This is a picture of the man I wanted to marry when I was fifteen-years-old.  My love was unrequited.  His current 40-something-year-old self is holding a photo of his 20-year-old self.

The man is Willie Aames who played one of the brothers on Eight is Enough.  He was the middle brother sandwiched between the handsome hunky older brother and the uber cute younger brother.  There was a soccer player at McLean High School who somewhat resembled Willie and I had an unrequited crush on him as well just because of the resemblence.  I apologize 20 years later for following you around Mike G.  You looked good in shorts.

So much of my love is unrequited ;0)  My first husband was however named David and had a strong resemblence to the actor Grant Goodeve who played the hunky older brother (on his good days when he was cleaned up)  so I did all right.

Anyway Willie is broke and broken down. You can read all about it at this incredibly long URLwhich I should know how to link.

http://www.popeater.com/2009/11/04/willie-aames-broke-and-famous/?icid=main|main|dl4|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.popeater.com%2F2009%2F11%2F04%2Fwillie-aames-broke-and-famous%2F

He now of course has a reality show called Broke and Famous.  I have not seen it as my reality viewing is limited to American Idol, Amazing Race, Project Runway, and my beloved Design Star (I now crush on Antonio) which is more than enough for anyone.  However, Broke and Famous seems somewhat derivative of another reality show starring one of Willie's former colleagues called Scott Baio is Forty and Still Single.  Those reality producers in Hollywood must stay up late at night coming up with names for their shows.

I did not watch the Baio show.  However, I was woken up by a somewhat tearful phone call from a male friend and former co-worker who did watch the show in the wee hours of one morning. My friend was single, 40, and perpetually running through girlfriends as such a man living in Miami with access to college co-eds might be wont to do.  My friend was watching the Baio show and had convinced himself he would die childless, alone, and unloved.  He was also furious that Baio did not see the loveliness that was a long-suffering blonde girlfriend willing to listen to endless tales of Charles in Charge.  My heartless advice to the friend was to sober up by drinking some coffee, to stop watching Scott Baio is Forty and Still Single, and to be nicer to the lovely artist from Argentina he had been dating.

I am not broke nor famous but much more likely to become the former rather than the latter.  So I do not think I can watch Willie's show.  That and it will really really hurt to see my childhood love reduced to cranky old man  on a humiliating reality show.

Willie.  I am so sorry. You once co-starred in a movie with Phoebe Cates. Those were the days my friend . . . .