You know the whole saying, the only good men are fictional? Well, while that’s probably not the case it’s still quite a bit of fun to have fictional character crushes and joke about it. Who doesn’t love Mr. Darcy, for instance? Or Noah in The Notebook? It’s fun to enjoy these fictional characters even if they don’t quite exist in real life. And despite belief to the contrary, having fictional character crushes does not place (always) ridiculous expectations on men from women.

Personally (this is my blog post after all so I reserve the right to rant) I find it absurd that there are so many articles (as well as actual people telling it to my face) about why watching romantic comedies, paranormal romance and Pride and Prejudice even, give women unrealistic expectations. I think women who like romantic stories are intelligent enough to separate fantasy from reality. We do live in the real world. A romantic comedy is closer to a fantasy anyway more than anything. It’s supposed to be a little bit like a fairy tale with the happily ever after. So what? What’s wrong with that? I think I’m realistic enough to realize that I’m probably not going to meet my “soul-mate” by listening to a radio program a la Sleepless in Seattle which leads me to meeting him on top of the Empire State Building. I also think I’m realistic enough not to expect a vampire to rescue me from bad guys and then become my knight in shining armor. I mean, come on! It’s just all in good fun.

On the other end, it not like the Bond girls are overly realistic in relation to real women, but I don’t see many of us saying that if a guy watches too many Bond films he’ll expect women to look and act like a Bond girl. If he did, I’d say he probably has some real issues. My point is, this is all just fantasy with a little bit of fun thrown in the mix. So isn’t it insulting really to tell a woman that by watching a romantic movie she won’t be able to recognize the reality of the real world? I just think that’s condescending and sexist. That’s what the men used to tell the women about reading gothic novels in the 18^th century. It would spoil their mind and give them dangerous ideas.

Maybe by watching too many romantic movies we are all developing dangerous ideas. Shame in 300 years we haven’t progressed much.

So with all that said and rant aside, I thought I’d share some of my own personal fictional character crushes. Since Autumn and Rebecca have both covered literature and film in their past blog posts, I thought for my turn I’d turn to television.

My Ten TV Crushes (in no particular order):

1. Mick St. John

Out of all the vampires out there, Mick is by far my favorite. Tall, dark and immortal (loved that slogan from CBS) he’s chivalrous, witty and masculine. When he kicks butt, you actually believe he’s dangerous; nothing wimpy looking about this vampire. That said he’s more of a lover than a fighter. In fact, he’s the ultimate romantic. He’ll do anything for the woman he loves and will be your constant guardian angel without feeling like a stalker. He’s a man from the past so he opens doors and “courts” while also allowing women to be individuals. Plus, there’s just something appealing about an immortal.

2. Luke Danes

Luke to me is the perfect guy. He’s not immortal or even extraordinary; he’s just human with flaws and all. But what makes Luke so appealing is that he’s the epitome of the loyal guy who will do anything for you without being pesty. He lent Lorelai money, for instance, to help her reach her dream. In fact, he’ll do anything for people he cares about. But he’s also got a great sense of humor. He’s a mocker without being cruel and personally I find his grouchiness to be more than a little bit attractive. His complaining is more funny than negative. He’s just got that sarcastic, intelligent and individualistic view I’m particularly drawn to. Plus he’d be fun to banter with. And I love bantering.

3. Fox Mulder

Who’s better than Mulder? My brother told me the other day that I should stop waiting for Prince Charming. Finding that particular accusation silly (come on, Prince Charming is a bore with no actual personality) I told him straight up that I wasn’t waiting for Prince Charming, I was waiting for Mulder. His face was PRICELESS. That put an end to that silly conversation. Anyway, joking aside, Mulder is basically a genius. Anyone who knows me knows that I have a weakness for a genius intellect. What I love about Mulder is that he cares about truth more than anything. Plus, he’s impassioned, loyal and doesn’t care what anyone thinks. Not only that, any guy who’s willing to go all the way to the Arctic amidst all of these murderous aliens breaking free just to rescue you has to be a keeper.

4. The Doctor

The Doctor is the ultimate fantasy crush. A man with a magical time machine flies in to save the day and rescue you from your boring life….beans on toast and all (or in my case, probably just some homemade jelly). He’s exciting, adventurous and brings out the best in you. Look what he did with Rose, Martha and Donna! They become who they were always meant to be. Not only that, he’d be the best guy in the universe to take you on dates. Who wants to go to the movies when you can go have a real adventure with Charles Dickens? Plus, if you were picked up by the Tenth Doctor, then there’s always his hair to run your fingers through. Best. Hair. Ever.

5. Ryan Fletcher

This may seem like an odd choice, but I find Ryan to be the most attractive of the characters from Nikita. He’s the one who sees everything and is always one step ahead. What I love about Ryan is that he has real integrity, a rare trait these days. He doesn’t care about politics, he cares about truth and what’s right. He’s willing to sacrifice himself for the greater good and will do whatever it takes to make sure good triumphs. A heroic spirit, an intelligent mind and a pure soul, Ryan has it all. Plus, he’s kind of cute.

6. Tom Branson

This may be a slight spoiler if you haven’t watched all of season four yet, but this quote from Branson sums up why I chose him. When a character tells Branson they don’t warm up to the wealthy types he says this: “I don’t believe in types, I believe in people.” I LOVE that particular view of his because I completely agree with it. Branson is a non-conformist and the type of guy who steps outside of society norms to do what he feels is right. He’s brave, patient and kind. Not only that, he sees beyond stereotypes and finds the humanity in others, even if they have a different view than his own. That is truly rare. Plus, that takes true love to wait like he did all those years for Sybil without even one other girl turning his head.

7. Detective Jack Robinson

Jack is the ultimate independent thinker with a brilliant, investigative mind. He’s sarcastic and difficult to get to know, but once you do it’s worth it. He loves intellectual banter and can hold his own in a debate. In his spare time he likes to read Shakespeare and can even quote passages from memory. He’s loyal, brave and always does what’s right even if it’s difficult. Plus, if you’re ever in danger he has your back. I don’t like wimps and he’s definitely not a wimp.

8. Nick Cutter

I picked Nick because he represents the scientific genius intellect I have a particular weakness for. He’s brilliant, but he’s also romantic and heroic to boot. He might be a bit older than me, but who really cares? If smart is sexy, then he is definitely sexy.

9. Gary from Miranda

I love Gary because he is basically the cutest, sweetest fictional guy on the planet! He has the most adorable smile too, so that doesn’t hurt. While he does have some commitment issues, you know that once he gets past them he’ll make a great boyfriend and eventually husband. He’s your best friend who’s there for you through everything. He doesn’t care if you have a bad hair day or if you look tired. He’s there for you no matter what and always thinks you’re beautiful in the worst situations, even humiliating ones. He’s the guy you want to grow old with.

10. Captain Awesome/Devon

Don’t get me wrong, I love Chuck (hence why I’m showing both Devon and Chuck in the picture). He’s funny, sweet and optimistic. BUT, for all intents and purposes I picked Devon aka Captain Awesome because he’s AWESOME. He’s the satirical representation of the perfect man. He’s handsome, thoughtful, smart and supportive. He always puts his wife Ellie first. In a typical day he makes her smoothies, massages her feet, pours her a bubble bath, cleans, watches the baby, cooks, etc…Not to mention he’s a Doctor. He’ll do whatever it takes to make his wife the happiest woman on the planet. If that’s not the perfect guy than I don’t know who is!

Well that about sums it up. So how about everyone else? What are your favorite TV Crushes? Sound off below…

RELATED POSTS:

Autumn’s Ten Literary Crushes

Rebecca’s Ten Movie Crushes

Read Typing Fictional Characters: Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries

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