Do you remember your first childhood crush? How your heart would skip a beat every time you saw them on TV, how you would practice signing your first name with their last name, how you would so painstakingly cut out every single picture of them in Tiger Beat?
A sexual awakening is a beautiful thing, especially when it's ushered in by watching Home Improvement or Casper. To this day, grown men and women can think back on those early tween days and smile at the fond memories of their favorite actors in denim-on-denim outfits.
But when was the last time you thought of your childhood crush as the fully-formed adult they are today? It's not quite the same, even if they've managed to age better than human fountain of youth himself Rob Lowe. So, in the nature of experimentation, we decided to gather nine willing participants and poll their reactions at the sight of their first famous loves. It won't always be pretty, but it will definitely be entertaining...
Zachary Ty Bryan
"It took me a full minute to contain my laughter before I could type this (sorry, Zachary). This face is not the one I fell in love with, but I am digging the darker hair. No more boyish charm to soften his features! But at least he still has nice eyes…"
Zac Hanson
"I definitely prefer my 1997 Zac Hanson with his Lords of Dogtown hair and skater style. The 2015 Zac Hanson with the layered hair and leather jacket just doesn't quite do it for me…"
Kirsten Storms
"Zetus lupetus! Even though she doesn't have those signature Zenon pigtails, she still makes my heart go boom boom."
Freddie Prinze, Jr.
"HOT DAMN! Sarah Michelle Gellar is one lucky lady. Who could have predicted he would become the silver fox he is today? And that smile! Good grief, he's a charmer! How does Sarah Michelle Gellar get anything done when he's around? Seriously, give the girl a medal—or better yet, give her a stake so she can drive it through my heart now that I'm finally ready to admit defeat and accept that he'll never be mine. (Too much? Eh, I'm sure you've heard worse.) Look, I've loved him since my mom took me to see my first rated R movie, I Know What You Did Last Summer. He stole my heart when he fell for the pretty girl with glasses in She's All That, and I even sat through Down to You on opening night. That's love! And though he's onscreen less and less, seeing his Twitter selfies is the next best thing. Because let's face it, my dear Freddie Prinze Jr., you're no longer a teen idol. You're a DILF now. Own it!"
Devon Sawa
"Not sure what happened to him, but the be-all, end-all was my 7-year-old self kissing the TV every time Junior from The Little Giants was onscreen (true story). I'm depressed because this pic is not warranting the same passionate computer screen kissing in this very moment. So, love is lost. :( #JuniorForTheWin"
"He looks like he has lived since Casper, know what I mean? He's got a rough-looking Jeremy Renner thing going on. And he's all buff now! Devon: you're still hot and you can be my Wormer any day of the week.
David Boreanaz
"Hoo-boy! Is it just me or is David Boreanaz still just as hot as he was in the Buffy years?! (That was rhetorical. It's not just me). If I had a locker, I'd tape this picture to the door and give it a finger kiss in-between classes. But since I'm an adult now…I'll just make him my desktop for the foreseeable future. #AngelAndBuffy4Ever"
James Marsden
"I loved him when he was Ricky on Second Noah and he is still a BABE today!"
Jonathan Taylor Thomas
"Randy! I loved you so much! Your baby blues, your olive skin, your tousled hair, and that smirk. He's still working with all those features, but somehow it is less appealing on a 33-year-old man. Note to self: Baby face on a baby, good. Baby face on a grown person: Not so good."