Open Letter To The Media
Posted by Blaze Author in Lori Borrill, tags: Blaze Heroes, Heroes, Lori Borrill, TV
Helloooo, Mr. Advertiser Man? Yeah, you in the suit pitching your next bright idea for a TV commercial–the one that includes a woman lounging by a swimming pool and up walks some guy you think is our idea of the perfect romance hero? Yeah, that one. Before you go too far with that, I’d like to show you something. If you’ll just come with me, it will only take a second. It’s this way, down the hall and around the corner. Yeah, here it is. It’s the 21st century.
Huh? No, it’s not new. We’ve all been here for about a decade now. Yeah. And you’ll see a few things have changed. Namely, that guy you’re assuming is our romance hero? He looks nothing like this:
Nope, I’m sure. If you were to stroll through the romance aisle in the book store or–here’s an idea–actually talk to a woman who reads romance? You’d discover this guy was fashionable about….oh….thirty years ago.
Yeah, really. Equating him to our fantasy man is about as appropriate as casting these guys as dreamy rock stars:
Yep. That was the 80′s. It’s 2009 now. Why don’t you join us?
If it’s a romance hero you’re looking for, may I suggest someone like this?
I literally stared at this picture for 4 months while writing my latest Blaze. He was the inspiration for my hero. It’s Jon Hamm, but I called him Marc Strauss. Nope, not Damien or Sebastian or Jaque-Phillipe. Just Marc with a “c”. And believe it or not, you’ll find guys like this on lots and lots of romance novel covers. We love men in suits, clean cut guys with jobs and maybe a really nice car. Yeah, traveling by schooner is kinda out these days.
Bare-chested heroes riding in on white horses, you ask? Sure, we love horses and love men riding in on them, and no, shirts aren’t required. But today they’d look a little more like this:
Firemen are also pretty hot. We’ve been lusting over them for about 10 years now. Yep. What’s that? No, I’ve got no idea where you’ve been. It’s actually kinda old news, really.
You could do a Top Gun military man too. We’d prefer one of those Navy Seals that actually captures the pirates instead of the pirate himself.
Heck, we’re easy. You can even do a Speedo as long as he looks like this:
Just stop with the billowing white blouses buttoned down to the navel. Even women don’t wear those anymore. And if a man’s going to unbutton his shirt that far, we’d just as soon he take it off. Oh, and if anyone in the room utters the word “mullet” please fire them on the spot and send them to the nearest Motley Cruefest. They seriously shouldn’t be in the business of selling anything to women–or grown-up men, for that matter.
So, ladies, while we have Mr. Advertiser Man’s attention, is there anything else you’d like to add to this public service announcement? Better heroes you’d like to see in their ads instead of the Fabio-cut-outs they’re still throwing at us? Husbands who aren’t complete imbeciles jumping up and down in front of the Glade air freshener trying to get it to spritz?
What type of hero would get you to drop the remote, run to the store and buy the product he’s selling?
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Now, personally, this guy doesn’t do it for me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqLPHrCQr2I
But… BUT – I think it’s exactly what you’re talking about. And I loooooooove that commercial.
I get all weak-kneed at obvious intelligence. An engineer? Bring it! Physicist? Even better. Show me a distracted geek and I’m all over it. Show me a guy who needs baby oil on his abs before he hits the gym and I’m gonna bust a gut laughing.
Then the other heroes are the self-sacrificers. Think: the dude who sold his pocket watch for a beautiful clip for her hair (just as she sold her hair for a chain for his watch – for those of you who don’t know the story). Or the man who will leave a bag of groceries for you and your kids on the doorstep and then go home and eat PB&J for a week, all without mentioning it.
Brains and honor, that’s what I want. Washboard abs just make me think of laundry.
Venus, that’s a hysterical commercial. I’ve never seen it before. I think if it’s not on HGTV or ESPN we don’t see it in our house. LOL! I’m with you, though. I love when advertisers think outside the box and give us something original.
I’m with you, forget the shirt! But my biggest request to Mr. Adverstiser Man is NO MORE NATHAN KAMP. I swear I am going to stop buying books with him on the cover. It’s enough already!!! Surely there are other male models out there who would look great on the cover and sell books.
I confess I had to go look up Nathan Kamp on Google as I wasn’t familiar with him. And wow, yes, he showed up on lots of romance novel covers. I guess he’s the new Fabio? Over-saturation is never a good thing, but at least he doesn’t have a mullet. LOL!
Hi Lori,
I have no idea what commercial you’re talking about since I’m in Australia but I absolutely agree with you 110%. Suits, ties, shiny black shoes. It tells me the man, 1. has a job. 2. knows how to look hot for said job and 3. takes some pride in his life and appearance.
He’s my idea of smokin!!
We don’t want momma’s boys or guys that look like ‘Ridge’ (I think that’s Ron Moss and he doesn’t do anything for me). I don’t want to read about a guy who’s on welfare unless it a disability pension where he got hurt saving his elderly next door neighbours cat from her burning house.
But you know what? I think it rubs both ways. The Heroine has to be spunky and hot in a non-traditional way. If we wanted Barbie dolls, we wouldn’t be reading romance. I don’t really want to feel frumpy and ugly while I’m reading about a 5ft 11″ knockout with bleach blonde hair and boobs that would give her a black eye if she broke into a jog. We want real people with real lives and real issues. Yes, reading is a form of escapism but if you can’t relate, you’ll lose interest.
By the way, I’ll take the one with the horse
Bronwyn.
LOL on the Barbie doll. I agree with you about characters too perfect. I’m just not a nice enough person to root for someone who’s already got it all.
Soon as I can stop salivating over the pics you chose, I’ll make my comment ….
OK -
I agree with Venus — give me intelligence and honour —
– add a great sense of humour —
and please give them big hands and feet. (silly grin)
LOL Angelica. I admit I did have some fun doing the “research” for this blog.
I had to go look up Nathan Kamp too! Once I saw him I recognized him immediately. He’s been on a ton of covers. Too funny…
And Lori you crack me up. That pic of Jon Hamm is deeeee-lish.
Isn’t it? It was in People Magazine’s Sexiest Man Alive issue and I was pleased to actually find a shot of it in digital form. That one photo defined my entire character. I only hope I was able to convey in words how delicious he is in that photo. We’ll see.
Sexiest thing about a guy? Not even what he’d do for me (hey! mind out of the gutter! LOL). It’s a man who loves his kids. I swear. There is nothing hotter or more of a turn on for me and every time I see it? I instantly melt. I used to love the commercial with the guy (okay, okay, so he was naked) standing in the shower with his infant daughter because, if I recall correctly, the baby had a cold. Got me every time. Or the day I walked into the auto parts store and this little girl (under 5) was trying to push the door open by herself to get out and her father was right behind her, looking all amused and loving, and not helping her because she was all “I can do it, I can do it!” but obviously at the ready in case that door came swinging back at her. My knees went all puddley. What a fetish to have, huh? LOL.
How about a commercial about a man who care enough to know that his wife/girlfriend had a bad day so that, when she drags herself through the front door she finds he ordered dinner (or gasp! made it himself) so she wouldn’t have to cook. I know a dozen friends who’d love it if their husbands did that.
A guy who cares enough to take care of a woman when she’s sick.
HA! A guy who cleans the bathroom! LOL.
I’m tired of men being shown as clueless idiots while the women have all the brains (or worse yet those annoying commercials and tv shows where both adults are dumb and their kids are always right or making all the decisions).
I love a smart man. Okay, he can border on the line of geek. Geek can be hot. Dr. Who is a geek. He’s hot. MacGyver was a geek. He was so hot! And one of my all time sexiest men? Gary Cole’s “Jack Killian” from NBC’s “Midnight Caller.” Ex-cop turned late night radio host. He could take care of himself, cared about everyone around him, was philosophical, had a great value system and that voice? Oh my gawd. The voice…..
Julie
Wow, there’s a name from the past. I remember Gary Cole and Midnight Caller. I didn’t watch that show very much, but do remember his other series The Sixth Sense. (I’ve got the right guy, don’t I?)
And I agree with you about guys who adore kids. That does bring out a woman’s most basic instinct, or a man who is intuitive enough to know what little gestures make the biggest difference.
I had to go look up Sixth Sense. That was Garly Collins.
After Midnight Caller, Gary Cole did “American Gothic” where he played the evil, whistling (and murdering) Sheriff Lucas Buck, played the dad on the Brady Bunch movies, was the jerk office manager in Office Space (movie), had a short lived series called Wanted on TNT as Lieutenant Conrad Rose, played Vice President Bob Russell on The West Wing and was on Desperate Housewives as Wayne Davis.
Julie
Ahh, I went and googled Gary Cole. LOL! Yes, I’m familiar with him. I’ve never seen Midnight Caller, though. I was thinking of something completely different.
I’ll have to look out for it in syndication.
As soon as I stop drooling over Daniel Craig in the speedo I might be able to respond!
LOL, Marcie… that was me too!!!
Not into the suits probably because I work in a field with lots of suits. My inspiration for my hero in my current work in progress is Sawyer from Lost.
Thank goodness I’m not the only one who likes men in suits!