Sunday, July 27, 2008

And not just in their 20s...


A friend of mine once told me a great story.

He was studying english at Cambridge at the time (of course) when a charismatic professor took an interest in him. Professionally. Okay, sort of professionally. My friend was young and nubile at the time, but presumably a bit brilliant. The professor was older and on his way to becoming a bit of a coke fiend but he was also brilliant and charming. So one night he invited this friend of mine around to "discuss his work". Naturally they ended up having a few drinks and it got a bit late and then, well, I'll draw a curtain over the night for delicate readers (thank me later, Spiteri) but one assumes you can join the dots.

Now, my friend didn't know me well enough, at the time he told me the story, to know how much it would thrill me, but I suspect one or two of you could guess. Because as you, and indeed most of the readers of this blog, have figured out over the years I have a thing for ho-yay.

Five or so years ago I had no idea what ho-yay meant. And yet I felt exactly the same. Only when I stumbled onto the term on the brilliant Television Without Pity website did something click on in my brain and I thought "holy shit, I too want to see Sylar and Peter* get together".

The reasons for my interest in all that is hot boy on hot boy action remain unclear but, if I'm honest, don't particularly interest me: it's just the way it is. Over the years I've met a (rather small) handful of people who share my enthusiasm for all that is hoyatastic, even if most people just look at me a bit weirdly or dismiss the brilliant Y Tu Mama Tambian as "soft porn" (no, I haven't forgotten and, yes, you know who you are).

Anyway my point, because I'm getting there, is that the internet has completely revolutionised the way these things are. Without the internet I would have no name to put on this strange sense I have for say, Spike and Angel to just tear off their shirts and fucking Do It Already, or my glee at the aforementioned Y Tu Mama Tambien when *SPOILER* the smoking hot Gael Garcia Bernal finally snogs the hell out of his (also wouldn't-throw-him-out-of-bed-for-eating-biscuits-hot) best friend.

Nor would I have the delight of stumbling over remarks buried in the comments section of a you tube video featuring The Smiths' very good William It Was Really Nothing like this:

"What is it about skinny fags in their 20s that makes them so fucking appealing to all genders :-)"

I mean I could live without the first f-word but I love the sentiment. And if anyone has the answer, do let me know.

(*Meanwhile, I'm rewriting history here because Heroes actually came years after this discovery, but jesus the day those two boys make a go of it will be a bloody good one. And such hot babies).

UPDATE: The person mentioned in this has pointed out both that 10 years is not just an awfully big age gap and, furthermore, that my definition of "coke fiend" may be a tad harsh. I think his ideas of what makes a CF are slightly looser than mine but one must never piss off a ho-yay provider so I have amended appropriately.

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