Well hallelujah, it’s finally official! Brian braved the reaction of the teeny masses to announce his engagement to Leighanne a few days ago, in an interview with John Norris of the MTV news staff. Although I was a bit worried for the Boys safety at their upcoming concerts (hey, high flying bras with marriage proposals scrawled in red lipstick can be brutal!), I’m sure they’ve taken enough extra precautions to avoid any sort of kidnapping incident before the vows can be exchanged. While the majority of the BSB loving world was semi expectant of Brian’s news, Kevin’s engagement certainly threw me for a loop! Although, as a very wise Hootchie once said, “He better get started on making some Kevin Jrs before his sperm become too old, slow, and feeble to make the trek up the tunnel.”
In all seriousness though, I am both shocked and appalled at some of the reactions these two blissful announcements have garnered. With fans threatening to jump ship left and right, outraged at the thought of their men being off the market, it’s a wonder there haven’t been any reports of mass suicide attempts. It’s a sad day in the land of Backstreet when supposed fans lay pathetic claim to these men’s lives and eternal happiness. While many of we adult fans are quite vocal in our support, the sheer amount of 12 year old voices tend to drone out any such thread in the media. Believe it or not, the engagements even made local news here in Seattle, where several tragic young girls expressed their certainty that Kevin would forsake Kristin, if only he met them before popping the question.
I’d like to take this opportunity to call for a much needed REALITY CHECK!!! Come on, people, these are two grown (GROWN) men we’re talking about here. Kevin’s 30th birthday is just around the corner, and in boy band years that means he’s got one foot in the grave. Like it or not, Howie, Kevin, Brian, AJ, and Nick were not placed here on this earth solely for our enjoyment. They’re five individuals with lives, and hopes, and dreams of their own. Dreams which, incidentally, might very well include having a family! (A desire that happens to begin with finding a wife to whelp the litter.)
Comments such as ”how rude!...” and ”how could they?...” are circulating the various web sites, e groups, and forums like wildfire and the single most important question I’d like to ask these antagonists is: how could YOU?! If you’re going to label yourself a fan, you’d better find in your heart a little respect for not only their privacy, but their right to LIVE like anyone else in this world.
As for how this development is going to affect the fan fiction currently written and hosted on the web....? The answer is simple: it’s not. There is a reason our stories are called fiction. For example, the ‘Howie’ of Dear Friend fame is a character, a persona I’ve created to serve my purpose in the plot. The DF Howie is probably nothing like the real man. And if he is, it’s only in part. With the exception of using Howie’s looks, name, and occupation, the character in DF is entirely of my own making. Granted, we do know a bit about their personalities in person, but realize that this knowledge is rudimentary at best. There are many facets to an individual, and the ones we choose to capitalize on help mold and develop various characters in numerous works on the web.
Which brings me back to the engagements. If there is a woman out there, who makes Kevin or Brian sublimely happy, gives them that euphoric feeling of love and devotion, incites a riot of the butterflies in the pits of their stomachs, and brings out the best in them....well, more power to her. Moreover, if she has spent quality time and invested an honest effort in knowing her man inside and out to the point where there aren’t any facets of his being left with which she is not familiar, she has more ‘claim’ to him than any of us. And as Kevin so shrewdly pointed out on MTV.com, it’s helps when she’s in the business as well. She’s got an appreciation and understanding of something we common folk can quite possibly never grasp: Fame. Lack of privacy. Paparrazi. Shrill screams of a stadium full of fans. Sleep deprivation. Traveling to the ends of the earth.
While the Boys have made it clear that they’d “go anywhere for us”, perhaps it’s time we gave them ‘all we have to give” by showing our love, support, and respect, but most of all shouting that ‘we don’t care who they marry, as long as they love us”.
In all actuality, the engagements lend a certain amount of credibility to the Backstreet name. By being open about their relationships to the point of becoming engaged, they’ve earned a new level of respect amongst their industry peers. Look at it this way: they’re making history, breaking boy band stereotypes, thumbing their noses at management.....Doesn’t that make you wanna jump up, paint a sign, and run to a rally?
In closing, I urge you....think about you reaction to their impending marriages. I would tell you to figure out where you stand in this issue in order to better rebut the statements of the more devastated fans, but the fact of the matter is, I don’t think this should even be an ‘issue’. They’re getting married, big deal. Send your note of congratulations to the official fan club and move on. The sun still rises and sets. The birds still sing. Cars still emit noxious carbon dioxide gases into the atmosphere......
Besides, there are still three Boys up for grabs. One of ‘em is bound to be a perfect match for your tastes! Might I suggest a side of D perhaps? :)
Until next time,
~Jessi
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