Sunday, September 21, 2008

Confession time

I’ve often wondered at lovely Caroline and her idiosyncratic love for Simon Cowell but that’s the thing about love, isn’t it? Thankfully, we don’t all fall for the same person and there’s that blindness thing. Clearly Caroline is so blinded by love she can’t see how high Simon wears his trousers.

But I’ve got a confession to make, and I thought if I came here on a quiet Sunday, and owned up, nobody would really quite notice. Husband said ‘You CAN’T blog about this. You’ll lose all credibility’ and I thought ‘Hmmm, do I have any credibility?’ I think probably not, so it’s quite safe to say out loud. I’m among friends, right?

On Friday evening, feeling a little bit low (loooong lunch the day before) I went and sat down at the television. First I started scrolling through the channels, but at sixty odd channels I soon abandoned this plan to look at the … whatever the Thai version of the Radio Times is.

Oh how my heart leapt at the sight of ‘Music and Lyrics’ starting in five minutes. For any considerably classier than me readers out there, Music and Lyrics is a … frankly a pretty silly movie about an old has been pop star (Hugh Grant) who is given a few days to write a song for a barely adolescent, but nonetheless top of the pops, hit singer. The problem is he does music but not lyrics. While he is trialling a lyricist his manager has introduced him to, Drew Barrymore comes to water his plants. She keeps finishing the end of the lyrics for them. Needless to say, it’s all daft as a brush, but Drew Barrymore is cute and carries baggage which Hugh Grant sorts out and he’s … well, terribly tasty, I think.

Did I catch you out there? Did you read that far? I said I thought Hugh Grant was terribly tasty in that bumbling, charming and very naughty English way that characterises nearly every movie he’s done. And, really I think I’ve suddenly understood Lovely Caroline and her Simon Cowell thing … although seeing Hugh Grant’s and SC’s names in the same paragraph is rather alarming.

And I sat there, watching, laughing and even a bit of blubbing (I was feeling a bit sorry for myself, okay?) thinking 'Oh I do love a bit of romance.' But the weird thing is, I don't in books. In films, yes, romance ahhh (I go a bit fluffy around the edges) but not in books. How strange that is.

13 comments:

Deborah Carr (Debs) said...

I never actually liked HG until I saw him in Bridget Jones and I much prefer him playing more of a bad boy than the bumbling english bloke. I haven't seen that film, but will try and catch it when it's next on.

I love romance in books as well as films.

Cathy said...

I'm with you on preferring my romance in films. I really enjoy rom com movies but usually read ( and write) something much darker...

Sue Guiney said...

Well, while we're feeling all confessional...I'm a total freak for romantic comedies (again, not in books - only in films). I drive my family mad. I have a secret stash of my favourites and I sit there a few times a year all alone in my room like a sad old lady...but they make me soooo happy. I especially love Kevin Kline. So there. I've outed myself too.

Caroline said...

Ha! I laugh in the face of losing all credibility, obviously.

I somehow feel that I heart you a little bit more.

x

Pat Posner said...

I used to go for Barry Foster (Van der Velk) and Richard Bradford (Man in a Suitcase)in a big way.
Not sure how I'd feel about them if I saw those old series again.

Jen said...

Trevor Eve in Shoestring for me. And Starsky & Hutch, even with the terrible woolly jumpers.

I think you're escaping lightly with confessions of Hugh.

Interesting that people like different worlds for books and screen...

Jenny Beattie said...

Oooh Debs, I just like him. Aaaagh. I can't believe I've 'fessed up.

Cathy, maybe it's not odd of us. I like realism in a book and romance always strikes me as too neat and tidy ... and yeah, slightly unlikely.

Sue, Nice one. And don't you feel better for that?

Caroline, sweetie, I hope I don't offend. I heart you back.

Pat, no as time passes ... Husband said to me as he caught me watching M&L 'How OLD is Hugh Grant?' but I wouldn't hear a word against him, dribbling as I was.

Ah, Jen, no I'm with you there on Paul Michael Glazier... woo hoo. Now that I've seen David Soul as he is now, I can't possibly lust at his memory!

Carol said...

Oh My God....and you thought me telling the story about you falling asleep in Starbucks was bad!!! *shakes head*

Actually, I can't really say anything....when I was little I wanted to marry Clint Eastwood and I still have a rather large soft spot for Rutger Hauer (I have no idea why cause I generally don't go for blonds but there is just something about him!!)

C x

Yvonne said...

I'm the exact same, the shame of it all! I love those kind of films and can watch them all day, but am not a fan of romance novels at all.

Unknown said...

JJ - you do make me laugh! I have watched that movie a few too many times- it's dd's favorite (help I even had to buy her the sound track cd so she could listen to that inane song at the beginning in her bedroom and not on youtube on my computer!!!

However I quite understand a little flutter on old Hugh.....I have to confess I fell for old Pierce B in Mamma Mia!

I love both romatic films and books- such a sucker for happy ending :-)

Leigh Forbes said...

Couldn't understand the Colin Firth thing until I finally watched the BBC's P&P a few weeks ago (having not read the book, or seen the film before). I was smitten! Trouble was, I watched the Hollywood version a few days later, I found myself equally smitten with Matthew MacFadyen.

I think I'm just in love with Darcy. And, hey, who isn't?

Still quite like CF though. He's definitely up there with the PBs, HFs, DCs and HJs. Ha!

Films over books, just. But only cos I like popcorn.

Angie said...

*whispers* I like him too. Charming Englishman or naughty badboy, either way is fine by me. He's very popular here because of the cute accent and bumbling characters (in Notting Hill his "whoops a daisy" makes me laugh every time). I heart Colin Firth too, so Bridget Jones is heaven in a movie for me. :)
(And Leigh, OMG, MM was delicious in the remake, especially when he's walking through the fog!)

I also prefer my romance in movies instead of books.

I really am sad. Now I'm embarassed...

Angie said...

p.s. Since I already embarrassed myself, I should (or shouldn't?) mention that my desktop is a lovely photo of the fight scene between CF and HG in Bridget Jones 2. *swoon*