Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder decide on the prettiest... tree?

I understand that "The Vampire Diaries" is a popular television melodrama based on a Young Adult series of books that are geared toward a crowd who loves melodrama. The thing that I don't understand is how this show has gotten so popular. I've been (arm twisted) subjected to watching it and it is way cheesy and wayyyyyyy not criticized enough considering all the crap TWILIGHT took. (Not saying it didn't deserve it, but let's get real.) I liked Ian Somerhalder on "Smallville," so I get his ties with that network. I thought he was great in THE RULES OF ATTRACTION, a movie that turned my stomach but at least has his redeemingly normal, gay character. Even though I wasn't a fan of the overall, every season taken into account to come to the conclusion that "Lost" was crap (YEAH, I SAID IT!), I even think that he was good as Boone. Perhaps this is why the vampy drama has become such a hit. The dude is straight up pretty, even over the age of thirty, which explains why his TVD co-star, the gorgeous Nina Dobrev, 11 years his junior, is into the dude. They're a really, really ridiculously good-looking couple. OK... I get the appeal of the show. People need something to watch to offset the sheer ugliness of every other show on TV. Is that it?

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