Larger than life 'boy band' doesn't deserve criticism

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Jan 31, 2001 Source: LA Times Submitted By: Amber News from Inland Valley in the Times Community Newspapers By KELLIE ARAKAWA There are Web sites today about every subject imaginable. While surfing the Internet a few days ago, I found listings for hundreds of sites dedicated to my favorite singing group, the Backstreet Boys. Coinciding with these interest sites were those that displayed feelings of hatred toward them. Their creators labeled their sites "Anti-Backstreet Boys." Disturbed by many extreme comments made on their sites, I e-mailed the creator of one and he replied: "The Backstreet Boys don't deserve the amount of fame they have received when so many other people can emulate their skills yet not get half as famous. They're merely a corporate group, created at an opportune time that have a mass appeal to giggling school girls." While reading this comment, I was deeply disappointed by this person's lack of perception. His belief that the Backstreet Boys are a cookie-cutter boy band who were handed their fame and fortune on a silver platter proves that he has no knowledge of the hard work and achievements of the band, nor the immeasurable amount of happiness they bring to fans. The Backstreet Boys, a pop music group, also known as a "boy band," formed in April 1993, and struggled for two long years to grab a record deal. Group members Kevin Richardson, 28, Howie Dorough, 27, Brian Littrell, 25, Alexander James Mclean, 23, and Nick Carter, 20, sang at clubs, schools and charity events for exposure. Eventually they signed with Mercury Records, but were dropped after a few months. It wasn't until 1995 that they finally earned their big break and signed with Jive Records to produce an album. When they first released their single "We've Got It Goin' On," the first song of their self-titled debut album, there was little to no response from the public in the United States. However, there was a spark of interest in Europe, so the group ventured overseas. The Backstreet Boys built a fan base all over Europe, and released single after single, winning award after award. In 1997, the Backstreet Boys released their album in the United States and received a huge response from the public. Since then, the Backstreet Boys have sold more than 24 million albums in the United States, earned a combination of six Grammy nominations three years in a row, and held the record for the most albums sold in one week in May 1999, with the release of their album "Millennium," which sold 1.3 million copies in seven days. The Backstreet Boys have records that have gone gold and platinum in 45 countries, and their most recent album, "Black and Blue," sold 5 million copies worldwide in one week. The Backstreet Boys have battled personal problems, including a near-fatal heart disease, deaths of siblings and parents, marriage and poverty in their lifetimes. To say that they are nothing more than "a manufactured group" who sing and dance at the push of a button is anything but true. These five men have experienced the same kinds of anguish as anyone else and are not as detached from the "real world," as one may believe. On top of their talent and awards, the Backstreet Boys have won the hearts of millions of fans worldwide, and I am one of them. The kind of fascination they hold for me, as well as others, cannot be accurately expressed with words. The Backstreet Boys have brought a certain element of happiness into my life that I have never known before. When I hear their music or see them perform, I am so enchanted by the beauty of their voices and their striking stage presence that tears of pure happiness come to my eyes. I am forever grateful to the Backstreet Boys because they have not only brought a new sense of joy to me, but have helped create stronger friendships in my life. These bonds that I have made and the experiences I have shared as a fan are priceless. As a person who has been affected by the music and work of the Backstreet Boys, it angers me more than anything when someone ignorantly criticizes them. It is clear that the Backstreet Boys have worked long and hard to achieve their popular status, and that their endless awards and recognition are a result of their talent. Before anyone else decides to lash out at the Backstreet Boys, they need to first find facts to base their judgments on. I believe that everyone is entitled to their own opinions and the right to express them freely, but I find criticisms based on mere assumptions to be intolerable. KELLIE ARAKAWA, 17, is a senior at Ayala High School in Chino Hills. Comment on this item. 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