It’s a scientific fact that when you’re a kid, your brain is mostly goop with a couple of fizzling neurons that tell you to scream. Is it any wonder, then, that your younger self chose some pretty weird individuals to crush on? We turned to our Her Campus @ Geneseo correspondents to hear who the first object of their affections was–with special attention paid to fictional characters, because frankly, nobody cares about the time you were in love with David from Mathnasium.
Jessica Bansbach: Jake from Jake Long, American Dragon
(Source)
Anybody I’ve ever talked to about this show can’t remember a damn thing about it (aside from the whole young-boy-turns-into-dragon-superhero thing) nor recall a single episode plot point. What they do all remember, however, was this: thinking he was hot. Seems like none of us were immune to this Disney Channel hothead. I remember pulling a friend under the playground at my school to swear her to secrecy when I told her about my Long-ing (heh), seriously worried because I wasn’t sure how I was going to live out my life wildly attracted to someone who could never reciprocate my affections. In case you’re wondering, that problem has since resolved itself.
Rebecca Hagan: Peter Pan from Peter Pan (1953, but also as a general concept)
(Source)
So I don’t know where my crush on Peter Pan came from, I have no memories of watching the Disney movie and swooning. However, I do remember being in fifth grade and having a very vivid dream that was my own variation on the Peter Pan story with me in the role of Wendy. After that point, I just had this deep emotional crush on Peter Pan. Admittedly a guy that brings with him the added perks of never having to grow up, the ability to fly, the possibility of befriending Tinkerbell and getting to fight pirates…what’s not to like?
Victoria Cooke: Molly MacDonald from Arthur
I think my first actual animated childhood crush was the vaguely butch bunny from Arthur. She was a minor character, so it was rare that I got to see her. I just remember always having intensely weird feelings about her, especially since I could never exactly figure out her gender. I was often confused about why I was drawn to these kinds of characters. It all makes sense now.
Madeline Reichler: Kimiko Tohomiko from Xiaolin Showdown
I didn’t have cable as a kid so I could really only watch PBS and WB Kids. Kimiko was awesome; she had fire powers much like Azula from ATLA, who was voiced by the same person and who I would also have a crush on a few years later. I guess I had a type. What can you do?
Megan Kelly: L Lawliet from Death Note
L Lawliet from Death Note. Death Note was the first anime I ever got into, and L was also the first fictional crush I got. I don’t know why I liked him: maybe it was because he was a smart guy, or maybe it was because he had a strong sense of justice. Also, I guess he can be kind of cute, in a dreadfully tired sort of way. I spent most of my middle school days reading self-insert fanfics, dreaming of L. So when episode 25 aired and L died, I mourned more than when my IRL grandmother died (I still love you Grandma Sophie).
Follow Her Campus @ Geneseo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.