Tuesday, June 24, 2014

How the game show "Double Dare" became one of the first signs I was gay.



I've decided there are plenty of Kate Kelly/ John Dehlin/ excommunication posts on the Internet right now, so I choose to refrain to make any extra comments.  :-)  Plus this blog post topic came to me before all this stuff went down.

It's funny what triggers memories from your childhood. The other day I noticed a link to a YouTube vid that features a compilation of Double Dare prizes. 10 and a half minutes of Double Dare prizes.




Go ahead and watch.  I'll wait.




Now,  I LOVED Double Dare/Family Double Dare as a kid so I was excited to check out this video and have a nice (long) dose of the good 'ole days. I'm aging myself, but the shows were on the air from 1986-1993, which puts me in elementary school during its original run.  (And I know for a fact that some of my readers weren't even born yet!)

Ok, I'm rambling. As I was watching this video at work, the 0:17 mark brought on a rush of memories and emotions.  Whoa.  The guy. The male model. The prize presenter. I don't know exactly what to call him, but I know as a kid, I was fascinated by this guy.  Those stonewashed jeans. That hair. Those rolled up sleeves.  He wasn't the ONLY reason I watched the show, but he was definitely the icing on the cake.  Fast forward to today, I realize I had a massive crush on this guy from Double Dare who was only seen for seconds at a time. Even at only 8 years old, there were signs that I was gay. (I just didn't realize it back then.)

I kept watching the video, and the more I watched, the more I realized I was enamored with this guy.  I mean, look at the way he shows off the video camera at 3:25 and that stance next to the bike at 10:44. These clips are from over 20 years ago, but I vividly remember these prizes he showed off.

Double Dare guy was the first of many guy crushes.  :)  If only life were still simple when I was an 8-year-old.

BTW, I have NO idea the name of this guy. Can anyone help?   (Google didn't provide much luck.) I do know the girl's name was Robin.  I wonder what the mystery guy looks like today.

I'm sure he won't be the same without the stonewashed jeans.

  


7 comments:

  1. Ha ha, fun post! I LOVED Double Dare as a kid, too. What a great show.

    It's funny to think back to elementary school and discover twenty+ years later that I was actually experiencing "crushes." I just had no freaking idea!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed the show too! (It's nice to know someone similar to my age!)

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  2. How fun to come across memories like this and put the pieces of life's puzzle together. He is very handsome, so I see why you took a liking to him.

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  3. Dave Shikiar?
    http://www.thebacklot.com/vanna-men-a-brief-history-of-male-models-on-game-shows/10/2012/2/

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    1. I 'thought' it might be Dave, but the crush seen above looks considerably thinner. But it could be! The show spanned several years, maybe he just beefed up a bit!

      Thanks for helping out in the investigation, Dad!

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