Monday, June 2, 2008

Jovi Mania


Did you ever have a crush on a celebrity? Of course you did! Doesn't everyone at one time or another? This week I had a new haircut and an offhand remark that it resembled a Jon Bon Jovi cut triggered off memories of my long-forgotten obsession with the Man when I was growing up. I positively drooled over him, his voice, his songs, his eyes, his cute butt... oops! am I drooling again? slurp!

Anyway, it started early; I think I was about ten when I fell head over heels in love with him. I have this old photograph of me clutching a poster of him when he still had that long, wild rocker hair; the poster belonged to U Hmingpuia (of Albatross fame), and the picture was taken in his room. I wonder if he'd ever admit to having a giant-sized poster of JBJ now, hehe.


This one-sided relationship continued to grow and flourish under my tender ministrations, and showed no sings of waning through
Slippery when Wet, New Jersey, Blaze of Glory, Keep the Faith and Crossroads, after which I kinda grew up and decided I was much too "mature" for such obsessions... or maybe I became too occupied with other things. But it was beautiful while it lasted. As a kid, I even prayed for him so he'd get to heaven when he died. My logic was that, since my chances of meeting up with him here on earth were practically nil, I figured heaven would be a good place to get to know him better; but knowing how these rockers lived, I feared he had a good chance of going to hell. Hence, those fervent prayers. I'm dead serious.

Once, there was a rumor that he'd died. There were always these rumors floating about in Aizawl in those times, and what with no cable TV or internet, there was no way of proving whether they were true or false. I actually had tears coursing down my cheeks when I heard that piece of (false) information. What a relief to finally realize it was just a bunch of lies fabricated by sadistic humans who had no better use for their time!
I also got into a near-serious fight with one of my sisters when, after watching me drool over him (this was post-cable TV) in a video, and she commented that he was knock-kneed. Such blasphemy! She must have been cross-eyed or something. I also valiantly stayed loyal through his not-so-stellar performances (now I can admit that) in the few movies he appeared in.

Anyway, the strange thing is, apart from him, I hardly ever went through the usual celebrity-crush thingy, except for a brief flirtation with tennis players Stefan Edburg and Andre Agassi. And I do realize now, that I couldn't have chosen a better rocker to idolize, because as far as rockers go, he seems to be a pretty decent chap. Look how long his marriage has survived, and how focussed he still is on his music. Last night I was on utube going through Bon Jovi videos... guys, the magic is still there! sigh!


Now, if only Jerusha and Father would teach me how to paste links on my blog, I would have ended this with a video "Bed of Roses" where he looks and sounds absolutely DELICIOUS! And then I would dedicate "Thank you for loving me" to V and all of you! Let's just say it's the thought that counts.


PS: Here's Thank you for loving me. And thank you, Jerusha!








































18 comments:

  1. Hepa hi chu ka sawi buai peih lo, a album ka nei kim ve biai.

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  2. 'Knock-kneed'...hilarious. I grew up on music that'd sport "Kill Bon Jovi" stickers on their guitars. But then again, these guys probably were green over his army of ardent fans, you included! But seriously, his voice? C'mon.

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  3. Love his voice and yes he is handsome and can carry-off any kind of looks. hairstyle..but not my type..

    My greatest crush was and is (:P) Joey McIntyre (NKOTB)...still love him..genuinely, honestly love him..hehehehe..still secretly collect his and NKOTB pics :)

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  4. Umm! hotupa amuana sawi ang hian keipawh ka sawibuai peihlo..hehehe. a hla ho hi chu ka nei tam ve ngang mai. Nikum Kristmas dawn khan youtube ah Elvis hla "Blue Christmas" tih a sakna youtube ah ka hmu chu a va thiam leh pek em. Mittui hnam kuangin ka ngaithla ta kha a ni a.

    Chutihlaiin thil danga an incheina te, an sam style etc.. hi chu ka hriat chinah tumah han entawn em em ka neih erawh ka hre ngai lo. A ni ve tawp mai..hehehe

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  5. As a kid, I even prayed for him so he'd get to heaven when he died. - I am at work, and I actually laughed out loud, causing a few heads to glance my way. But I can SOOOO relate to that! Whew, tet lai kha chuan, mi ngainat deuh (platonic or romantic) kha chu trawngtrai a vanram an kai dil thruai zel mai kha hna lian tak pakhat kha tling.

    And what's wrong with knock-knees? Keichu tlangval bawp sei deuh lian theng thung hi chu tlemin kan awm deuh se sekji ka ti! hehe

    He's handsome but his greatest uSP in my eyes will always be his butt :P

    youtube video post duh chuan a youtube video page a a sir a 'Embed' tih ami link kha I blog ah paste lut tops rawh.

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  6. Bon jovi hi a poetic ka ti, a hla thu hi a ril thei khop mai, mi lungleng a nih ka ring hrim hrim hepa hi chu. I tetlai leh lenlai ilo buaipui chu a awmlo hranlo e.

    Bon Jovi sawi takah chuan Bed of Roses a sak vang vang lai a,kan hostel tukverh atanga lung a han leng tak tak thin kha a ni.. Dry county tih kha ka duh leh tlat pek a...A nupui laka a rinawm tlatna te ngaihtuah chungin a hlasak Thank you for loving me tih hi churil tak a ni. Chutiang zelin a hladang pawh.... A tluk teuh ber chu Hotupa Puia hi nimai in ka hria :-)

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  7. Hello! I am so related to your post! I mean meeting Bon Jovi in heaven was enough reason to believe in heaven!LOL
    And not only is he handsome but most definately sexy!
    I am still a very devoted fan I have to admit. I don't have posters anymore, but I do have calendars. I started listening to them in 95 when like Philo said "kill Bon Jovi" was a cool moto. Grange didn't survive, music styles have gone and reappeared, but Bon Jovi is still here "standing tall". Their new single Whole lot of leaving, is my favourite now, it's very emotional.

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  8. @ Ehe! Pu chu...I see you're man enough to admit being a Jovi fan. Three cheers to you!

    @philo: You are so right, they prob'ly thought killing him was the only way they could get heard. Now they're the ones who disappeared, and he's (they're) still around, better than ever. Hah! Of course his voice! Don't you just d-i-e?!!

    @almost unreal...awww! To each his own I guess. Joey McIntyre? Isn't he a little umm..babyish? BUt great voice...the last time I heard him was on "Stay the Same"

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  9. @puia: Nangpoh maw? Yayy!! Nuam e! Ka nau chhiar a tan ka van it em,in thil ziah hi, min hmusit rei tawh lutuk a. Keipoh incheina tih velah phei hi chuan a tu amah hi ka copy hran lo, tuna ka haircut pawh hi 'a ang tep' an ti ringawt a nia!

    @jerusha: thanks for the tip. NOthing wrong with knock-knees, and in the "keep the faith" video, he does look a little knock-kneed. (it's taken me approx 12 years to admit that!) Prob'ly the fault of the camera ;)

    @sawmpuia: nia, in my great haste to publish the post, that's one of the things I forgot to mention... he is a great verse writer. I hate artists who compose great tunes and then spoil it all my using lyrics that don't make any sense. That way, I think he's in the same class as lennon, and dylan, esp his Blaze of GLory album.

    chuan IN hostel tukverh atang te chuan I zuang thla em lo maw? Bed of roses ni lo hian bed of thorns ah hian i zuk tla leh sia nga! Hotupa Puia zai hi in sawi teh sek a, ka va ngaihtla chak ve tawh ve mawle!

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  10. @seastone: Welcome, thou kindred spirit! When I was writing this post, I felt a little silly, but it's so great to have all of you writing in and 'confessing' to similar obsessions :) As I said, I don't have too much time anymore now, but my mom (bless her!) always shouts at the top of her lungs for me when she sees a bon jovi video being played! The sweetest part is she'll suffer through an entire Bon Jovi concert or interview when I'm not there, because she she says she feels guilty to let it go unviewed. (She does the same for my brother and his fascination with interminable cricket matches)

    thanks for the tip on their new single. I'm so out of it all, I don't even have that. Will download it asap.

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  11. I just came across your blog for the first time when I did a "Bon Jovi" search, and I HAD to leave a comment. I loved your post! I can totally relate to it. My friend and I used to kiss the TV when we were in 6th grade and Bon Jovi was on. We're now 33 years old and we still get together every now and then to watch old Bon Jovi footage. I recently bought a bootleg DVD online that had a bunch of old interviews from the band, and my friend and I stayed up until 1:00 in the morning drinking wine and reminiscing!
    Your comment about praying for him to go to heaven is hilarious, because I know just what you mean. My idea of the perfect heaven would be a place where you get to go and spend time with all the people that you never got to in "real life" (as well as all your loved ones).
    Thanks for the post! Loved it.

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  12. For me,its the voice and the lyrics...looks,not bad...but its the voice.This man can sing.

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  13. Rockstar teen crushes hihi. Been there, done that, got the tee shirt. One of my biggest crushes was on the Australian cricketer Simon O'Donnell. I just adored that guy to pieces.

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  14. @daydreamer...what a coincidence about our nicks sounding so similar! Thanks for the visit. Hi fives to you and your friend for staying true to Bon Jovi. Do visit again!

    @toy soldier: I know... the voice is just out of this world! btw, I peeked into your blog... nice work, keep it up!

    @calliopia: hehe, somehow I can't imagine you going gaga over anyone! But it's fun, isn't it? :)

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  15. Like Philo mentioned earlier, I grew up under the protective arms of my elder brothers (cousins) who had posters of bands sporting “Kill Bon Jovi” on their guitars and drums set. They would beat the crap out of me if I ever listen to what my cousin sisters were listening. They said a real man shouldn’t listen to Mush Jovi :-)

    But school days (hostel) changed all that when my Mizo seniors listened to a lot of Bon Jovi. Those were the days during the GnR, White Lion, Mr.BIG rave and one can’t really differentiate their music from Bon Jovi’s :-D

    The BJ song that had touched me the most was his first single “Runaway” and I can see why it remained on top of the charts for so many days. But speaking of crushes on rock stars... hmmm I never had a crush on BJ :-P

    My crushes those days were Tiffany (I think we’re alone now.... doesn’t seem to be any one else round....) Alannah Miles (Black Velvetttt) Belinda Carlisle (darling leave a light on for me, I'll be there before you close the door ) and Bangles (its just another manic mondayyyy)...

    Hehe actually if you take a look at your crush and my crush, they don’t differ much from each other in terms of looks, hair style, fashion statement, ornaments and even make-up!

    :-D

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  16. I've got to add this....my all time fav BJ's song is 'Come home for Christmas'..aaahhhhh, I can listen to this song and drool over and over again

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  17. Ummmmmm.....Keep The faith vel a a sam sityle kha chu nalh ka ti. Ka samah hian tih ve theih se chuan kan ti ve mai tur ania, inhmeh leh hmeh loh chu thuhran. Tleirawl chhuah hlim deuhin ka zuah ve e ka tia, a kir chi lo ni bawk nen, tum ang in ka nalh pui ta lova, rilru a BJovi etc an tum rilruk nak alaiin vai mistiri emaw te min lo ti rawl vei nen, ka met ta a, ka zuah leh ngai ta lo.

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  18. @Illusionaire: yeah, I used to be 'into' belinda carlisle, tiffany and the bangles too, coz my sisters were so crazy about them! Have you noticed how nowadays kids don't have "mass crushes" on anyone anymore? Everyone's become so individualistic...wonder if that's part of being 'progressive'.

    @ almost unreal: Have you seen the video of 'please come home for Christmas'? He uses as cindy crawford...its HOT! Love the way he sings it too.

    @amuan: heheheeeee! Vai mistiri? [:)] Bon Jovi nen chuan inhlat deuh em tak a nih chu mawle aw...

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