January 8 question - Describe someone you admired when you were a child. Did your opinion of that person change when you grew up?
I wouldn't be able to remember seeing the first run of the classic Batman TV show since I was born in 1965 and the show aired between 1966 and 1969. However, I did see the show in reruns in the early 1970s, and my little heart flipped for Burt Ward as Robin. Adam West as Batman was also handsome, but he was closer to my dad's age range and seemed more like he'd be a nice uncle figure. When I aged myself up to a cool young adult in my mind, Robin seemed like a perfect match.
Yes, I was a bit precocious, creating self-insert fan fiction in my head at such a tender age. I wouldn't start writing such until I was twelve years old. In any case, I was head over heels for Robin, who was young, eager, cool, brave, and fun. I spent many hours daydreaming about him and the young adult version of me doing cool action things, taking down the bad guys, and then going on a date where we would hold hands and maybe end the night with a kiss on the cheek. I was between six and ten years old when I was imagining this. My teenage hormones hadn't kicked in yet, encouraging me to write the most cringe-worthy erotic scenes imaginable.
Years later, I learned about Burt Ward, the actor who brought Robin to life. Sometimes heroes disappoint, but Burt did not. He's a genuinely good person who is involved with animal welfare causes. He's a businessman, husband, father, and actor.
Burt was friends with Adam West in real life and their affection for one another shone through in their performances. I also learned that Burt really put himself into the role of Robin. He ended up in the emergency room several times after doing his own stunts.
It's uplifting when a celebrity continues to be worthy of admiration after you learn the truth about them. Burt is truly worthy of his iconic status. He is a hero in his own right.
Ornery Owl Has Spoken
Free use image by Ivan Yanev on Pixabay
Who knew an owl could have a crush on a Robin?
Sounds like a healthy infatuation minus the fact he's a fictional character but I guess sometimes we cannot disassociate actor from character. I'm glad Mr. Ward turned out to be a great guy. There are many unfortunate cases of a different sort.
ReplyDeleteHave a lovely day.
People are often surrounded by individuals who are not only less interesting but also less safe than fictional characters. I understood the difference between fiction and reality. My precocious crush on Robin is actually one of the few healthy crushes I've had. It was simply an appreciation for an archetypal personality (the eager ingenue in the form of an attractive young man) combined with an affection for the actor portraying the character. Later on (not that much later on, really) trauma would ensure that my attractions to both people in my circle and personalities such as actors and musicians would fall into the unhealthy realm of limerence.
DeleteYou can still see Robin in his face. Cool that he's been a positive influence since that time.
ReplyDeleteWhen I cull the IWSG, I will move this blog into your other spot so you are higher up on the list.
Thank you, Alex. I appreciate it. I shouldn't be moving blogs again anytime soon! This one has become a mainstay.
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