* Ranking refers to the list: 'My Favorite People That Have a Birthday on July 2nd', not the prestigious Man Crush list
Best Known For: Frugal Spending
I know.
You're all waiting with bated breath to see who made the illustrious Top 10. And I can't blame you. It's easily one of the most exciting reveals in the history of this blog. But today is not the day that we crack that seal. Why? Because that would steal the thunder from a much more important event.
The Anniversary of the Birth of Sneep.
And, while I understand the irony of the fact that he'd probably enjoy nothing more than to read a fresh Man Crush entry on his birthday, I think we can all agree that in the end he'd much rather have an epic shout out and mild ego boost instead.
I'm a patriotic guy. Not insanely so, but patriotic none-the-less. There's a lot to like about Canada, and as a guy that travels a fair bit, it always fills me with a fair bit of pride to know that I hail from this great nation. Therefore, it stands to reason that when a dude that I already have a Man Crush on is also from Canada, his stock soars even higher.
Which brings us to one Nathan Fillion. He's Canadian, sure, but even more specifically he's Edmontonian. Combine that with his brilliant sense of humour and his starring role on Firefly, and we have the makings of Man Crush royalty.
Granted, I haven't seen a single episode of Castle, and I didn't watch much Two Guys, a Girl and a Pizza Place (despite it also featuring the Man Crush glory that is Ryan Reynolds). And really, when you consider that he doesn't have the most lengthy list of credits to his name, that might make you think that my Fillion Crush could stand to be a little stronger.
And maybe it could.
But considering he almost cracked the Top 10 on the strength of Firefly alone (although Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and the criminally short run of Drive certainly helped.), I'm not sure that I should have any more of a Fillion Crush. As it stands, his spot here at number 11 will have to do. For now.
I like a good quote. And if there's one thing I learned from American History X (besides never to drop the soap in a prison shower…) it's that "someone else has already said it best. So if you can't top it, steal from them and go out strong." So, even though I could probably burn a lot of calories explaining my love for Matt Damon, really, it would be a waste of time, seeing as how Paul Rudd summed it up best in the 40 Year Old Virgin.
Y'know, I always thought that Matt Damon was like a Streisand, but he's rocking the shit in this one!
- David [while watching The Bourne Identity]
And while that sums up perfectly the moment it became socially acceptable to like Matt Damon, and while I do love the Bourne Trilogy more than any one man should love 342 minutes of film, the real reason that Matt Damon is here is because of Kevin Smith.
It feels like I should put a spoiler alert here, but it seems rather unnecessary, seeing as how revealing that Kevin Smith is an upcoming name on this list is about as much of a spoiler as someone telling you that the boat sinks at the end of Titanic. Needless to say this is not the last time we'll be discussing the portly director from New Jersey on this blog.
As you might recall, I previously stated that anything good enough for Scarlett Johansson was good enough for me. Well that statement rings doubly true for Kevin Smith. And Kevin Smith was a huge Matt Damon supporter. A pre-Good Will Hunting Matt Damon supporter, which is a rare title to hold. And no matter how many All the Pretty Horses or Legend of Beggar Vance's that sat steaming and collecting flies on the multiplex screen, I couldn't help but think 'but if Kevin Smith likes him, he can't be bad'.
And then a fishing boat found a body floating in the Mediterranean Sea, and movies as we knew them would never be the same again. It turns out that Kevin Smith had been right all along, and in the process, his man crush had become my man crush as well.
I have a shameful admission to make. I know you would never use such information to mock me, and probably don't even want to hear about anything that I might consider to be an embarrassing skeleton in my closet, but if you would just humour me on this one, I'd appreciate it. Ahem. I enjoy…
The Bangles.
Don't judge me. It's not really my fault. Growing up, we had one tv and one stereo in the house. And I had an older sister. Which meant I could either watch what she wanted to watch and listen to that which she wanted to listen, or I could watch and listen to nothing at all. More often than not, I opted for the former. Luckily she had a decent taste in movies and I didn't grow up to be a complete wuss. Well, not too much of one, at least. But, looking back at my first musical exposure, it could have been a little less… well, lame.
But, as it stands I can't help but sing along to 80's Madonna. And you may or may not find a fine collection of Cindy Lauper on my iPod. It's just ingrained in me. A part of who I am. And it's also why I love… err… I mean like… well, tolerate, really… the Bangles.
(I know, I've had some pretty long winded, nothing-really-to-do-with-the-Man-Crush lead in's in the past. And I agree, this one is really going long. But please, continue to bear with me.)
My favourite Bangles song (and pardon the profanity, but fuck Walk Like an Egyptian… that turd is the reason I have to be ashamed of my Bangles love) was and still is Hazy Shade of Winter. And yes, I know, it's not even their song. But, long-story-short (or slightly less long, as the case may be) the video for the song, seeing as how if was recorded and released for the Less Than Zero soundtrack, featured clips from, you guessed it: Less Than Zero.
And, as much as I loved… err… tolerated the song. I liked the video even more. We had a copy on VHS and I tolerated the shit out of it. Even if it was mostly just clips from the movie. So one day it occurred to me that I should actually watch this movie that had intrigued me so. And, I may not have known it at the time, but that was the day the foundation of my Robert Downey Jr. man crush had begun.
Over the years the resume was never in question: Weird Science, Chaplin, Natural Born Killers… but it was his off camera problems that always made you wonder about the guy. Then he did a little ditty called Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - one of my favourite movies ever - and all the heroin in the world couldn't stop my man crush from being cemented in stone. Plus, I mean, Tropic Thunder? Iron Man? Sherlock Holmes? The work speaks for itself. And so does this spot on this list.
Hold on to something, because I'm about to blindside you with a startling revelation: I like to make lists.
Shocking, I know.
Maybe it's because I liked High Fidelity so much. Maybe it was all the years I spent idolizing Santa Claus growing up. Maybe I just wish my last name was Schindler. I don't know. What ever the reason, it's just something I do.
Now I'm not suggesting that it already exists, but for the sake of argument, let's say I had a list of my favourite television shows of all time. Without giving it too much thought, and just going with my gut instinct here, I would say that within the prestigious top 5 of this list would be a show called Firefly.
Sure the concept was solid and the writing brilliant. But without a doubt, one of the strongest elements of the show was it's cast. And that's how Adam Baldwin entered my life.
Fortunately, due to a little show called Chuck, I don't have to give the same 'can one epic role (not roll… sorry Hoff) earn you a spot on this list' speech that I did a couple of posts back. And luckily I don't have to defend him being one of the Baldwin brothers, as he is of no actual relationship to them. Although Alec Baldwin's recent decade of being awesome might make that an easier argument.
Throw in having worked with Stanley Kubrick in Full Metal Jacket, and I'd say his spot here is easily merited... Gorramnit!
Best Known For: Hosting Late Night with Conan O'Brien
This selection requires no justification. Conan is awesome. Plain and simple. This is not opinion, it is scientific fact.
But, seeing as how just leaving it at that makes for a rather short post, and Randy demands at least 5 paragraphs per blog, perhaps a little history into my Conan love is in order.
I've always preferred the second late night line up to the first. I'm not a big Leno guy. Never much cared for Letterman. And I even prefer Colbert to Stewart. Jimmy Kimmel is good. Craig Kilborn was decent. I don't hate Jimmy Fallon as much as I thought I would. And Craig Ferguson was this close to making the Top 25 as well. But, Conan has always reigned supreme.
Granted, his stint on the Tonight Show was not good, but he was trying to be something that he's not. When Conan is being Conan, there's few better. The years with Andy on the couch were deadly. The Walker Texas Ranger Lever brilliant. And no one did as well during the writer's strike than he did. A true testament that his comedic abilities are not just the result of a strong group of writers behind him.
And maybe it's my soft spot for the self-deprecating humour, which Conan welds like a hammer. Or maybe it was his involvement writing episodes during the greatest stretch of The Simpson's that this world has ever known. Or maybe I just really like the idea of a masturbating bear. What ever the case may be, I loves me some Conan.
There. Technically 5 paragraphs. In your face, Sneep.
Can one epic roll earn you a spot on the Man Crush list? I had seen Phantom of the Opera, and Tomb Raider and Reign of Fire, but I did not know the name Gerard Butler until I sat in the theatre, jaw agape, as the glory that was 300 danced before my eyes, forever changing my life in the process. So great was this movie, and even greater the performance by Gerard, that an instant Top 10 Man Crush had been crowned before the credits had even started rolling.
Of course, the keen observer has already said to themselves 'but wait, if he was an instant Top 10 Man Crush, why are we talking about him at number 16?' And although my math is a little rusty these days, I assure you, this is no error. In March of 2007, Gerard was easily in my Top 10, maybe even Top 5. So what could possibly have transpired to see him free-fall out of the Top 15 within a mere 3 years?
No, I'm not docking him points for being a complete man-whore. It's easy to look down one's nose at such behaviour, but, if I'm taking an honest look at myself in the mirror, I'm not sure I'd have the moral fortitude to say no to all the young hollywood starlets that he's made the rounds with either. Nope, the docking of points can be summed up in 3 and a half simple words:
P.S. I Love You
And I know, it's pretty unfair of me to judge a movie that I've never seen, but judge it I have. And it doesn't stop there. Nim's Island. The Ugly Truth. Gamer. The Bounty Hunter. None seen, all judged.
But, I didn't hate Law Abiding Citizen or RocknRolla. And for the sake of argument, let's pretend the other aforementioned movies were tolerable. It's not that he was in such mediocrity that sent his Man Crush stock crashing, but more that he hasn't really done anything good since 300.
So, the question remains, can one epic roll earn you a spot on the Man Crush list? For now, the answer is yes. But ask me again in another 3 years...
Best Known For: Frugal Spending
