I blame the films ...

[blamebrampton]

SOME otherwise attractive, amusing and intelligent flistees of mine have been impugning the studliness of the lovely Arthur Weasley! And look, I get it, they're young. They have this thing in their heads that says 40+ is old and dull. I dare say that I thought that way, once. And the films do not help. Mark Williams is a fine character actor, but he is not the greatest looker in the world, and he does give the role a bit of a fuddy duddy edge.

But think about what we know of Arthur in the books: he has seven children, across ten-odd years, so clearly he goes like the clappers. His children are all attractive, with at least one, Bill, being wildly good looking. He's brave, having spent his twenties and then his forties battling the evil that is Voldemort even though he could easily have hidden behind his blood status. And he's romantic, falling in love with Molly and with Muggle tech, and with the idea of a better wizarding world.

When we meet him, he's 41, and at the close of canon, he's 48. I'm 43, and Mr Brammers is 41, George Clooney is 49. All eminently shaggable, let me tell you!

In conclusion, let me suggest that the films have given people a misleading mental image of Arthur Weasley, just as they have of thirtysomething Harry and Draco, and twentysomething James and Lily. Rather than thinking of the lovely but not so studly Mark Williams ...

think instead of 45-year-old David Wenham ...	or going-on-40-year-old Paul Bettany.

Admit it: you'd go there.

Comments

[ladyjaneva.livejournal.com]

Hmm, I've a thing for women around 40. I know a couple of them who I find very attractive. Would never propose or shag them though, I'd be way too insecure in comparison with their experience and wisdom.

Sean Connery when he was 65. Sounds totally sick to me, but good god he was great looking!

[catsintheattic.livejournal.com]

You convinced me on the spot. I'd pick David for Arthur any time!

The HP movie makers clearly have no concept about people older than 30. They weren't able to find age-appropriate actors for the Marauders generation and they weren't able to age the young actors in a way that would convince anyone over fifteen.

[lilian-cho.livejournal.com]

O HAI FARAMIR!

*licks*

He played such an evil jerk in Australia though ;_;

[symetric.livejournal.com]

oh Paul Bettany, *swoon*

i was introduced to him in A Knight's Tale and never looked back. also redheads are sexy as hell, and i am not picky; young/old has never been an issue.

[ex-oddishly.livejournal.com]

in. a. heartbeat.

They're both twice my age, I don't even care. Nghhhh!!! *g*

[shezan.livejournal.com]

MOAR Richard Armitage, in FEWER CLOTHES:

[shezan.livejournal.com]

... and without the ink...

[aldehyde.livejournal.com]

what a fantastic post :D

[tomatoe18.livejournal.com]

Well, Joachim Loew is 50 and you know how much I fangirl him, so David Wenham & Paul Bettany = ANYTIME! PHWOAR!

[why-am-i.livejournal.com]

DAVID WENHAM. I'd go there. *swoons* Where has he been, anyway? :(

I suppose, also, that I look at the fathers of friends who are my age and I think "father of my friend", which is a mutually exclusive concept with "shaggable". Ron Weasley is not technically my friend, on the basis that a) I've never met him and b) he doesn't exist, but his father, I think, suffers from the same syndrome as I've described above. Substitute David Wenham into the cast, however, and I might be forced to rethink...

[uminohikari.livejournal.com]

...Wait, doesn't he have red hair? /confused

[teganscrush.livejournal.com]

*claps for the over-40 set* I'd go anywhere on David Wenham that made him scream loudest :D

[thisgirl-is.livejournal.com]

I would totally go there.

The movies did such weird things with the adults' ages. Alan Rickman did a great job with Snape, but the fact is that he's nearly twice the man's age. I keep trying to find mental alternatives for a lot of them.

[grey-hunter.livejournal.com]

Paul Bettany is my grown-up!Draco, so fingers off! :D I could suggest Sean Bean instead but after LoTR, with the long hair, I would associate him more with young!Dumbledore. Uh, perhaps Dominic Keating?

[shu-shu-sleeps.livejournal.com]

As another highly shaggable 40+ person I have an opinion and I would have absolutley no problems shagging either Paul Bettany or David Wenham! And if we're talking hot older Englishmen, we mustn't forget the adorable Tony Head (not to mention Anthoy Andrews)! For the record I really like the actor playing Arthur Weasley and although he may not match up looks wise to the delectable Paul Bettany or the yummy David Wenham, he still has a lovely smile and eyes and they tend to grow on you.

[animeartistjo.livejournal.com]

Oh. Oh! You've ruined me! Because now there needs to be a recasting of Molly as well!

*fans self* Reminds me a bit of Viggo Mortenson. *blushes*

[lokifan]

I'd TOTALLY go there with Paul Bettany - nekkid Chaucer FTW!

*nodnod* Arthur's clearly a Viking in the sack.

[emerald-dragon8.livejournal.com]

Aw, Arthur is lovely! God, the man has to be doing pretty well to have had seven children! As for Paul Bettany...yum. Wimbledon was a truly trashy but truly addictive movie (and yes he has been in many other fine films, but that photo is right there and my mind is having trouble going to anything else!)

(And whenever I see David Wenham I just think "oh, it's Diver Dan! Awesome!")

[brinian.livejournal.com]

Admit it: you'd go there.
\
*ahem* uh...yeah...in a heartbeat!