Today Nicki Elson is making us drag our sad, closeted 80's crushes out into the light. If I had any dignity left (which I don't, thanks to having children) this would jettison the remaining shreds. As it is, I have a confession to make:
I was a Duranie.
Yes, I know there were millions of us who in the early eighties wanted nothing more than to lounge on a yacht in a magenta bikini ogling four grown men wearing lip gloss. But I lived in New Jersey, went to a Catholic School and was in third grade. A magenta bikini was not in my future.
There's something so amazing and liberating about falling in crush. (My own daughter is on the cusp of this, she gets excited when she sees Justin Bieber on a greeting card.) It's safe, it's almost always a group activity and it lets you playact being a teenager or an adult. It's also embarrassing as hell when looking back.
My crush for the first half of the 80's was Simon Le Bon. Granted, he wasn't the most handsome of the fab(ish) four, but he sang the songs and he wrote the lyrics. He was a poet. Cue swooning. In 1985, the last year of my Duran Duran crush, I made my dad buy me a fedora. I begged my mother to let me highlight my hair until I wore the woman down. I stuck the hat on my red-frost-highlighted head, slapped on some glittery pink lipstick and pouted in a way I thought was attractive. I know now that I looked like I had toothache, but it was a gateway to daydreams.
My crush for the second half of the 80's was Peter Murphy. That's what happens when you go from grammar school to high school, the crushes get a bit darker. So did my hair, my nails, my eyeshadow. By the time I was learning to drive, I had a poster in my bedroom that scared the heck out of my mom and made my dad hover at my door, never coming in. It was Peter Murphy, in a tiara and underpants. And the underpants are about to come off. Girls are so weird, and I was no exception.
If Simon le Bon was reading a book on Shakespeare, so was I. If he liked Andy Warhol, so did I. If Peter Murphy was reading Herman Hesse, me too. I stand by my crushes, though. They made me curious about writing and music and art.
So, who did you crush on in the 80's (if you dare reveal your age) or even in the 90's or (Oh Children!) 00's?
Oh wow, Pete Murphy! I was soooo into Bauhaus for quite a while, having graduated from the likes of Duran Duran, Adam Ant, The Cure and even my beloved Boomtown Rats who had started to go just a little 'off the boil'. Great memories. I had to go and have a look at a load more pics of Peter for old time's sake! Thanks for that!
ReplyDeleteI loved all of Duran Duran, but John Taylor had my heart!
ReplyDeleteI don't know who Peter Murphy is, but he's got a look of not-quite-Bowie.
ReplyDeleteHow hysterical that your dad was afraid to come into your room. My tastes didn't really turn dark until college, as evidenced by my taste for Hall & Oates all the way through High School graduation.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this peek at your 80s self. I'm having way too much fun at this fest. :)
@Linda - it was a near thing for me, between robert smith and peter murphy, but I had to go with PM as, let's face it, he's prettier to look at. Such a shallow teen!
ReplyDelete@susan - I grant you, the best looking of the bunch.
@annalisa - I should have linked the picture to him. He's amazing - still has a solo career. great singer.
@nicki - i scared my folks a lot in those days (I bet you did too!) thanks for doing this blogfest - what fun!
I was a big Duran Duran fan myself. I wonder if I'd wake up my son if I turned on some music and danced around for a bit!
ReplyDeleteI get it. I loved Duran Duran, too. Simon was my favorite. I went to one of their concerts and it was a blast.
ReplyDeleteAHHHHH!! I was going to put Peter Murphy on my list, but I didn't think anyone would know he was. I went through a fun goth phase after listening to Bauhaus. Even named my cat Murphy at the time.
ReplyDeleteI love Duran Duran too! In fact, I was listening to "Come Undone" just a few days ago!
ReplyDeleteI like your blog :)
I'll visit often and comment. Am a follower now.
Best,
Jay Paoloni
jacopopaoloni.blogspot.com
@LG - it's the perfect name for a cat, was he a black cat by any chance? ;) Yeah, huge bauhaus fan - and it only got worse/better when I got to college as I segued into Nick Cave territory. Ah memories!
ReplyDelete@Jay - welcome! thanks for stopping by.
Hey, Alex -- that 'Popcorn' cover is so emblematic of the decade.
ReplyDelete@suze - isn't it? I think I spent my entire allowance on tiger beat those years!
ReplyDeleteI still like some of Peter Murphy's music.
ReplyDeleteI can't believe I don't know who Peter Murphy is! I love music!
ReplyDeleteI shared your affinity for Duran Duran though. I loved both Simon and JT, but John a bit more. :) I follow them both on Twitter!
Also, your mention of you reading what Simon was reading reminds me of my Book Recs of the Rock & Famous blog. I post what musicians and celebs are reading in hopes that others will pick up fave books of their fave celebs.
That sounds like a poster I would have loved to see. Bauhaus is one of my favorite bands.
ReplyDeleteYes!!! Duran Duran and Peter Murphy! Throw in a giant crush / obsession with David Bowie, and that rounds out the picture for me. We would totally have been hanging out together with our black nail polish and black clothes back then, Alex.
ReplyDeleteYou should totally meet my wife - Simon, Murphy and Catholic school were all part of her path, too. I love the story about your parents and the poster. My daughter is 8. I shudder to think what the future brings.
ReplyDelete"He was a poet." *snorts* Happy Durani fantasies!
ReplyDeleteI started off with a Duran Duran crush too. And, like you, I got a little gothier in high school.
ReplyDeleteYep, most of my crushes began in the 90s, since I turned 10 in 1990 and went from there ;) Duran Duran have been mentioned heaps in this blogfest, they're popular boys! :D
ReplyDeleteYo, Alex! If you've got time, I've tagged you to answer 11 random questions over at my place. Questions are at the bottom of this post. Whee!
ReplyDelete