“You couldn’t score her in a million years. A, you’re too shy and closed up to even approach her, and B, she’d kill you!” – Watts in Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
I was thinking about…80s Teenage Celebrity Crushes
By Andy Lee
As remembered by a male teen of the 80s
Like most red-blooded American guys coming of age in the ‘80s, I was not immune to the spell cast by Hollywood’s latest crop of female hotties plastered on my bedroom walls and my adolescent dreams. Their graceful moves on the silver screen translated to rapid heart palpitations and sweaty palms for this youth still learning the mysterious ways of women. Decades later, taking a trip down memory lane still conjures up leading lady longings and cringey unrequited love towards my iconic celebrity crushes.
In an era before Instagram filters or virtual connections with faraway stars, these untouchable actresses took on almost goddess-like qualities, worshipped from afar mostly through movie magic and teen magazine spreads. Their hallmark styles, captivating charm and unrestrained confidence fed many pubescent fantasies in those pre-internet days when pin-up pictures represented the hottest digital pixels around.
Of course Brooke Shields with her mane of chestnut locks and killer eyebrows topped the list. That famous Calvin Klein ad had every guy’s jaw dropping as we gawked at her model perfect looks. Then her Blue Lagoon scenes clad in barely-there costumes kept eyes glued to the screen and hearts racing, unaware of any controversial elements surrounding that time.
But Shields had plenty of company among the decade’s “It” girls inspiring crushes. Phoebe Cates made waves with her iconic red bikini moment in Fast Times at Ridgemont High, instantly becoming the biggest schoolboy fantasy across America. Meanwhile, Molly Ringwald embodied the girl-next-door appeal with her star-making turns in Sixteen Candles and Pretty in Pink. Her Brat Pack buddy Ally Sheedy also joined countless daydreams with her artsy rebel image in The Breakfast Club.
On the small screen, Heather Locklear rocked the denim and carefree hair as Sammy Jo on Dynasty, adding some California beach babe magic to the Reagan era. Then Tracy Gold charmed her way into adolescent daydreams as the girl-next-door Carol Seaver on Growing Pains, joining numerous scrapbook collages and locker posters around the country. And through it all, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Jami Gertz, Lori Loughlin and Diane Lane lit up young hearts whenever they graced our VCR screens and bedroom walls.
Of course in real life, I can admit these celebrity crushes represented little more than superficial connections to pretty faces and happening styles. But for a generation of boys fumbling towards manhood, posters of our dreamiest starlets gave us images to desire as we figured out those puzzling feelings. Harmless bonding fodder perhaps, but also an insightful cultural barometer looking back.
So while today’s crush-worthy celebrities now enjoy direct dialogue with fans through social platforms, losing some mystique, I feel nostalgic for the old-school separation between untouchable stars and adoring public. When longing looks towards an Molly Ringwald movie kiss represented the most intimacy achievable with our pop culture muses.
Stay spellbound my friends, keep admiring! 🔥
I was thinking about... 