Afternoon Inquisition
AI: Critical Crushes
Last week we established that most of you don’t have uncritical crushes, and differentiate “wanting to do someone” from “having an uncritical crush”.
To make it easier,or harder, as the case may be, which skeptics take your fancy?
I know, I know…Neil DeGrasse Tyson and the skepchicks. (Hey, that sounds like a cool band!)
Who is your critical crush?
The Afternoon Inquisition (or AI) is a question posed to you, the Skepchick community. Look for it to appear daily at 3pm ET.
I will beat Amy and Maria to the punch (Neener neener!) and say, (as I know this will be a COMPLETE surprise), but my skeptical crush belongs to Dr. Steve Novella.
And Desiree, from the local radio show here in Edmonton, Skeptically Speaking. She’s amazing as well.
My narcissism tells me I have a crush on my skeptical self.
I’m a lucky dog because I got to marry my skeptical crush.
*awwwwwwwwwwwwwww*
First . . .
Tyson and the Skepchicks
Comet tails and regolith picks
Buzzed Aldrins are their drinks
Smart, sharp skeptic blog
You’re invited, come along
Hurry hurry
A skeptic crush? Bonnie Bassler.
@Skept-artist: Me too!
After watching those creation museum videos, I have a pretty serious crush on William Bowman! :D
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2009/08/the_whole_experience.php
Julianne Moore. I like redheads.
George Hrab is my crush, all the way. Can’t wait to meet him at TAM next year!
I wish I knew more skeptics in my area, but I’m not sure Oklahoma has many – another reason I’m looking forward to TAM!
@CelticGoddess1326: There’s an Atheist Meetup in Oklahoma City, if that helps.
http://atheists.meetup.com/144/
Last week I discovered that Keanu Reeves was an atheist, so there ya go. Dude.
Lately it has been Kat Arney from The Naked Scientists but I don’t technically know if she is a skeptic.
BTW, the whole Naked Scientist gang (Chris, Kat, Ben, Dave, etc.) would be very good guests for TAM8. They are extremely good at communicating science.
Well, if I don’t count several of the Skepchicks, then I’m pretty much left with Eugenie Scott. Life is good.
I’m a bit shy to answer this question, because several of my skeptical crushes are skepchicks/commenters, and suddenly I’m a 14-year-old kid again. I keep thinking to myself, “But what if they know it’s me???”
Does Pamela Gay read this blog? I hope not. Is Ann Druyan off-limits because we all love Carl Sagan?
Spock. Since I was about 12. And, more recently, James May from Top Gear. I’m a wierdo.
So many skepchicks, so little time…
Agree with daedalus2u. Besides, it’s frowned upon to have crushes when you’re married. ;-)
Teller.
Marilove hasn’t popped up here yet, so I might be scooping her, but – Eddie Izzard. :)
I do skeptical crushes, but they’re either married or too far away. They’re just for fun.
My skeptic crushes go a little like this,
listing a few though sure there are others I missed.
Starts with George Hrab playing me tunes,
stargazing with Pamela Gay at a distant galaxies’ moons,
carr2d2 because she has my heart,
jillus & amy because they’re sweet and do amazing art,
Elyse for her laugh and being a true friend,
Maria for her love of a moppy-haired American God man,
last but not least rebecca for unicorns and her shoes,
i love all those written above as there is not just one I can choose.
~
Amanda Peat – ’cause she told Jenny McCarthy to stick it where the sun don’t shine … well … sorta.
My husband knows that I crush on Adam Savage :D
Do fictional people count?
Oh, and let me add Brian Brushwood to my list!
The barmaid in “jesusandmo.net” cause she’s never on screen and all things are still possible.
Gillian Anderson and Jodie Foster
It’s Kari Byron from Mythbusters for me.
@Tressa
Seconded.
Tim Minchin!!
Kari Byron and all of the skepchicks, Amanda Peet but Amanda is a bit of a cheat, I crushed on her before I knew I was a skeptic or she was one. Pamela Gay. I crush on women’s minds so so many of the women who comment here have triggerd the crush reaction. I’m a hopleless clever chaser.
The Skepchicks.
Abbie Smith
Pamela Gay
Kari Byron
Laci Green.
Among others, smart sciency girls are so attractive…
@Skept-artist: Same here. I can’t remember whether I knew explicitly that she was skeptical before I fell in love with her or not, so maybe it was an uncritical crush at first.
I have a big ol’ mancrush on Steven Pinker. That mind! That jaw! That Jewfro!!!
Alison Smith who works for the JREF and founded SAPS (Skeptical Analysis of the Paranormal Society).
GUITAR WOLF!
Oh, and Squatchypants.
@PeteSchult:
Yeah, I took pause before I typed for the same reason, but then realized that we became skeptical together and with encouragement from each other.
And to me, that’s the best!
Haven’t seen many pictures so going by sexy voices it would have to be Pamela Gay from Astronomy Cast and Swoopy from Skepticality, in that order!
It’s not so much a “crush” per se, but when Carl Zimmer came through Boston to give a talk promoting his Microcosm book, he was so gosh darn happy, and he brought along his plush toy E. coli. . . . I just wanted to give the man a great big skepti-hug!
I think I’ve used up my crush energy on targets which I haven’t yet taken enough Vicodin to confess, so I don’t have anything else to say.
@Joshua:
Because LOVE KNOWS NO NATIONALITIES, BORDERS OR GENDERS!
@Jill:
Darn you Jill…you beat me to him at our skepchick top-o-the-stair meeting too!
Tiss true… I have a (purely innocent) big ol’ skepti-crush on Dr. Steven Novella. His super-smart brain is just dreamy. Sigh.
Am I really the first one to name Danica McKellar? I thought she was darn cute as Winnie Cooper and unbelievably hot now.
@Briarking:
True, but I can’t get a crush on someone I’m sexually intimidated by.
I mean, I would want to cuddle with Pamela Gay after drinks at the local bar’s Trivia Night and 4 hours of conversation.
Danica McKellar: I would….do things with her. unspeakable things.
I know alot of people are saying Danica McKellar and all or some of the skepchicks, and I do agree with that. However, I’ve always had some what of a crush on Sarah Vowell, I’ve seen and heard many interviews with her, and she’s very funny, smart, and seems like my type. Besides, I wouldn’t have a shot with Danica or Rebecca
I know Amanda Peet supports getting children vaccinated but that alone doesn’t make me consider her a skeptic.
George Hrab. DJ Grothe. Tim Minchin.
Okay, straight now.
Alison Smith.
Tim Minchin and Eddie Izzard, obviously, because what’s not to love about smart funny men who look good in eyeliner?
I refer to Phil Plait as my platonic internet crush (though I’ll have to revise that, having met him) because even though astronomy isn’t my thing, he makes it interesting. And he is awesome.
Eugenie Scott I swear I can listen to her talk all night.
Would John Hodgman and John Oliver from The Daily Show count? Wickedly sarcastic gets me every time ;)
I’ll add to the Eddie Izzard love, and raise it with Stephen Fry (yeah, I know…) :D
Otherwise, in the fictional realm, I love Phil and Lem on “Better Off Ted”. Maybe because I’ve known so many guys like that…
I’ll add Eugenie Scott to my list when her hair is silver again. It reminds me of Storm from the X-Men.
I’ve developped a crush on Jennifer Oulette over at her Cocktail Party Physics blog.
I’ll also admit a man crush on Steven Pinker. “How the Mind Works” was THE book that put me on this path in the first place and I refer to his ideas all the time.
Sam Harris = HAWT.
For all you Pinker fans, he will be speaking at my university in March. Free lecture, open to the public, etc.
Even as an unimaginatively straight guy, I can’t let this thread rest without a vote for either David Tennant or Hugh Laurie. They might not be highly skeptically active, but they’ve both been outspoken in their woo-bashing before.
Looking down the list so far, the one that most made me perk up and go “Ooh, yes” was Steven Pinker. And, I mean, Tim Minchin goes without saying. Obviously.
Just to reiterate, very straight guy here. Yep. I love the ladies. Oh yeah.
Ahem.
My critical crush is, no kidding, my wife, Amanda. She has the perfect critical approach. She is always nice about it, yet will not compromise on the skeptical baseline.
Well, Brad Pitt now!! And Amamda Peet, of course. Adam Savage, Kari Byron, George Hrab, Phil Plait, Les Stroud, Kelly O’Connor…
I don’t have any…
Rebecca Watson
Hmm, a lot of the above… as well as my boyfriend… and Jon Stewart.
Mmmmm Jon Stewart….
Also, not my crush but just found out Brad Pitt is skeptically minded as well!
Phil Plait and Swoopy for me…
@Bjornar: I kind of figured that went without saying… :-)
@Kaylia_Marie: Mmmmm, save some for me, too!
V.S. Ramachandran would be at the top of my list!
David Tennant is a skeptic? Ah, lovely. I’ll have one of those, please.
you
For me, it’s Kari Byron, just because she’s so f*ckin’ cute and, tho she is not trained as a scientist, is clearly both intelligent and adventurous (two characteristics that make me horny, baby! Yeah!). She also makes Mythbusters less of a testosterone-infused sausagefest.
http://www.karibyron.com/
“Less artsy, more fartsy!”
Apparently there was some discussion recently on sexism and objectification of women…?