Celebrity Crushes

Normally I think it's really stupid to be hung up on a celebrity. Yes, they're technically real people but they are rarely a part of a person's life in a way that anything could happen. Plus it's kind of unfair to lust after a person while they're trying to earn a living. However, even I am not immune to this phenomenon from time to time...

Leigh started watching a new BBC show called Lip Service. It's about a small group of lesbians (only 3 main characters rather than the L Word which kept adding characters), two of their guy friends and there's a pretty heavy back story. The writing is really good, the story goes at a good pace throughout the first season and the characters are very, very relatable. I think that's my favorite part. The L Word sucked because every character was a type of person that is rare to find in any social circle (the high end art curator, the professional athlete, the writer, etc) and by the end of the show they were all rich and famous and friends with celebrities. It's pretty ridiculous. Lip Service is about really normal people with normal flaws and each character is written so that they each remind us of someone we've met or know well. So the show is very relatable.

Anyway, one character in particular has stuck with me: Sam, played by Heather Peace. Sam is a cop, smart but quiet, secure, friendly and has a subtle sense of humor. She reminds me of Leigh in a lot of ways, including how she looks. The actress is gorgeous, of course, and shares enough features with my lovely Leigh that they could be first cousins or sisters.

Luckily Leigh is pretty OK with my new-found obsession. She is pretty sure I'm not going to hop a plane to the UK, seek out Ms. Peace, steal her away from her girlfriend (yes, she's involved), and try to win her heart. I get the sense that Leigh is equal parts flattered and jealous. Flattered because at least my celebrity crush has a lot of similarities with her, so I'm not deviating from my "type" in any alarming way.

Jealous because, as an actress, Heather Peace is hot in a way that no mere mortal should ever strive to be. It's just cruel to compare yourself to someone who is genetically destined to be hotter than the rest of us throughout their lives. I understand this too, because Leigh manages to develop celebrity crushes on many a female character on television who is short, pushy, smart, ambitious, and a little bit mean.

With this description in mind, I can only assume the following ladies might be possible distractions for my Leigh:

Stephanie March as a no-nonsense lawyer

Liz Weil as Paris Geller: a pain-in-the-ass but brilliant student at Yale

Laura Fraser, who is 5'2", particularly as Cat on Lip Service. Cat is a neurotic and dorky, but lovable, architect. This one is my favorite (see below)...

...because the Lip Service production team saw the same perfection in the tall, dark, quiet and smoldering meets short, talkative, and neurotic relationship combination. Is this art imitating life? I think so. You're welcome BBC3, you're welcome....

I know that I will never be as good looking as the celebrities who capture the heart of my Leigh. I can certainly try to be as hot as my genetics will allow, but eventually reality will put a stop to my efforts. But the bottom line is that Leigh doesn't really stray from her "type" either, which is kind of nice.... even though her "type" includes some not-so-flattering personality traits... So should I take this as a compliment or a judgment on my character?