If you weren’t locked away in a cabin all summer, chances are you’ve heard a thing or two about the hottest hotties of the latest summer blockbusters. What you might not know, however, is how these leading men are perfect for you. Are you a fan of men with accents? Men with soft sides? Men in spandex of any size, shape, or form? Chances are one of these movies holds the right sex-on-a-stick actor for you, if only as your on-screen crush. We believe that as back-to-school approaches, it’s best to take stock of the leading men who made our hearts skip a beat this summer so that the nonbelievers among us can finally buy those ticket stubs. We can learn a thing or two about the dream men we want in our lives from the movies (and we think we need to learn those lessons before we hit the campuses this fall, lest we lower our standards for drooling frat boys yet again). In the spirit of film appreciation, let’s revisit our favorite man candy movie moments of the summer, shall we?
IF YOU LIKE… the secretly sensitive type, you’ll love Mark Wahlberg in Ted
We’ve loved Marky Mark since the day he donned those Calvin Klein tighty whities. Okay, so we were too young to actually remember that, but the pictures don’t lie: the boy looked good. We ask ourselves this question: is it possible that a sensitive, perfectly-in-touch-with-his-emotions man could be hiding beneath those tough muscles and that even tougher Boston accent? Ted answers that question for us. Wahlberg’s performance won over James Madison University junior Olivia Lobdell, who says, “The Boston accent is to die for and he has a relatable sexiness. [He] seems like a funny, hot, average kind of guy, and it didn’t hurt that his best friend was a teddy bear.”
Wahlberg and his huggable BFF, Ted, remind us how much we love a man with a soft side, provided that soft side isn’t so soft that he goes running for thunder with every clap of lightning (the one weak moment of the trailer, we have to admit). Still, Wahlberg’s character is down to earth enough to remind us of our own boy toys and guy friends from school. “I remember sitting in the movies with my friends and realizing that I know a handful of guys who are just like Mark Wahlberg’s character, sans teddy bear,” says Kelsey Mulvey, Boston University ’14. The takeaway message? There might be more to that hunk of muscle sitting next to you in Philosophy 101 or stuffing his face at the jock table across the dining hall – you’ll never know until you give him a chance!
IF YOU LIKE… the protective/problem-solving type, you’ll love Christian Bale and Joseph Gordon-Levitt in The Dark Knight Rises
It’s a simple equation: what do you get when you put a superhero together with a lovely lady? The answer: a whole lot of mama-bear-style protection going on (except in this case, it’s more like a poppa-bear). As Batman, Christian Bale is the ultimate protector and problem-solver, fighting fiercely to save his city and, of course, his lovers. Because of his obvious superhero superiority (there’s something to be said for a guy who is capable of not only sweeping you into his arms, but also proceeding to fly away with you into the sunset on his bat wings), we had expected collegiettes to wax poetic about Christian Bale (whose pecs and scruff are undeniably – if ruggedly – irresistible, and who looked pretty darn good on that Batpod, if you ask us), but Joseph Gordon-Levitt stole the show. We don’t mind; JGL won us over in ’99 with his sweetly naïve Cameron in 10 Things I Hate About You, and his acting has since evolved to tap into a much darker side (bad-boy lovers, rejoice! He’s on his way!).
For those of us who aren’t Marvel fanatics, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is enticement enough to see the film. Kelsey explains, “Anyone I know can tell you that I have the biggest celebrity crush on Joseph Gordon-Levitt… How could you not love him after (500) Days of Summer? So just seeing him in the previews was enough of an incentive to see the film!” Kelsey’s right, but don’t expect to see a meek, dumped, and depressed JGL here! As Annie Pei, a junior at the University of Chicago, puts it, “[I]f you watch every role he’s had since (500) Days of Summer, you’ll notice that he acts with this very optimistic quality, but mixed with the realization that the reality he, or in this case his characters, faces isn’t ideal. Because of that, he comes across as an extremely down to earth guy who will, ultimately, get the job done and solve the problem… he’s intelligent, he’s suave, he’s cool, he’s practical, and because of all this, I love him.” Hear, hear! And without spoiling the movie, we’ll just say that there’s a certain school bus scene that will have your heart melting over this protector’s nurturing instincts…
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IF YOU LIKE… hot guys in general, you’ll love the entire cast of Magic Mike
Maybe you’ve spent the summer interning in a room full of girls, maybe you’ve had an appallingly long dry spell, or maybe you just like to sneak a peek of a man who isn’t your man without breaking the rules. However you spin it, you need a dose of this movie’s magic. For most, the plot of the movie (male stripper falls for normal girl, drama ensues) isn’t the main draw. Mariah Moses, a freshman at Virginia State University, hit up the theater because of a very particular set of washboard abs. “I was already in love with Channing Tatum from when he was in Step Up,” Mariah explains, “so this movie just made me fall in love again. When he came out and danced to ‘Pony’ by Ginuwine… I pretty much melted in my seat.”
If you aren’t into Step Up-style dance moves and if strip teases to the dulcet tones of Ginuwine just aren’t your thing, there’s more than enough man candy to catch your eye in the meantime. “While everyone was dying to see Channing Tatum strip down to his skinnies, my eyes were on Alex Pettyfer,” reveals Kelsey. “I’ve never been into your typical ‘macho man,’ so I appreciate that Alex has a good body but [is] not necessarily ‘built.’ Also, his scruff is to die for!”
The list goes on and on. (No, really, it does: Matthew McConaughey, Joe Manganiello, and Matt Bomer are only a few of the other Hollywood hotties showing skin in this chick flick.) Whatever your type, these men deliver. Dry spell? What dry spell? Now you have multiple men to occupy your mind.
IF YOU LIKE… the geeky guy, you’ll love Andrew Garfield in The Amazing Spider-Man
Collegiettes just can’t get enough of Spider-Man! We doubt it’s his outfit (we’re sorry, but full-body spandex is a hard look to pull off, especially when it comes complete with booties à la footie pajamas). Regardless, the nerd-lovers in all of us are crushing hard on this leading man. Autumn Taylor, a freshman at the University of Texas at Austin, tells us that “there’s so much to love about Peter Parker’s nerdy demeanor, and Andrew Garfield does an amazing job of bringing his own flair to the character. His geeky awkwardness and puppy dog loyalty [are] enough to make any girl swoon for Spidey! Plus, [those] messy hair and glasses [are] just too adorable.”
If you aren’t a nerd-lover yet (or are just in denial), you can still satisfy the critic in you by witnessing some Grade-A acting. Gennifer Delman, a recent graduate of Hofstra University, says, “I saw my boyfriend – oh, oops, I mean… – Andrew Garfield, in TASM… [Garfield] brings a refreshing playfulness to the role of Peter Parker. His own personal connection to the character made the performance very authentic and just that much more meaningful.”
Adorable geekiness and impressive acting chops aside, Garfield was charming enough to enchant co-star and alleged girlfriend Emma Stone, and if he’s good enough for one of the funniest young ladies of Hollywood, he’s probably (almost) good enough for us collegiettes. We highly suggest taking a peek and learning to love the nerd just in time to flirt with that cutie on Day #1 of chem class!
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IF YOU LIKE… a rugged man, you’ll love Chris Hemsworth in Snow White and the Huntsman
In the words of Autumn, “What isn’t there to say about Chris Hemsworth?” The comic book nerds among us fell for him as the thunder god in Marvel’s Thor, but Hemsworth truly earned his seat amongst Hollywood’s hottest by playing the world-weary and heartmeltingly wounded Huntsman, the man ordered to kill Snow White. Without giving anything away, we’ll just say that beneath his tough exterior (complete with luscious brown locks, piercing blue eyes, a dash of scruff, and a healthy helping of man candy muscle), the Huntsman has a soft side. “[T]he Huntsman has a lot of emotional baggage lurking behind that delicious accent,” continues Autumn. “Who doesn’t love damaged men, though?” Too true, and we were pleased to see that Hemsworth could handle more than just standing around and looking pretty for the camera. Not that he didn’t do that, too… as Autumn put it, “Hemsworth can look good even in mud.”
To put it bluntly, if you’re into the lumberjack type (or at least the type who wears flannel without trying to be ironic), you’re guaranteed a few gasps at the sight of this Huntsman. In real life, Hemsworth may be a married man with a beautiful baby, but that just makes us love him all the more. A guy who can tackle trolls on screen and diapers off-screen? Sounds like the perfect combo to us!
Sure, they may only be reachable via the silver screen this summer, but these sexy leading men remind us of the best (and worst) of guys in general, and there’s nothing wrong with having high standards come fall semester (just don’t expect your newest arm candy to be able to spin spider webs from the nape of his neck… you won’t get very far in the dating world). After a summer surrounded by girls or a bit of a boring stretch with a boyfriend, these stunners (and their movies) are just what the doctor ordered.
Photo sources:
http://www.aceshowbiz.com/news/view/00051768.html
http://baleheadsblog.com/category/the-dark-knight-rises/page/74
http://blog.zap2it.com/pop2it/2012/07/missing-magic-mike-and-channing-ta…
http://www.altfg.com/blog/movie/andrew-garfield-the-amazing-spider-man-i…
http://parajunkee.com/2012/06/snow-white-the-huntsman.html