My Jordan's name was Steve

There is a Jordan Catalano in every high school. The hot, broody guy who never gets upset and either plays sports or guitar. He drives a car that he knows how to fix if it breaks down, he has lots of hair that falls casually in his face when he's thinking too hard, he smokes, he knows how to lean against lockers just so, and he doesn't give a damn about your authority when he wants to skip school to go to the beach and surf. And every single girl in the school, whether she admits it or not, is madly in love with Jordan Catalano.

Oh sure, you can tell yourself that Brian Krakow is the guy. He's nice, he's funny and he really gets you. You don't have to work too hard with Brian. There's no sense of danger, no reason to worry because Brian will always be there. Nobody else appreciates how awesome he is, and really, he is awesome. I swear. He's got personality, you just gotta see it. And nice eyes. He has nice eyes. I'm not kidding.


Most of us try Brian Krakow. Many of us end up marrying Brian Krakow. Hell, you might actually be Brian Krakow, and that's okay because Brian wins in his own way. He's in this for the long haul, when the girl finally gets tired of chasing Jordan around and getting hurt when he doesn't emote enough to suit her delicate needs. Because Jordan's not an emoter. That's why he had to get poor old Brian to write his love letters. But that doesn't mean every girl doesn't still want Jordan Catalano.

It doesn't matter how many girls he's cheated on or how many hearts he's broken, or how many times he's patted you on the head and told you what a great sister you'd make. One of these days, Jordan will turn around and see you and realize you're beautiful and change his ways. He'll be the Warren Beaty to your Annette Benning and you will live happily ever after driving around in his car looking cool and making all the popular cheerleading bitches jealous.

Until you're in your mid-to-late twenties. Then Jordan Catalano is kind of a loser. But a boy who used to be Jordan Catalano - that's hot stuff. The reformed bad boy who still maintains some of that residual coolness, the responsible possible father of your children who admits he's made some bad decisions in the past but is so glad he cleaned up so he could meet you and make you his woman. That guy is hot.

The truth is, we never stop wanting Jordan Catalano. We'll always regret not having him, and getting him as an adult is kind of a conquest in itself. That's what makes him such a great character. My So-Called Life nailed every high school girl's dreamboat - hot, broody, nonchalant and a little bit stupid. Poor Brian never stood a chance.