I used to think my dream guy was an amalgamation of Michael J. Fox, Jason Bateman and JFK Jr., but now I think he is more a mixture of Anderson Cooper, Richard Engel and Dean Cain… though I could be wrong.
Still, a crush is a crush, and the feelings I had for Jason Bateman when I was in junior high school are as real as the ones swooning Justin Bieber fans have today.
Yes, I kissed a life-size cut-out of “The Hogan Family” star and drooled over magazine photos of the former president’s hunk of a son; however, I was 13 at the time; practically a senior citizen compared to some of Bieber’s biggest fans.
A recent poll found that the average age of Bieber Fever fanatics is eight. EIGHT! As in pre-tween, pre-braces, pre-double digit birthdays.
Isn’t eight a bit young to be obsessing over a pop icon and allowing him to occupy every thought?
What happened to being eight and fixating on how to rollerblade or advancing to the next level in Double Dutch?
I thought that puppy-love didn’t start wagging its tail until at least a girl’s twelfth birthday, but then again this is the 21st century, so I suppose parents shouldn’t be the least bit surprised by the savviness of little girls. These days, things seem to happen at a younger and younger age, and apparently celebrity crushes are no different.
Not for nothing, but I will have a mini cardiac if in two years my six-year-old starts wallpapering her room with the photo of any pop star. Though, if she does, experts recommend that I chill out and not start ripping down her Tiger Beat collages.
In fact, in a recent interview with news reporters about youngsters and celebrity crushes, child psychologist John Carosso noted: “By and large, it’s a normal, typical thing. For the first time in their life, they have these feelings toward the opposite sex, and this is a safe way of expressing those feelings.”
Carosso went on to say that “99.9 percent of the time, crushes amount to nothing” and parents shouldn’t worry about their child unless the celebrity obsession starts to interfere with schoolwork and personal happiness.
Of course, if the object of your young child’s crush is not exactly wholesome… cough, cough, Charlie Sheen, ahem… then you may want to exercise some tough love.
Just sayin’.