Looking Too Closely at Teen Heartthrobs

This isn't even a story. It never was. But some bored writer somewhere picked up a disgruntled whisper from the New Moon set and ran with it. Suddenly the world thinks that Robert Pattinson doesn't shower. That he stinks. As does his crazy unwashed hair. That he's embracing the '90s-era-Depp

strategy of "I will put effort into being non-hot."

Too bad it's a lie. And that he has yet to step foot on the Vancouver set. And that the gross hair is the result of goopy hair products. And that we live in an era where the rich and famous must publicly announce that they do, indeed, bathe.
Story #1: Debunked.

And then there's Efron, everyone's favorite High School Musical player. After Hairspray, he turned down a recording contract. And now he's stepping away from the highly anticipated Footloose remake. Because he doesn't want to be Kevin Bacon. Or a Jonas Brother. He wants to be a serious actor.
(Um, who wouldn't want to be Kevin Bacon?!)

And serious actors aren't perfectly coiffed pretty boys. Hence his strategically placed shaggy mop, the sloppy beanies, and, thanks to the zoom lenses of eager paparazzi, the earwax buildup.

Do we need to know this? Should we care? No. But when photographers start pelting him with Q-Tips outside a Hollywood restaurant, we suddenly need an explanation.

Story #2: Unnecessary.

Leave our boys alone, folks. Showered or non, they're doing something right. Soap and Q-Tips are not needed when you're hot among 15-year-old girls. You only need to, A, suck blood, or, B, sing a ditty on the basketball court.

Nadine Bells, Pop Goes The Culture
		About the author:
		A seasoned Toronto-based writer, Nadine has scattered her musings on entertainment and lifestyle throughout cyberspace. With a post-grad in TV Writing and Producing (she grew up without cable and had to compensate by embracing a television addiction later in life), she offers pop-culture fixes and celebrity scoops exclusive to WOMAN.ca. Her non-writing life features late nights at the piano, eavesdropping at the gym, reenacting scenes from Top Chef in her tiny kitchen, and other quarter-life adventures.
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