Recently I had the unfortunate opportunity to see the Backstreet Boys and New Kids on the Block performed at the American Music Awards (AMAs). If you need to ask.. no I wasn’t this über cool chick who got tickets to see the awards live. I just happened to tune in to abundant resources via the grand old idiot box. But I digress. Whilst watching the performance, I thought to myself “OMG!! Nick Carter I love you arrggghhhhh!!! “Geez … I can’t believe I was once a huge teenybopper fan .. and gawwdd.. they look so old!!”
Of course when I did in fact have the time to think about it, I realise that I was a big part of the boyband fandom when I was a geeky overweight awkward adolescent in my teens and I am now a sophisticated (??) and mature career woman who is nearing the end of her twenties. Simply put.. my obsession with boybands happened a real long time ago..before the world was shocked with the events of September 11, before the advent of Facebook (the coolest thing we had back then was mIRC32…say what??!), iPhones or iPods (you could still purchase your NKOTB albums in cassettes) and when blackberries were just tasty juicy pieces of fruits.
Having said all that, watching the performance did in fact bring back old memories of singing along to the catchy lyrics in the school bus, dancing to the rhythmic beats during school performances and just being a self absorbed teenager with not much care in the world.
Yes reminiscing is fun and I gotta admit that those songs are still catchy and addictive years down the road. I am still hearing the catchphrase “Backstreet’s Back alright!” ringing in my ears days after the AMAs :P. Having said that, I know many people who may have gotten too attached to the boyband era and as a result have refused to grow up and let go.
Below are some examples.
- You still sign your name “Joyah Carter” or “Senah Timberlake” on loan and job application forms.
- You don’t speak to your younger teenage sister for days coz she “chose” the Jonas brother that you like first.
- You only sing Backstreet Boys and NSync songs at your company’s karaoke gatherings.
- You have the birthdates of your favourite boybanders saved on your company’s Blackberry to remind you to send teddybears and flowers to their official fan club address.
- In clubs… you enjoy showing off your killer moves derived from the “Backstreet’s Back” video 😛
- You get into a heated and emotional argument with people who said that the Backstreet Boys, Boyzone and New Kids on the Block should drop the “Boy” and “Kid” monikers from their names as they are now OLD men.
- You shamelessly ask for the new NKOTB album for your 29th Birthday!!
- You are the only one in your circle of friends who doesn’t think that Nick Carter is a pathethic mess of a has been.
- You start a nationwide petition asking Take That to beg Robbie William to be a part of their reunion concert and album and you succeeded.
- You start skipping lunch to save money for front row tickets and to look slim and superb when you found out that 911 is holding a comeback concert in Singapore.
If you continue to exhibit any of these signs in your late 50s well into your 20s, I would advise you to please burn your copies of Top of The Pops and Teen Beat (with that super cute JT pin up), flush all your cassettes and CDs in the toilet and get psychiatric help immediately.
Incoherent Ramblings of the Troubled Mind 
