A number of other posters did, in fact, say things like that.
It is long, and I vaguely remember some of those, but I did not know so many- thanks.
My memories when I was six are pretty hazy, a trip to Disneyland, that’s about it.
I have some distinct (though very brief, and entirely visual) memories going back to before my third birthday, which my parents have verified based on my descriptions of the house we were living in then – we moved to a new house just before I turned 3.
By the time of kindergarten (age 5), I have quite a few memories. But, in talking with others, and doing reading on the subject, it seems like I’m probably somewhat of an outlier in how far back my memories go.
I only chose six for my comment as a random low age, but for me the earliest crushes I can recall I would’ve been 8yrs old I think. Aside from Kristy McNichol who I mentioned earlier there were also half the girls on the 1970s Mickey Mouse Club that piqued my interest, all age-appropriate I think. I didn’t pay much attention to adult actors like Daisy Duke or Leela on Doctor Who until much later.
I mean, yeah I remember going to kindergarten and early grades- but other than teachers amazed at how well I could read- and how bad my handwriting was- I remember nothing other than short flashes. I watched TV, sure, but what shows?
As I think about it, I know that I “liked” Betty Aberlin (Lady Aberlin on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood) when I was 5 or 6, but I’m not sure it was a crush, per se.
Jaime Sommers (Lindsay Wagner), on the other hand, was absolutely a crush, when I was 10. I remember being infatuated with her when she was on The Six Million Dollar Man, and being devastated when the character was killed off – little did I know, at that time, that they were going to resurrect her!
80 years old today.
Barbara Gordon (Yvonne Craig), in the '60s Batman show.
Laurie Partridge (Susan Dey), in The Partridge Family.
One of them, anyway.
Married. Alas,
So I’m a raging heterosexual all my life and liked older women. She’s only 15 years older. Not 24
I also don’t know for sure. I just am thinking back to the earliest crushes I remember. I think either Irma from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the Chipette with glasses from the cartoons, apparently named Jeanette Miller.
I also remember having a thing for Gadget from Chip 'n Dale’s Rescue Rangers and Kimberly, the pink Mighty Morphin Power Ranger.
I am shocked, shocked to find no one has mentioned Mary Ann yet!
I was pretty surprised about that when I mentioned her in post 45.
And apparently @BigT and I are the only ones who’ve named Gadget Hackwrench.
Kathy Coleman (Holly on Land of the Lost)
Kristy McNichol (Buddy on Family)
Judy Strangis (Dyna Girl on Electra Woman and Dyna Girl)
Valerie Bertinelli (Barbara on One Day at a Time)
Jan Smithers (Bailey on WKRP)
Lara Jill Miller (Sam on Gimme a Break)
Then I guess I aged out of the TV crush thing. Until 1990 and Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey on Twin Peaks).
Princess Leia from Return.
I had a lot of TV crushes as a kid. Not sure what the first one would have been. Since this thread has gone on awhile I can just quote the ones that match:
One who hasn’t been mentioned yet who I had a big crush on was Dana Plato on Diff’rent Strokes. So sad how her life spiraled and ended too young.
Reading through this thread, I’m seeing that, as a kid, I sort of had a pattern of crushing on ‘nice, girl next door’ types. Later on, as I got older and my tastes changed, watching reruns I began to crush on more strong, confident types of female characters like Lynda Carter’s or Diana Rigg’s characters.
Keith Partridge & Johnny Gage
You hyphenated her, so she didn’t show up in my search. Sorry about that!
If you had crushes on both Emma Peel and Kitty Forman, at least you’re being age approptiate.
I came across an instagram post by David Lee Roth where he addressed this question. His first fictional crush (he used a slightly more colorful term) was Wilma Flinstone.