Twas Brillig

Apr 27 2007

Newsies for Oldsies

Published by Brillig at 11:54 am under Flashback Friday

Oh, goodness. Today’s Flashback Friday is slightly different in nature. Inspired by Fluffy, though it really has nothing to do with her.

You see, this morning I told the kids that they could watch a movie. So they started going through the video selection, and Fluffy pulled out… NEWSIES.

And suddenly the memories came a-flooding. Because, see, I was 14 when Newsies came out. And like ANY 14-year-old worth her salt, I saw Newsies FIFTEEN times in the theater. (This is not an exaggeration. I really saw it fifteen times in the theater. And I was not a wealthy kid by any means. I just set my priorities. And Newsies was a priority.)

And no, gentle readers, it wasn’t for the story line.

I knew every moment, every look, every sigh, every smile. I knew him so well. I read everything I could find, I knew all sorts of random personal details about him (I STILL think of him on his birthday. HAHAHAHAHA.) Dear Christian Bale. Dear, dear Christian Bale.

I even signed my name with his last name. A lot. My journal is FULL of Brillig Bale. Sigh. Swoon.

Perhaps the funniest part of these memories is that Matt was always with me when I went to Newsies. Always. He, uh, wasn’t “out of the closet” yet, so I didn’t get it. I just thought he really liked to be with me. And so he would therefore sacrifice himself and go to Newsies with me.

(Years later, after the closet-exit, I looked at Matt and said, “Holy Crap. I totally get why you used to go to Newsies with me.” We both died laughing. How it took me so long to realize that whole GAY thing, I’ll never know. But that’s a whole nother story…)

And now I’m 28. And I can’t exactly say that I’m “over” Mr. Bale…

Fluffy started watching Newsies today, but she didn’t really like it much. Give her a few years and then she’ll like it. Oh yes, she will like it very very much. And then I will very likely sit down and watch it with her and we will both swoon incessantly.

18 Responses to “Newsies for Oldsies”

# Kateastropheon 27 Apr 2007 at 12:44 pm

I love you for posting this. He is just the eye candy I needed today.

I too saw Newsies probably between fifteen and twenty times in the theatre . . . I staged dance-offs to Newsies music in my home and have the CD, the DVD AND the piano music.

I would also like to send a shout out to Gabriel Damon for adding even more eye candy to that glorious movie.
# Butrfly4404on 27 Apr 2007 at 1:03 pm

Oh, celebrity crushes. Dreaming about your fave celeb coming to your pitiful town and “saving” you, taking you to live his luxurious life…

How fun it would be to have such inane dreams to fufill again, huh?

Or to be able to devote that much time to ‘loving’ someone who will never know you.

Damn, I dont’ want to grow up.
# whiskeymarieon 27 Apr 2007 at 1:29 pm

I hate to break it to you, my dear, but if things with me & the illustrious Mr. Clive Owen don’t work out, Mr. Yumyum Bale is #2.

We may have to arm wrestle, or play “jeapordy” or compete with mad libs, or something…but I’ll fight for him if I have to.

Mmmm…Ms. Whiskeymarie Bale. Nice ring to it.
# Worker Mommyon 27 Apr 2007 at 1:50 pm

I’ve never seen Newsies before but if this isn’t a ringing advertisement for why I should rent it I don’t know what is .

My celebrity crush : Mark Wahlberg!
I absolutely salivate over him.
# Sugar Kaneon 27 Apr 2007 at 2:03 pm

He’s yummy!

I saw Romeo & Juliet 25 times in the theater. (my buddy worked there so I could go for free) Oh, Leo…
# Annieon 27 Apr 2007 at 3:06 pm

I have no clue what ‘Newsies’ is lol! How funny you should post this. This is the second time in two days I’ve seen a reference to the dishyness of Christian Bale, not having heard a thing about him for eons! He is very easy on the eye
# Brilligon 27 Apr 2007 at 3:48 pm

Kateastrophe,
Yeah, lots of the girls I knew were all about Gabriel Damon. But people always told me how much I looked like him (through the eyes, I guess) so I never really went there. Besides, it was ALL ABOUT CHRISTIAN to me.

Butrfly,
Wait. Grown-ups don’t do that stuff? Dang…

Whiskeymarie,
Oh, I really hope that thing with Clive works out for you, but if not, BRING IT!!! I am SO WILLING TO FIGHT YOU for this one. hahaha. Besides, didn’t you already steal Simon Le Bon from me??

WorkerMommy,
Yeah, go see it. You’ll see a really hot… 17-year old. Yikes. Don’t I sound creepy?

Sugar Kane,
Yeah, Matt and I went to see Leo many times too. hahahaha. 25 has got to be an all-time record though.

Annie,
DIDN’T THEY HAVE NEWSIES IN NORTHERN IRELAND??? Sigh. I’m so, so sorry. Your teen years must have been so incredibly awful. (Someone else is talking about my Christian? I’ll fight her too…)
# "Satan" of Christmas Dance Fameon 27 Apr 2007 at 5:46 pm

I am not even gay, and yet I also find him attractive. But then I’ve always had a thing for Batmen.
# Jewelson 27 Apr 2007 at 6:23 pm

Oh….My….Gosh….How I have missed the gloriousness that is Christian Bale in ‘Newsies’. Next time we hang out, we are watching that with lots of chocolate, deal? Mmmmm, he is SO de-lish!
# Melissavinaon 27 Apr 2007 at 9:12 pm

Here’s what comes to mind when I think newsies: Papes here! Get your papes! And I always thought it would be a great advertising slogan for a OBGYN: “Paps here! Get your Paps!”

And yes, I saw it a time or five too. He’s a sexy mother effer for sure.
# Burficaon 27 Apr 2007 at 11:05 pm

OMG I loveeeeeeeee Newsies!!! Still…And then I read that you were only 14 when you seen it so many times, and I almost cried. When it came out I was married with a baby. hehehehe And yes, I still bought it.

But then again, I love musicals, I have my own video cabinet for my musicals. hehehehe
# Brilligon 28 Apr 2007 at 3:02 am

Satan,
HAHAHAHAHAHA. Oh my gosh, I nearly died when I saw your “name” there! Let this be a lesson to you, ladies and gentlemen. You NEVER know who might stumble upon your blog. “Satan” (who I think we will henceforth refer to as “Bryan” unless he has some other name to which he’d like to be referred) and I actually communicated a bit this evening. Apparently he turned out to be a pretty stand-up guy. I kinda feel bad about calling him “Satan” now. But then again…

Jewels,
Is that a promise to hang out with me??? I mean, you live a whole 15 minutes away, right? Why is it that we never ever see each other?

Melissavina,
Oh goodness. It’s a gyno’s dream slogan!

burfica,
I want my own video cabinet! How cool is that?
# moodswingingmommyon 28 Apr 2007 at 5:10 am

Okay, I’ve never seen Newsies, but am adding it to my Blockbuster list…done!
# Velveteen Mindon 28 Apr 2007 at 9:10 pm

Okay, seriously, now I really can’t believe I haven’t been here before. I believe I was the first reference to the dishyness of Christian Bale that Annie mentioned. I was raving about him in The Prestige on another board. Aaaah, Christian Bale.

My first introduction to him was in Swing Kids, a movie I watched about a million times and actually worked into a college Holocaust course project. Shameless, I know.

Is it wrong that I also swoon over him as a wee lad in Empire of the Sun?
# Cherannon 29 Apr 2007 at 3:53 pm

I vaguely remember newsies but I definitely remember Christian Bale…and Brad Pitt, Keanu Reeves, Chris O’Donnell, did I already mention Brad Pitt? A la Thelma and Louise??
# cathouse terion 30 Apr 2007 at 10:38 pm

We will, none of us, ever get over Christian Bale.
# Luisa Perkinson 29 May 2007 at 7:11 pm

You have excellent taste; Christian Bale is hotter than July.
# Paigeon 11 Jun 2007 at 6:42 pm

Wow. We just may lead parallel lives… mmmmm…. Christian Bale. Is it wrong I found him hot in American Psycho?