Okay, probably inappropriate in the context of this discussion, but that’s what makes it so fucking funny.
When I was growing up I always wanted an older brother.
It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be the oldest child (which I didn’t but that’s another story) or that I wanted someone to look out for me (which I ended up with anyway cos the Bearded Baby Brother is scary when he thinks people are being mean to the Mumma and me).
It was because of one thing and one thing only…
Insta-Boyfriends!
Oh, c’mon. You all must of read Sweet Dreams, Sweet Valley Highs and Mills and Boons when you were growing up. It was like a golden rule:
Girl has older brother.
Brother has Friend.
Girl crushes on Friend.
Friend has a secret thing for Girl.
Conflict!
Drama!
Seduction!
Love!
Ending A –
Girl and Friend have a HFN.
Ending B –
The Big Misunderstanding!
5 – 20 years later Girl and Friend meet again.
Girl still crushes on Friend.
Friend still has a thing for Girl.
The Big M Conflict!
The Big M Drama!
Much older and wiser smexing!
Love (still, again or better – take your pick)!
Girl and Friend have a HEA.
See. There you go. If you had an older brother you were pretty much guaranteed a boyfriend, or in the case of an older sister a girlfriend.
The thing is now that I’m all growed up (ie less naive and more cynical, but still reading romance… yeah, work that one out) and am seeing this theme rehashed to death manifest itself in queer fiction I’m really wondering if it’s a romantic trope I find convincing.
I’m just not sure.
Of course, it could just be sour grapes.
What about you? Do do you think it’s a bunch of crap and would never happen in RL cos older sibling would be more likely to either (a) beat up the younger sibling or (b) beat up the friend? Or do you like the younger sibling/friend of older sibling pairing?
Kris + Books = Good. *Sometimes*. 
Well in all my years I don't know of anyone ho got together with an older sibs friend. Oh wait, I had neighbours who were sisters married to brothers but that's a bit different.
I know Kristen hangs out at Isabelle's and she has an older brother by 4 years and she thinks the idea is gross. LOL Maybe when she's older? I vaguely remember crushing on my friends' older sibs but nothing ever happened. It must somewhere though. Although it would probably feel weird to have your friend sleeping with your sib. An ewwwww factor like thinking about your parents having sex.
I love these story lines. Love them. I think it's probably because of the whole 'Sweet Valley High' thing.
I'm the eldest too but I did crush on some of my friends older brothers.
I have an older sister…. I did not like her friends and did not like mine. I hated her male friends because they would hit on me in front of my girlfriend….. yeah like I'd leave her for fat acne prone teenage boys LOL! Never read teenage books for girls…. I did read Amanda Quick and Johanna Lindsey (still have all their books) but I mainly stuck with PNW and Gordon Merrick.
tish
The fact that you mentioned Sweet Valley makes me bow down to your awesomeness.
As I am the eldest and a twin in my household I had no older brother to have insta boyfriends. Moving on, this story line/formula never gets old for me. Perhaps b/c I hard core crushed my gf's older brothers – wishing they would kiss me and that I had a clear complexion. What can I say I'm a sucker for Sweet Valley High romance.
PS Are you on twitter…?
My one friend had an older brother. He used to burn bugs. So not romance potential.
No elder siblings here either. ( I notice a pattern here).
But the boy from next door was awfully cute.
You see this lots and lots in yaoi. I quite like it.
Tam: Yeah, it's a bit different. That's interbreeding. 😉
“Although it would probably feel weird to have your friend sleeping with your sib.”
I wonder if that's why I'm staring to question the pairing; that is, the ewwww factor doesn't seem to be explored as much in the recent stuff. I mean when I was reading Sweet Dreams and SVHs etc it was all so deliciously teenage angsty. Hmmm. Will ponder.
Jen: We are such a product of our teens. LOL. It's exactly the same with the John Hugh's films and loving the jock and geek scenario. 🙂
Tish: Being young guys they prob'ly thought that you having a girlfriend was hot and wanted in on the action. *rolls eyes* Boys!
BTW, what is PNW??
PNW = Paricia Nell Warren.
My girlfriend at the time was more butch than those freaks LOL! Sorry, me and teenage boys don't mix. Never have never will… and the older I get the dumber they seem. LOL!
Smokinhotbooks: “The fact that you mentioned Sweet Valley makes me bow down to your awesomeness.”
Which I shall accept as my due. 😉 God, can you remember when Regina died of a drug overdose?? I sobbed my heart out.
You know it's really funny. Thinking back I don't think any of my friends in high school had older brothers, let alone older siblings. How weird. Maybe that's why I lived vicariously through Sweet Dreams and SVHs. LOL.
No, I haven't succumbed to Twitter yet. It's one of the few battles in avoiding tools of procrastination that I am determined to win! 🙂
Katiebabs chook: He's probably a serial killer now so good decision.
Ingrid: I'm beginning to think that we are all frustrated older sibling = insta-boyfrienders. LOL!
You're right it is a pairing that's often found in yaoi. I'd forgotten about that.
Tish: Thanks for clarifying PNW, and I'm really hoping that your kids are girls… for their sakes more than yours. 😉
I, too, always wanted an older brother. Not for the same reason, though. I wanted a trusted confidant, a mentor, a protector — all the things I never found in a freakin' husband (grumblecussgrumble).
Yep all girls…. I put my order in beforehand 😉 and hairy man who is folding laundry and watching house liked the idea LOL!
(I did tell him we could adopt a boy as long as he was fabulous… we almost got to but as we weren't gay they turned us down at the last minute… and the lad is still in foster care. We are going to try again as soon as the bubbie is 2 yrs. He will be turning 14 by then)
So Kris, would you be squicked out if I had sex with your baby brother? LOL Do you have any pictures? Should I be working on this? 😛 I kid, I kid, but hey, I could be your SIL, I could have another Mumma. Damn, introduce us. Does he cook? Clean? If not, forget this whole conversation.
KZ: I really lucked out. My bearded baby brother is all those things to me, especially confidant and protector. I've bragged about him before on this site, but I'll say again that I'm constantly amazed, grateful and inspired by the way that he accepts everything about me. He is The Shit. 🙂
Tish: Your hubby creates girls to order?? Awesome. 😉 The rules associated with adoption can be such poo when all couples want is to give the child a home. *sigh*
Tam : Craddle robber!! LOL. He cooks and cleans and I'd even share my Mumma for you. Plus I'd get to boss Kristen around so all would be golden in my world. 😉
You'll find a piccie of him here: http://krisngoodbooks.blogspot.com/2009/02/bragging.html#comments
Well you know I like em young. 😀 Could we work on the facial hair thing?
Tam: You shock me. *rolls eyes*
Nup, the beard stays cos I like him with it so I'm gonna give you the flick on his behalf. 😉
I have an older brother. You can have him :). Plus all his druggie skeezy friends that he had growing up. Now his friends are a little higher quality but to date? Um, no. I think I'd rather be celibate or go lesbian.
I really think the older brother friends' theme only exists in romance novels. I also cant help rolling my eyes every time I see it.
Gee, Kassa, you sure know how to tempt a girl. *snort*
“I really think the older brother friends' theme only exists in romance novels.”
That's certainly the impression I'm getting. But surely there must be someone out there who has had a, hopefully happy, Friend of a Sibling experience? Someone??
*thinks of older brother's friends*
*shudders*
Dear God. I'm beginning to lose all hope here.
Ah! I have two older brothers, but really, in this instance they count as one because they're so close of age that they ended up having the same friends. Anyhoo, yes, I had a crush on one of their buddies (one! out of how many… this insta-boyfriends thing doesn't seem to work) but unfortunately at first I was simply the shy kid sister of his friends (a stripping 18 years old noticing an awkward 14 years old? I don't think so), and later he got ensnared by an evil witch who put a spell on him and tricked him into marriage 😛 Were it not for her knowledge of the vile occult arts I would of course have won his favours… *snort* yeah of course! 😉
I like the theme, but I've never seen it work in RL.
Sara, finally!! But he was stolen from you. How disappointing. 😦
Never fear because one day your crush will discover the spell casted upon him by the evil witch and will shake free of her enthrallment. On the run from her, he will run back to his friends and find you. You will shelter this long lost love of your life and, although now distrustful of women, he will fall for your sweetness and loyalty. In the end will realise that it is only through twu luv that he will be forever free from the evil witches clutches, but does he have the courage to love again??
I'd read that. 🙂
I love the “best friend's older sib” (and “older sib's best friend”) storyline. SHUT UP, you cynical old hag. Don't ruin it for me!
*puts fingers in ears* Lalalalaaalala!
BTW, I'm disappointed this wasn't a twincest post. 😦
@Jen – it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL it's not true it doesn't happen in RL
Jen, you write it and I'll post it. 🙂
Whew. Thanks. Thought you were crushing my dreams there.
You must have mistaken me for someone else.
Piping in to say that my brother beat me up – unless someone else was and then he beat them up instead. And his friends were fucktards and I wouldn't have dated a one of them.
Back to bed.
Jen, with the info from Tracy – who's too sick to have got out of bed in the first place! – I'd say your dreams were well and truly crushed.
Gee, that's too bad, isn't it.
Well, my brother is four years younger and all his friends are dorks, so I wouldn't have gone there either. 😛
But I still like it in a story! And I did have crushes on many of my friends' older brothers. Actually…probably most of them. O.o
*throws hands up* I give up! Nothing will dash those damned stubborn hopes of yours!
I don't have an older brother, and I don't know anyone who has, so know idea if the trope works in real life.
*off to read the comments to see if it does* *grin*
Orannia, it doesn't. So very disappointing.
“Twincest” SHIT NO!!!!!!
Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never, ad infinitum!!!!!!!
*snort* Mumma's a twin and her brother a fucktard if you hadn't guessed.
Mumma, Jen's talking boy twins so you can stop being skerrit.
Oh…… okay then…..
(mumblethankyouGodmumble)