Joe Leydon : Annette Funicello , who died Monday , was the first crush of millions of boys . And we could n't get enough of her . They pretty much grew up with her , through Mouseketeers and `` Beach Blanket '' flicks , he says . She had a huge following in Europe, but she never made it to America until after WWII when Disney came along and started making movies about girls that weren't princesses or ballerinas. Funicello embodied an all-American ideal of wholesome , perky , spunky mid-'60s sexuality .
Joe Leydon : Annette Funicello , who died Monday , was the first crush of millions of boys . They pretty much grew up with her , through Mouseketeers and `` Beach Blanket '' flicks , he says . She had a huge following in Europe, but she never made it to America until after WWII when Disney came along and started making movies about girls that weren't princesses or ballerinas. Funicello embodied an all-American ideal of wholesome , perky , spunky mid-'60s sexuality .