This interview took place September 14th 2000
I have to tell you right off the bat. As I headed into a downtown Toronto restaurant on a rainy fall evening to chat with Aaron Carter (yep that's right, little bro to Nick), I was somewhat skeptical. Would this child pop star be consumed with his success? Bratty from late nights, early mornings and a string of day-long promotional duties? To my surprise and delight he was c) none of the above. A young, energetic 12-year-old who loves singing to a sold-out crowd just as much as playing his Nintendo games, Aaron Carter is adorable, modest, poised and quite the charmer – the little cutie even kissed me goodbye! And now, direct for the Not For Adults Audience, here he is…Aaron Carter!
Michelle: What's the biggest difference between Toronto and Florida? Do you live in Orlando?
Aaron Carter: No, I'm from Miami. Marathon, a place called Marathon. But yeah, I'd have to say the weather because I think that's pretty much the biggest difference…and the accents. There's a little bit of change in the accents. You got…I…I got the kinda southern accent. Well it's not really southern, I have a normal accent but it's just kinda like slang kinda talk. You know, I don't really care what I'm saying as long as it comes out.
Michelle: When you finally get a break from your travels, what kinds of things do you like to do in your spare time?
Aaron Carter: Um, it depends, it depends on the schedule um but usually I just like to play Nintendo games and stuff like that. I have a friend coming to the hotel today to spend the night with me.
Michelle: Oh that's cool. Is he from Toronto?
Aaron: Yeah, his name's Jason. He's my best friend.
Michelle: Did you meet him before…
Aaron: Um yeah and I've known him forever.
Michelle: So did he used to live in Florida and moved?
Aaron: Uh no he's always lived here but I've lived in Florida all my life, so I'm a Florida kid.
M: Now, do you ever get homesick when you're away from your parents, or do they travel with you?
A: Yeah, well not anymore they don't travel anymore um but I used to get homesick but now pretty much it's ok with me because I'm kinda used to it now and so I've been away from them for so long…
M: (accidentally interrupting Aaron) Is it….oh sorry! Go ahead.
A: No, no ladies first.
M: Is it hard on yourself and your family being away from home so often?
A: Um, of course it is, um I can't really, you know, have a relationship with them but of course I try. The sched--what happens is I'm on the road for three weeks and then I go back home for one week but that's usually how it works out.
M: Ok. Since you've been travelling a lot, do you ever forget where you are? You know, you're doing a show and you go on stage and you're like "Hey uh…."
A: Oh I have done that so many times I can't imagine. Um usually I just you know, I remember the state and I'll just say the state or something like that or I'll just say "Hey what's up?!". And sometimes I even admit "You know what I forgot where I am" and they'll be like "Booo!!" and I'll be like, I'll look down, cause Britney Spears when I opened for her she always has the name of the city and what's she's at so she remembered but I'd look down there and I'm like "I'm kidding, I'm kidding….Toronto! Or wherever we were.
M: You've done a bunch of music videos now. Which has been the most fun for you to shoot?
A: Ummm…that's a good question. I'm gonna have to say "Crazy Little Party Girl".
M: Was that your first single?
A: Uh no, "Crush On You" was my first single. Actually "Crush On You" was probably my favourite cause it was my first and it was different and it was my first kinda acting stuff and it was really fun yeah.
M: Do you think you'd like to pursue an acting career?
A: Um I'm working on it right now I've been doing a lot of auditions lately so I've been working on those.
M: So movies mostly and stuff like that?
A: Um hmm. [Yes]
M: You're new album takes a bit of a different direction, it's kinda more rap than your last one. Do you feel that this shows a more mature Aaron?
A: Of course it does um yeah you know a lot of people tell me, "Oh you're a better rapper than you are a singer" and I'm like "Oh ok!"
M: Does it matter to you?
A: yeah it doesn't matter no but you know, I guess I'm just as good a singer as I am a rapper so um it depends, it depends what – and personally right now I prefer singing better than rapping so I like the way my songs are right now where you combine singing and rapping. M: Do you feel influenced by the music world at all around you?
A: Yeah of course I feel not only influenced but a lot older being in the business that I am in and being able to associate with older people and to talk to them just like normal, more than like a twelve year old. Cause you know they'd be jumping up and hanging off the ceiling right now
M: Well my brother's twelve, he wouldn't be doing that…
A: laughs…He'd be doing something like that probably….
M:What is your favourite song on the album?
A: "Real Good Time" and "Bounce", those are my two favourites
M: How would you describe yourself in a few words?
A: Fun, um annoying in the morning—
M: Not a morning person?
A: No. Uh and…what else? And hyper, when I'm on Coke…Coca Cola..laughs…
M: Just to clarify there…
A: Yeah!
M: Do you have any hidden talents that maybe your fans don't know about you?
A: Um…
M: Or secret passions maybe?
A: Um hidden talents or secret passions…That's a good one. I can ride dirtbikes very well, motorcycles. I race dirtbikes with my friends
M: Is that in Florida?
A: Yeah and when I was back home I won a championship I raced with one of the most famour motorcycle riders, Brady Charmicheal and I beat him.
M: Oh wow, that's pretty cool! Not many twelve year olds could say they've done that, along with, you know, everything else.
A: Yeah exactly!
M: How do you feel Nick's experience prepared you for your own career?
A: Um how do I feel? I feel that he has helped me a lot but I've been…I try to tell everybody that I did this on my own too. And of course Nick helped me, he helped me a lot and I really appreciate that and he gave me the biggest boost that any older brother could do…
M: What's the best advice he's given you?
A: The best advice? Uh…when you're in front of the audience and you get really scared in front of a big audience just pretend there's like two or three and it kinda helps you out. You just unfocus all the other people out and then just focus on a couple of em.
M: Now, when you have problems or girl issues or something, who do you go to for that? Do you go to Nick?
A: I usually talk to my brother I can tell my brother anything. My brother knows all my darkest secrets and I know all Nick's darkest secrets that I can't even tell you know.
M: What's the coolest thing about being a celebrity?
A: Um…the coolest thing…
M: Or some of the coolest things, cause there's probably a few…
A: laughs…Yeah. Um I think the coolest thing about being a singer is being able to travel. But if I had to pick the worst thing it would be being away from my family and all my friends but some of my friends I can't even trust to hang out with cause I don't know if they're liking me cause I'm, you know, "Aaron Carter" or if it's because I'm just a normal kid
M: Have some of your friends changed. Did you see when your career skyrocketed, that they changed?
A: Yeah, of course. When my video "Come Get It" released out in the States all my friends were kinda ya know "Oh can I have your brothers autograph?", "Gimme your autograph." And I'm like "You know what, shut up and we'll go fishing ok?! Is that good?"
M: Who are some of the cool people you've gotten to meet because of your career? Like, you toured with Britney Spears…
A: Um everybody, everybody! Uh I wanna meet Christina Aguilera.
M: Is there a bit of a crush happenin' there?
A: Yeah, of course! Of course there's a crush there! M: What about Britney? A: Uh Britney's a'right, she's more like a…
M: A friend more than a crush?
A: Yeah more of a friend, actually she's like a sister cause she's really nice…
M: You're still pretty young but have you started dating and what qualities do you look for in a girl?
A: Yeah, uh of course I've started dating! What qualities? Uh I love brunettes, or like brunette or black hair. I like her to be very mellow and you know, like, I don't like a girl who slobbers when she kisses. That's one thing I don't like!
M: Have you had your first kiss yet?
A: Oh yeah! I had my first kiss when I was 6!
M: 6?!
A: Yeah I got in trouble for it!
M: I wonder why!
M: Now, recently the show "Making the Band" has documented the life of the up-and-coming music group, O-Town. Do you feel that the series is a good representation of the music business?
A: Of the making of the band? I think it's kinda pathetic in a way. Um…
M: Cause you've seen the Backstreet Boys form so it's kinda the same idea.
A: Yeah. I've seen N SYNC form, I've seen the Backstreet Boys form. I remember a long time ago, about 9 years ago when the Backstreet…when my Mom was taking Nick to the meeting with the Backstreet Boys. All the guys were meeting for the first time and um yeah, I remember going there and Nick was late and the guys were playing football with me. So it was fun.
M: So is it like "Making the Band" or not?
A: No, no it's not! Um it's, you know it's hard to explain…they're good, they're good singers in Making the Band but there's too many like Backstreet Boys or N SYNCs but not enough of me…you can put them all together with a different group guy
M: And they look and sound like all the other guys…
A: laughs…yeah, they are kinda bad!
M: If you were stranded on a deserted island what three things besides a means of escape, food and clothing, would you want with you?
A: Pamela Anderson…laughs…for a month -- so she's desperate!…laughs…uh no means of escape? And I'm on a deserted island?
M: Well it could be the moon, anywhere. But you can't get away from there.
A: Oh okay…I would bring…I can't bring food?
M: Nope.
A: Oh man! Laughs… So how long is it gonna take to die down there? Like two minutes?
M: laughs…Well say you have food already then.
A: Ok…umm…I would take, I would take my dog with me, Pamela Anderson…
M: What type of dog do you have?
A: A Wiemerider.(sp?)
M: What does it look like?
A: Um…Have you ever seen…You know how you open those postcards and they have the little heads, the heads – the heads of a dog on top of a man's body? Well it's like the gray dog. Their big, floppy looking dogs. They look like a Dalmatian but only gray. Yeah and he's really pretty. I have a Rottweiler(sp?), and Simba -- that's one of my other dogs. And, uh, Oscar, there's Merlin, there's Precious, there's JJ, there's um TJ, uh there's Bear and there's Pepper. Nine dogs.
M: Wow. So does everybody have a dog?
A: Yeah. I have three dogs of my own.
M: So which ones are yours then?
A: Uh the Rottweiler his name is Pharoah, like the King. Uh Oscar and Bear – cause our Pug just had Pugs and it's kinda funny cause he had ‘em with a Shitzu and it was really funny. But um the person next door of us had a Shitzu and a Pug, or no I'm sorry, a Shitzu and a Bulldog so we called them (covers mouth mischieveously) bullshits…laughs…it was kinda funny!
M: If you're whole family we cast on Survivor,
A: (Raises arms triumphantly with a huge smile)
M: who would be voted off the island first?
A: No no no, not me. My sister…um… Angel.
M: Is she the one older than you?
A: No she's, well she's older than me by a minute. She's my twin sister.
M: Oh sorry I didn't know that.
A: No that's okay.
M: Is she the one that's pursuing a music career too?
A: No, no that's Leslie. I think I would be the one that makes it, would get the million dollars. Because I know how to climb up a straight palm tree and get coconuts.
M: You've done that?
A: Yeah! Ask them [gestures to manager, publicist and body guards seated at a neighbouring table]. I really can….Paul! Paul can't I climb up a straight pole and get coconuts?
Paul: Like that! Seriously he can.
Female Manager: You guys should try those desserts, they're unbelievable!
A: I'm goin for that one. What about this one?…takes the chocolate cake slice and sits back down…Oh – I smushed it! Wow!
M: Ok let's see, where were we…If you were to buy a gift for Britney Spears what would it be? A: Uh…that's a good question. A gift for her? A psychic to get her to go out with me!
M: Or Christian Aguilera right?
A: Oh absolutely!…laughs
M: What about about Jessica Simpson and Mandy Moore, them too?
A: (nods) My brother's got a crush on Mandy Moore.
M:What cartoon or movie character are you most like and why?
A: Dennis the Menace.
M: Why?
A: Because, because I'm a menace. I'm very mischieveous, I'm very curious and I like to know what everybody's saying.
M: What has been your most embarrassing moment, on stage or off?
A: Um let's start with onstage. Um I went to point to a girl and I tripped over a monitor and fell into the audience of 50 000 people.
M: Not good.
A: No and I was doing backflips and there was a catwalk like this and the stage was like this and I was doing it like this, went off the catwalk and did a backflip right off the catwalk It was horrible, I've never felt anything like it.
M: Did you get hurt?
A: A little bit yeah it wasn't that bad cause I landed right.
M: Ok we'll do some Aaron Favourites now. Fave food?
A: Pizza
M: Favourite Song of yours or someone else's. Or actually someone else's cause we did yours earlier.
A: Uh…umm…Sender of My Love by Journey
M: Favourite item of clothing?
A: The shirt I'm wearing.
M: Your yellow shirt. Ok…Favourite saying?
A: Anyway.
M: Rumour you've heard about yourself?
A: I'm married.
M: To anyone in particular?
A: Nah, just some girl.
M: Favourite Movie?
A: Stand By Me and Three Kings.
M: Fave Actor and Actress?
A: Um actress, Sandra Bullock. Actor, George Clooney.
M: Favourite band or singer?
A: Um favourite band or singer… Favourite Band, Backstreet Boys! Laughs, no just kidding…Metallica.
M: Favourite place you've visited?
A: Uh Toronto, it's my favourite place.
M: Because? Any reason why?
A:Just because it's beautiful here and I wanna move here when I'm older.
M: Have you been up the CN Tower? Probably huh?
A: Yeah yep I sat right on the glass floor. I bungee jumped off of it.
M: The CN Tower? You can do that?
A: (nods, then breaks into a grin and laughs) No, no I'm just kidding!
M: I was gonna say….at Canada's Wonderland you can do that, not the CN Tower though.
A: Actually people have done that.
M: It probably wouldn't be too safe though cause you know you swing and…
A: And you knock yourself out. You'd be like "Whooo – POW!" (swings necklace into nearby wall to demonstrate)
M:Favourite book?
A: Good one. Umm…Harry Potter.
M: Do you have all his books?
A: Yep, all four of em.
M: Favourite day of the week?
A: Favourite day of the week. Friday night.
M:Because?
A: Cause it's Friday night.
M: Now I'll give you the beginning of a sentence and you can finish it off. I can't live without…
A: My dog.
M: Which one?
A: Oscar…laughs…which one?!
M: I'd die to meet…
A: Christina Aguilera.
M: I'm inspired when…
A: My brother.
M: If I could live anywhere in the world…
A: Toronto, no I'm kidding. St. Anna (?), California.
M: If I could record with any performer…
A: Christina.
M:Have you met her before?
A:Nuh uh.
M: Oh no?
A: I heard she's like 4' 9". She's really short.
M: How tall are you?
A: 5' 5" M: You'd be taller than her then.
A: Yeah it'd be like (waves downward) "Hey! How ya doin?"
M: And you're probably gonna get quite a bit taller too cause Nick's pretty tall.
A: (nods) Nick was only five foot when he was twelve and I'm 5' 5".
M: So, yeah you're gonna be tall. Big shoes then?
A: (puts foot up on edge of table) Yeah! I think it's bigger than yours! Is it? (looks under table, then comes around table and stands beside me to compare).
A: Yeah…laughs
M: What size is that?
A: Uh I think….9 ½.
M: Ok cause I'm like an 8 or 9 girls.
A: Yeah so that's like a 6 or 7 guys.
M: If a genie gave me 3 wishes they would be…
A: To meet Christina – or wait, no!
M: Well you could use that.
A: I got it, I got it. To be married to Christina Aguilera. Um, have infinity candy…
M: Which goes perfectly with your song [I Want Candy].
A: laughs…yeah! And to give a million dollars to each poor person in the world.
M: That's a good wish.
A: Yeah.
M:The best advice anyone ever gave me was…
A: The advice my brother gave me.
M: My biggest fear is…
A: It was sharks but not anymore. Um, skydiving, I'm gonna go.
M: Have you ever done that?
A: No – have you?!
M: No, I think it'd be cool though.
A: Yeah I think it'd be really cool.
M: (begins to ask next question but is drowned out by noise at other table)
A: Hey! (whistles to get their attention)
Vlad(Publicist): Sorry Aaron!..laughs.
A: Bnalkgkdna.
Paul: Aaron's just like (whistles)…laughs.
A: laughs…I can't even whistle…a'right!
M: What advice—
A: Big mouth!
M: What advice do you have for young people that are interested in pursuing a music career?
A: To stay down to earth and to actually want to do what you're gonna do.
M: How have you changed since you've been in the music business?
A: Probably my personality with other kids, how I act with other kids.
M: And how has that changed?
A: It's –
M: More mature?
A: Exactly, I'm more mature.
M: Do you find that you hang out with older people now when you're at home?
A: Yeah exactly.
M:Where do you see yourself in 10 years? You know you're 22, still very young…
A: Um…10 years?
M: Which is kinda funny cause that's about double you're life right now.
A: I think I'll be like my brother cause I look my brother every day more and more.
M: Do you want to be in a group when you're older or stay solo?
A: I think I'm gonna stay solo.
M: Do you want to keep rapping?
A: Rapping and singing both.
M: What styles? Do you plan to stay in pop or go more hard-core like Metallica?
A: laughs…just regular….(lays head down on table, using his arm as a pillow).
M: Are you tired?
A: Oh yeah! We've done 19—like 12 or 13 interviews today. We've got another one after this. M: So you're probably just dying for me to leave.
A: No no no I'm kidding! No no no! You're probably the easiest interviewer today, the nicest one! Everybody's just like "So how's your day been? How ya doin? Yeah, I'm gonna go now. Nice meetin' ya. The article comes out tomorrow."..laughs
M: laughs…You did Much Music today too right?
A: Yeah! M: How did that go? A: It went pretty good. It was fun!
M: Did a lot of people show up? A: There was like 20 or 30 people there so yeah it was pretty good! M: Did they follow you after?
A: There were some outside looking for the restaurant but they couldn't find it cause it's like hidden.
M: Yeah I was actually lucky I found it cause we thought it was on the other side of the road. And my Dad's like "There it is!" as we're driving past it.
A: You can't drive yet?
M: Well I can but not without any adult.
A: How come?
M: Cause I'm 16 almost 17.
A: In the States you have to be 16 to drive. How old do you have to be here?
M: It's different. You have to be 16 and at that point you can drive with an adult once you write a test. And then a year later you can drive by yourself, kinda different.
A: A lot different, a lot more killed in the States than here. A year difference and knowledge.
M: Are you doing a show while you're here?
A: Uh no. We leave tomorrow for Edmonton.
M: That'll be cool. Have you been there before?
A: Yes.
M: What about the West Edmonton Mall?
A: Yep it's huge I love it! It's the biggest mall in the world right?
M: I think so, yeah. One of the biggest ones anyway. Did you do the submarine tours?
A: No, I went on the roller coaster inside it, it's pretty big!
M: You're not in school right? Are you homeschooled?
A: I have a tutor with me on the road.
M: What do you have right now? What subjects?
A: Yeah we do mostly math cause that's my main subject right now. I'm in Algebra 4 right now. Do you know what that is?
M: Algebra? Yep, but here it's different cause you just have Math class it's not divided up till your last year.
A: Oh really? I'm doing Calculus tomorrow.
M: That's pretty advanced…for 12!
A: yeah! Just a little bit of it.
M: That's cool! What's one last thing you'd like the world to know about you?
A: I'm five inches taller than I used to be!…laughs
M: Than when you came out last time?
A: Yeah yeah yeah exactly.
M: How long ago was that?
A: My last album, how long ago?
M: That was just a year or so ago right?
A: Yeah two years ago actually.
M: And you've grown five inches since then, that's pretty good.
A: Yeah it is!
M: Well I guess that's pretty much it. Could you sing a bit of something for me before I go?
A: I have a cold though. So I'll sound really bad. Want me to rap? I can rap.
M: Ok, you don't have to do a lot if you don't want to.
A: Ok…[raps "Aaron's Party": "I always try to be the fly-est kid on the block …etc…I'll be fine alone"]
M: Very good!
A: Thank you!
M:Thank you very much! [shake hands]
A: Thank you so much! It was a pleasure!
M: Have a good time in Edmonton!
A: Thanks!
[hugs Michelle goodbye and gives her a kiss on the cheek]
M: Thanks Vlad, it was great!
A: Bye! See ya later!
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