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.