with Blair Waldorf and the rest of your Scooby gang, you have schemed (and succeeded) to ruin the lives of MANY of Manhattan’s elite, sometimes even those in your own social circle. And you’ve callously broken Blair’s heart a few more times than us fans would have liked . . .
Why he’s broody? Despite being born into privilege, Chuck hasn’t had the easiest life. His mother died giving birth to him (or so he thought). And Chuck’s father blamed him for his mother’s absence all his life, constantly denigrating the young man’s worth and ability. Then his father died, which always sucks.
On the romantic side of things, particularly in the earlier episodes, Chuck constantly found his love for Blair unrequited or blatantly ignored. And once he FINALLY got her, Chuck had to keep screwing things up. So he lost her, over and over again, due to his own insecurities, hubris, and fragile ego.
Why we love him anyway? He’s Chuck Bass! The only man who can refer to himself in the third person constantly, without it ever becoming annoying. And as cold and callous as he may sometimes seem, Chuck LOVES Blair, possibly more than any television character has ever loved another. He loves her unconditionally, despite her flaws and idiosyncrasies. Chuck is always willing to sacrifice his own happiness for Blair’s, as he does in this adorable scene.
(Click the internal link to watch.)
5) Ryan Atwood – “Bad Boy from the Wrong Side of the Tracks”
TV Show: The O.C.
Who plays him? Benjamin McKenzie
What makes him a Bad Boy? Ryan hails from Chino. Based on what the show’s writers would have you believe, growing up in Chino makes you automatically bad news. During the pilot episode of the show, Ryan got himself involved in a teensy bit of grand theft auto. (It wasn’t really his fault, but still . . . .).
Oh, and believe it or not, Ryan likes to beat the sh&t out of people EVEN MORE than Puck and Sawyer! In fact, I’m pretty sure he did it at least once during every single episode of The O.C! If I recall, toward the end of the show’s run, he even got into cage fighting for a while, so that he could get PAID to beat the sh*t out of people. Smart business move, Ryan!
Why is he broody? NOBODY does broody like Ryan Atwood! Don’t believe me? Check out this clip from the show’s pilot episode . . .
This guy is the epitome of the strong, silent and ANGRY type. And with good reason! Growing up poor with an absentee father, a drunk mother, and a delinquent brother, Ryan didn’t have many opportunities growing up. At least, that is, until saintly public defender, Sandy Cohen, took him into his home and under his wing . . .
Why we love him anyway? Grand theft auto and butt-kicking notwithstanding, let’s face it, for a bad boy Ryan wasn’t . . . all that bad. He was sweet and protective of his friends, particularly Seth and Marissa, the latter of whom he got out of more jams than I can even count. He also had this staunch code of honor and integrity, that he never seemed to waver from, no matter how far he got from his Chino roots.
Sure, Ryan could be a little stiff and quiet at times . . . . OK . . . most of the time. But every once and a while, he would let loose and show his sweet side. And when that happened, no heart was safe . . .
6) Alex Karev – Dr. McBad Boy
TV Show: Grey’s Anatomy
Who plays him? Justin Chambers
What makes him a Bad Boy? OK. I’m not going to lie. A lot of times Alex Karev can be kind of a dick, both literally and figuratively. There was that one time, when he posted all those pictures of Izzie in her undergarments all over the hospital. And that other time when he unwittingly gave George syphilis, by sleeping with the nurse he had a thing for. Giving of STD aside, Alex was kind of mean to George in general. He was always calling him names and denigrating his manhood, whenever he got the chance.
Oh, and Alex cheated on Izzie . . . like A LOT!
Why he’s broody? Alex had an abusive father, who beat the crap out of him regularly. (Anyone else noticing a pattern here?) He also has really bad luck with the ladies. His girlfriend Rebecca went all crazy and bipolar on his ass. The other love of his life, Izzie, cheated on him with a ghost (Oh, I am serious!). She also got cancer . . . and he married her, thinking she was dying. But then she went into remission . . . and then she inexplicably dumped his ass. I think Alex has a right to be a little pissed off at the world? Don’t you?
Why we love him anyway? Alex is a fighter. He speaks his mind, and tells the truth, when no one else has the guts to do it. Plus, he’s an amazing doctor, who has a fabulous way with kids and teens, in particular. Unlike some of the other doctors at the hospital, Alex speaks their language, and doesn’t talk down to them. For that reason, they often trust and respect him. And for a D-bag, he can be surprisingly sweet and romantic, as illustrated here . . .
7) Eric Northman – Immortal Viking Bad Boy
TV Show: True Blood
Who plays him? Alexander Skarsgard
What makes him a Bad Boy? Eric is a very old, and very powerful vampire, who always gets what he wants. To him, humans are food to be consumed, and toys to be used for his amusement. Eric is currently involved in the shady and underground business of selling highly addictive vampire blood to humans and other assorted creatures. He’s betrayed his colleague Bill more times than I can count, in order to get what he wants. He kidnapped Lafayette and beat him into submission, until the latter agreed to become one of his blood pedaling minions. Eric also tricked Sookie into drinking his blood so that she would have hot sex dreams about him all the time. (And that’s a BAD THING?)
Why he’s broody? In truth, Eric’s not all that broody. And if he was, he probably wouldn’t admit it. But he does have a very soft spot for one Sookie Stackhouse, which has heretofore remains unrequited. And Eric is not a man used to not getting his girl. At the end of Season 2, we witnessed a vulnerable side to Eric that we hadn’t seen before. He lost his beloved maker, Godric to the sun, and cried tears of blood to mourn the loss. Thus, proving that even a “cold blooded” vampire like Eric can suffer from a broken heart.
Why we love him anyway? Let’s face it. Eric is just super sexy! His witty banter with Sookie never fails to make me drool. Eric also has a great sense of humor, and can lighten even the darkest of moments with his wit and charm. Plus, Vampire Eric is a really good guy to have on your side, when you are faced with a group of evil supernatural creatures who wish you dead. And you never know when that might come in handy. Did I mention he would be an excellent accessory to any bathtub?
8 ) Logan Echolls – Spoiled Little Rich Bad Boy
TV Show: Veronica Mars
Who plays him? Jason Dohring
What makes him a Bad Boy? Logan Echolls takes the term juvenile delinquent to a whole new level. Like many on this list, Logan enjoys giving a good ass whipping, but that’s not anywhere close to the worst thing on his rap sheet. Let’s see, during the show’s three seasons he (1) bashed the headlights on Veronica’s car; (2) brought GHB to a party; (3) blew up the local community pool; (4) orchestrated and videotaped “bum fights” for profit; (5) screwed his good friend’s mom and his girlfriend’s enemy; and (6) got himself arrested so he could beat up a known criminal who hurt Veronica. (I’m sure there’s more, but I only have so much blog space . . .)
Why he’s broody? Logan’s dad was a famous actor, but also a sadistic psycho killer who slept with and then murdered Logan’s girlfriend, Lily. Then his mother promptly killed herself. Logan soon found himself to be a suspect in Lily’s murder. Once he was cleared of that rap, he became a suspect in some gang member’s murder. Then, later, he was a rape suspect.
In fact, every time something bad happened in Logan’s general georgraphic vicinity, he became an automatic suspect. After just a couple of episodes spent hating her guts, Logan fell in love with Veronica. The problem was, there almost always seemed to be another guy (Duncan, Piz), another girl (Hannah, Kendall, Parker), another dead body, or another one of Logan’s bullheaded actions, standing in the way of the couple’s happiness.
Why we love him anyway? Logan and Veronica were made for eachother! Their witty banter was timeless. Logan alone had enough one-liners to fill a Joke Bible . . .
The sexual tension that emerged from Veronica’s and Logan’s once mutual hatred of one another could power cities. No matter what the current state of their relationship was, Logan was always willing to risk everything to save Veronica, be it his happiness, his future, his life, or his freedom from legal prosecution.
And what girl wouldn’t want that dedication in a guy?
9) Pacey Witter – Bad Boy from the Creek
TV Show: Dawson’s Creek
Who plays him? Joshua Jackson
What makes him a Bad Boy? Pacey was pretty much the worst student ever! It was a wonder he even graduated! He was also in many ways the ringleader of the Creek crew. For the most part, they were pretty straight laced to the point of being kind of boring (I excuse Slutty Jen Lindley from this list of course). But Pacey was always the one trying to lure them over to the darkside, with parties (gasp), and drinking (double gasp), and ditching school! (OMG!)
OK . . . so maybe he isn’t that much of a bad boy. But I couldn’t imagine doing a “boy list” without including the boy that officially started my TV fangirl career. And, of course, there was that time he banged his English teacher in the bushes and ended up inadvertently making a sex tape from it . . .
Why is he broody? Like many of the boys on this list, Pacey is a product of a dysfunctional family — a drunken dad who abuses him, a brother who verbally berates him, and a mother and sisters who ignore him completely. Due to his poor grades and upbringing, Pacey believes himself to be destined to a life on the Creek, doing menial labor for minimal wage. To make matters worse, he spends a good portion of Season 3 head over heels in love with Joey Potter, a woman who he believes to be completely out of his league, and who also seems to be very hung up on his best friend, Dippy Dawson.
Why we love him anyway? Pacey is by far, the kindest hearted, most romantic, sweetest, and most loyal boy on this entire list. Not only did he beat up boys for his lover, Joey ( most of these guys did that at one time or another), he also took care of her when she needed a friend, taught her to drive, saved her family’s business, bought her a wall, picked her up from a bad date in the middle of the night, and took her on a three month voyage without ever pressuring her into sex. In short, this man is MY HERO!
10) Damon Salvatore – The “I Like to Bite” Bad Boy
TV Show: The Vampire Diaries
Who plays him? Ian Somerhalder
What makes him a Bad Boy? What doesn’t make this guy a bad boy? He’s a VAMPIRE! He controls humans’ minds and drinks from them regularly. He breaks peoples necks for no apparent reason at all. He made Caroline his feeding vessel and sex slave for a couple of episodes.
(Click the internal link to watch.)
He tortured Vicki and made her think his brother, Stefan, was doing it. Then he killed her.
(No embedding on this clip either. You know the drill.)
After that, he turned her into a vampire and she went nuts. So he had to dispose of the body. He also continually tries to steal his brother’s girlfriends. (But we actually really like him for that . . .)
What makes him broody? Damon has been pining over the same girl for a century and a half! (How’s that for dedication!)
So, he risks his undeath to find his dream girl, only to learn that she doesn’t want to be found. His own brother basically tricked him into becoming a vampire. And now that same brother is dating a woman who looks exactly like the girl he fell in love with all those years ago. Did I mention that Damon is in love with this new girl too?
(Here we go again, click away . . .)
Why we love him anyway? Damon is beautiful and sexy. He is also strong, intensely masculine, and hilariously funny. The elder Salvatore Brother really does try to protect Elena in every way he knows how. Damon knows that Elena can redeem him. And deep down, he truly wants to be redeemed. Oh, and he looks really hot with his shirt unbuttoned. . .
So, there you have it, Ten Brooding Bad Boys viewed from the perspective of the blogger that loves them all. In every life a little darkness must fall. And if you have to have darkness, at least let it come in the form of a hot sexy man who loves you, like no one else will . . .
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Snarky Goes to Hollywood!
The Exquisite Corpse
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