Can't buy me love

Once upon a time, in 1987, I took my younger brother L. (not to be confused with my other brothers, L., L., and L. or my sisters, L. and L. or my mother, L., or me, Lingual) to see a double feature at the local movie theater. I was desperate to go and couldn't stand to go to movies alone, hence the brotherly invite. He was 6, I think. Did I mention the desperation?

Anywho, the first movie was something utterly forgettable that I now seem to think was "Adventures in Babysitting" but I'm really not sure. The second movie, however, marked the beginning of a love affair of epic proportions for me. The movie was "Can't Buy Me Love" and that night Patrick Dempsey won my everlasting affection. The premise of the movie appealed to gawky, nerdy me: a smart kid who tricks the popular kids into making him popular, only to almost fall victim to the same shallow-mindedness that separated them in the first place. The most memorable scene is still the day he learns how to dance by watching a PBS documentary on tribal dances and manages to convince the gym full of kids that this is a cool new dance style. Classic.

But what, or should I say who I loved more was Dempsey himself. Because he was so patently geeky. Because his being popular was so implausible. Because he fell so heavily for the in crowd once he was in. Because he was clever and smart and eccentric and odd and misguided and mowed lawns, for crying out loud! Because he was, in a word, cute. Like I said, it was love at first viewing, and I have followed his checkered career ever since. So I am a long-time fan, as you can see, from his early break-out role days through his somewhat B-movie days ("With Honors," anyone?) to his better movie days ("Sweet Home Alabama") through his many TV guest spot days ("Will and Grace, "Once and Again," "The Practice"). Yet I still wonder: when was the precise moment Dempsey became sexy? Because, for all his antics and earnestness back then, he was not sexy by any definition. Yet now? People magazine sexy. Cover of many magazines sexy. Sighing female fans sexy. Carrying a show based on his sex appeal sexy. And much as I love him, I don't get it. What happened to the earnest, intelligent cute factor? Could we resurrect a little of that and perhaps ditch some of the head-cocked-to-one-side-as-indicator-of-sexiness? Shonda? Please? Thanks!