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Friday, January 21, 2011

Fixing that Wounded Hero and admitting Michele B was right...

Good morning!

I'm taking a short break from my insane writing pace to talk about one of my favorite things.  Rick Springfield and the Romantic Wounded Hero with a Past.

Wait, that's two favorite things.

Math was never my strong suit.  I wrote a lot of short stories in Algebra class. 

First of all, I recently finished reading Rick Springfield's autobiography "Late Late at Night."

Let me start by saying, I'm definitely his target audience, so OF COURSE  I'm going to love it.  But I loved this book for a couple specific reasons other than that I'm a fan and would read his grocery list if I could.

1) He actually wrote it.

No ghost writers here...this is one celeb who can string together a paragraph very well.  There's very little polish.  This is Rick, speaking from his heart.  Warning to those of you who haven't read it and plan to:  The language is very, very explicit.  Keep this out of reach of the wee ones!

2)  He pulls no punches and doesn't try to make himself look good.

Those who have followed the public image of Rick will probably be more than a little stunned to read his detailed accounts of...well pretty much everything from drug use to sex on the road, to attempted suicide.  He doesn't justify a thing, and takes responsibility for his actions.  His unblinking honesty is heartbreaking at some points.  As someone who has a family history of emotional and mental illness and as someone who battles depression, this memoir broke my heart and gave me hope.

3)  My hero has feet of clay, and a gassy dog.  Sound familiar?

Wow...I started writing "Dream in Color" six years ago.  At that time I knew I wanted an aging teen idol, someone who might have something dark in his closet.  For those of you who have read it, yes, obviously, Jesse is inspired by Rick.  But reading this memoir, I was stunned at just how close the two were.  (Seriously, I know Rick has a copy of "Dream."  I'm starting to fear that restraining order!  LOL!)  Yes, right down to the gassy dog.  Egads! 

4)  I have a whole new hero...and she's awesome!

Through the entire memoir there is one shining light, Rick's wife, Barbara.  This woman should be awarded medals or something!  I've long looked at the broken state of marriage in our society and wondered if anyone bothers to stay true to their marriage vows.  Barbara Porter Springfield (Springthorpe) is the image of a wife determined to keep her marriage and her family intact.  I always figured it was hard being married to a public figure, especially a rock star, whose entire world revolves around general hotness. 

Which brings me to the point of my blog today:  The wounded hero we all want to fix.  Call him what you will, every woman I know has a fantasy that includes healing the wounded hero.  Taming the bad boy.  Fixing the deeply misunderstood golden hearted bastard.  Romance novels are silly with this theme.  Shoot, I'm writing one right now.  (Only, since I have a deep need to explore the dark side of every character, my heroine isn't exactly a fresh summer peach.)  We as women are obsessed with movies that involve that bad boy  (Johnny Depp, Russell Crowe anyone?) and how we can make him love us.

As writers, we love to create the hero who isn't really a hero until he realizes he's madly in love with his heroine...and that heroine as we all know is always a younger, thinner, prettier, more talented version of ourselves.  (Okay, Michele B, you were right and I admit it now!  I AM RAMONA!  Happy?)  And there's nothing wrong with that.  Sorry, but the Beta male is going to lose in novels.  The good guy marries the girl in real life, if the girl is smart, but never in the novels.

So I applaud you, Ms. Barbara Porter.  You are my new hero because you've stuck to your vows in the face of stunning betrayals. you give the rest of us out here working on marriage inspiration to keep going, to never give up. 

And the rest of you...go read Rick's memoirs.  And oh, then go read Dream in Color!

Meanwhile, I'm back to work!

12 comments:

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  2. It's my blog and I'll delete comments made anonymously when I think they are not so nice. If you sign your name I'll leave the comment whether I agree with it or not. Stand by your words my friends, or don't post them here. Thanks!

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  3. I also recently read this book after finally seeing this very talented man in concert. I have since often wondered how Barbara hasn't succumbed to feeling like she wasn't good enough. (I don't think that, but have often felt that way myself...having had a spouse with a lapse of judgement.) Now that is something I would like to read about...how to stay strong and have a happy ending!

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  4. I think she is an insecure women that doesn't know how to make it in the real world!!! However on the other hand why would she leave all that money and fame.... Once the trust is broken it's very hard to get it back!! I know she had to be one miserable person for a long time....
    E

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  5. You want feed back from his book then when someone post the truth you remove it... You know Damn well Barbara Porter had to be miserable during the times he was cheating on her.... That would only make her human

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  6. I have been on both sides in relationships... both the cheater & the one being cheated on--both sides are brutal. In my experience, infidelity has never been the sole result of a "bad" relationship, but more often than not, a personal conflict within oneself. Barbara hasn't written a memoir, so we don't know what she was going through or feeling during those times. It could be...knowing Rick as a person & not a rock star...that she loved him enough to see past him acting out his angst and saw through to the heart & soul of a man just needing acceptance She not only accepted Rick for the broken person he was, but believed & loved the man he could be...the man he eventually became. People are too quick to say 'you're not giving me what I need' and give up. True strength of character is seeing a person with all their faults & choosing, daily, to love and believe in them anyway. Most relationships that have lasted 30 years have had to endure hurt, heartache & infidelity. God bless Rick & Barbara Springthorpe and their children...we should all strive to be more loving & forgiving. AND...ROCK ON RICK F'n SPRINGFIELD... YOUR FANS LOVE YOU!!! Always have...always will.
    ~Kim Carney

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    1. Hi Kim! Thank you for your reply, and thank you for actually saying what you think and standing by your words by signing your name. Well Done, and well said!

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  7. As a fan of Rick Springfield since 1981, I read his memoirs and laughed with him and cried with him. It touched me to the depths of my soul. If anything, I am even more of a fan. The man is honest with his emotions and shares a story of true triumph! He just gets better with age, and his new CD is the best one in a long time, and that's not meant to criticize his other work. I just saw him 2 weeks ago on opening night of his tour in Nashville, and he's better than ever!! Ms Bradley, you have a wonderful writing style! I'm headed to Amazon to purchase 'Dream in Color' right now!

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  8. Good morning Ms. Raper! I agree with you completely on the memoir. I came late the Rick Springfield fan base, not really calling myself a full hearted fan until "Rock of Life" came out. (My novel "Dream in Color" was inspired by the song of the same name from that album.) I have seen him in concert many times, although when I saw him in Nashville a few years ago, that left an impression on me. Thanks for commenting! Enjoy!

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  9. Good morning Ms. Raper! I agree with you completely on the memoir. I came late the Rick Springfield fan base, not really calling myself a full hearted fan until "Rock of Life" came out. (My novel "Dream in Color" was inspired by the song of the same name from that album.) I have seen him in concert many times, although when I saw him in Nashville a few years ago, that left an impression on me. Thanks for commenting! Enjoy!

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