The Year of Keanu

Photos courtesy of Esquire

Lately there's been this Renaissance or "Keanussance" as they've termed it of Keanu. He's just been getting a lot of press, and good press for his work, his humanity and some of the new projects that he's released back to back this year - From John Wick (FINALLY!!!) to unbelievably a voiceover character on Toy Story 4. Recently remember waking up to see him trending on Twitter for nothing spectacular but the simple rhyming pattern of his last name. He's not even on Twitter!

It's been overwhelming for me who's been a long time fan and always regarded him as an "unproblematic fave" so I can't imagine how he's taking it. In some way I am glad that what attracted me to him all these years is finally getting some exposure and in some ways, I don't want it to go to his head, I don't want him to be stalked and I also don't want some story to break and burst his bubble. You know Hollywood can be loving and cruel all in the same breath. Either way, it's a refreshing respite from the usual cats who get all the press for the wrong reasons. Now we get press of him doing even the most mundane things - Keanu riding his bike in Malibu (14 photos) didn't know pictures like that existed. Tune in tomorrow, it'll probably be Keanu buying and somewhat drinking espresso (18 photos). 

Also, with this aroused popularity comes the Keanu fan sites who would resuscitate their Keanu writings, think pieces, fan pages, feeds, trying to sound all philosophical and knowledgeable of him (of someone they don't know), and then those annoyingly concocted theoretical stories that they write would start to make the rounds again. It had considerably died down even with the release of the first John Wick which only the fan boys appreciated and demanded a sequel. But now that he's gone full-blown commercial and become the "Internet's new boyfriend", the fandom is no longer underground, it'll be and is commercialized and hopefully not over-exposed. 

I remember asking myself through several of his indie films, one too many, some I am still yet to see, and some the critics panned mercilessly, I remember wondering, "Do you still like this man?"

My response: Always. 

That's the thing about my love for Keanu it just lurks, it waits for me to have love affairs with men in my head and then, it comes back to claim me. He has this genuine character that just astounds me. It's like I can almost predict that if there's a story of kindness, it has him written all over it. It's not the same with the others.