Monsieur Monday {Sam Seaborn}

There has been much discussion recently about how certain articles of media (Twilight much?) are negatively influencing female expectations in men and love. Yes, I have read all the Twilight books. More than once. I strongly recommend them under the following circumstances
a. Girls who have missionaries. These books come in handy when the most action you are getting is a quote from the church's leadership handbook (true story)
b. Getting through finals. During finals every year at BYU I would read a few pages of Twilight or Pride and prejudice before going to bed to help me decompress, destress and fall asleep happy.

If you ask me, we can do better than Edward Cullen. Edward has a look of malnourishment, an odd habit of being simultaneously overpossessive AND prone to abandonment, and could never go to Disneyland in the day, which is a major flaw. If there is a fictional character who has set the bar waaayyyy high, it is Sam Seaborn from the West Wing. Allow me to enlighten:
1. Sam looks like this (courtesy of Rob Lowe's face)

 2. Sam grew up in Orange County California, my favorite place in the whole world.
3. Sam went to Princeton before attending DUKE LAW SCHOOL. Oh how I love Duke. Love love. He was on the Duke law review for the record.
4. Sam is a brilliant writer (see previous Monsieur Monday post on how this is a major turn on in my culture), this is one of my favorite things that Sam Seaborn writes

"The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight. They're our students and our teachers and our parents and our friends. The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and we're reminded that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes. We will do what is hard. We will achieve what is great. This is a time for American heroes and we reach for the stars."

5. Sam is known for maintaining the perfect balance intelligent idealism.
6. Sam is extraordinarily passionate about the things he believes in, from pennies and education to Gilbert and Sullivan. Even better, he is passionate about Nerdy things. I love him.
7. Sam is ambitious and doesn't mind working hard and earning an attractive salary (at one point he works for Gage Whitney, major law firm) but this doesn't affect his ideological innocence.
8. Sam rocks at basketball. And considering he grew up in Laguna Beach, I am confident he excels at golf as well.
9. Sam is fiercely loyal, which I think is perhaps my favorite quality.
10. Sam would love Disneyland and the story of Walt Disney. Sam believes in the American Dream, that creativity and ingenuity will always win.

Yes, my perception of reality is significantly skewed. But when the source of skew is Sam Seaborn, I don't ever want to go back.