[Two Articles WITH my comments]
Some of the Rudest Things I've Read
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
By MIKE ROSS -- Edmonton Sun
Going by 'N Stinkt
Oy, I got such hate mail when I carved 'N Sync's CD single, Pop. Good, it was well deserved.
"Your review one was on the most immature analyses of a song that I have ever laid my eyes upon," read one letter. Right on sister!
Another attacked my taste, "You probably wouldn't know good music if it bit you in the butt ... I'm guessing you're just jealous like the rest of the male population." Well...maybe...but probably not...
Yes, I admit it. I secretly want to be Justin Timberlake. I don't blame you!
Many letters were mean, but a few were concerned for my welfare, like this, "All that anger and bitterness toward 'N Sync cannot be healthy." Well, she's more concerned about you than I am...
Why, you're right, Pamela from Iowa. Thank you. I should lighten up. Perhaps if bitter critics would ignore 'N Sync, we'd all be healthier. Besides, maybe then they'd go away - or worse: Sell "only" 10 million copies of their latest album, Celebrity, in stores today. Can I ask a simple question? What IS your problem?
To coin a lyric from Pop, "I'm tired of feelin' around me animosity, just worry 'bout yours 'cause I'm a get mine now people can't you see." Yep, that's what they said...
I'm a get mine? What the hell are they talking about?
Getting RESPECT. The respect that they deserve from people like you, for example.
BYE, BYE, BYE -- Entertainment Weakly said it. The Toronto Sun said it. Joe from Florida said it - the era of boy bands is over. Hope they invested wisely. Lou Pearlman and his evil minions can pack up their clones and get the hell out of Dodge. They're done. It's history. See you at the Where Are They Now? reunion in 2012. Yeah, well, I've had words to say about EW before. As for The Toronto Sun and Joe from Florida: You may be right. Fortunately that leaves Nsync to stay anyway. Haven't they proved themselves beyond the "boyband" label by now?
Then again, that's what they said about heavy metal. And that's back...
Top 10 signs the reign of the boy bands is over: Oh, boy... This should be good.
10. More boy bands than there are fashion designers to clothe them. Army & Navy is now taking offers. Ok, the truth hurts I guess.
9. Facial hair increasing at alarming rate - a sure sign that a career in country music isn't far off. Um, you're just killin' for words to finish your article aren't you...
8. Too many rehab jokes on late-night TV. Ok, one rehab case, and that has nothing to do with Nsync. Leave AJ and BSB alone (there I've said it!)
7. Boy band members now old enough to have fathered actual boy bands of their own. Again with the "boyband" term...UGH!
6. The Backstreet Boys in Edmonton on Sept. 28: Good seats still available. Well, that's not too surprising...
5. Svengali Lou Pearlman is slowing down. After grooming and then losing both Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, he now represents a group called Natural, whose biggest gig so far is opening for the Monkees. Lou Pearlman is an ***, who cares what he's doing now. If he would've played by the rules in the first place he'd still be raking in the dough too.
4. Better spelling in hate mail indicates fans are growing up. Fans are growing up, that doesn't mean they're going to stop lovin' Nsync. I'm 20 for God's sake!! Get over it, girls (and boys) over 10 can like them!! GASP!!
3. Britney Spears and Cher to duet on The Beat Goes On. Justin not invited to sing Sonny's parts. Still needin' to finish the article, huh?
2. Running out of different ways to say "you're the girl of my dreams." Ok, you have my 'head nod' to that.
1. They're finally getting the chance to write their own songs. And they're great!! (JC ["The Two of Us" - I can't stop dancing and singing to it, babe. You're a genius. You just might be my second favorite songwriter, after Richard of course... No one can replace my Richard!] and Justin ["Gone" - I am so touched by that song, that it brings tears to my eyes. The true sign of a great song!] -- Many, many props!!)
Tuesday, July 24, 2001
By MIKE BELL -- Calgary Sun
Are The Boys In Sync? YES!!
We're all to blame.
You, me, that guy, even that girl with that thing in her hair -- everyone.
All of us share in the blame. The shame. The shame? Give me a break!
We could have -- nay, we should have -- foreseen Backstreet Boy Alexander James McLean's (a.k.a. A.J.) recent personal battles with depression and alcoholism. All of the signs were there: Before I even start to comment I should say that even though I am not a BSB fan, I wish AJ and the BSB the best.
Sunglasses worn at all hours of the day, tattoos, a generally lax attitude towards his physical appearance, the listing of Pulp Fiction as his favourite movie. OK, yep. Those are the signs, but only if you're looking for them.
We didn't see it because we didn't want to; we didn't want to think it could happen to A.J., he of dark complexion, and apparently, darker soul. Get over yourself...
There is a lesson to be learned here, though. We should never allow this to happen to other people who are important in our lives, those whom we rely upon for our sunshine, and who, in turn, look to us for support, acceptance, and our allowances. If I didn't think you were being sarcastic and crude I'd applaud your last statement, but since I know where you're going with this...I won't.
Of course, we're talking about *NSYNC, the rival boy band which releases Celebrity, its third album, on this fine morn. It IS a fine morn, and for your information these five guys ARE important in our lives. Maybe not in the ways that family and friends are. But these guys DO bring 'sunshine' into lives. It's called music. They bring music... They bring smiles... Oh! And allowances? I work hard for my money, thank you!
By reading the liner notes, by studying all of the hot pictures in the CD booklet, and by listening -- I mean really listening -- to what they're singing, maybe we can save one of the five from befalling the same fate as A.J. Do you have nothing better to write about?
Consider it an *NSYNC-tervention, if you will. Here we go again...
Let's begin with the album cover. Perhaps the most noticeable thing is that all of the members of *NSYNC are staring straight ahead while a commotion rages around them. All of them, that is, except for Lance! Wow, you've noticed that too... [slaps head]
Lance is holding up his hands as if to fend off something. But what? Temptation? Booze? Drugs? The I.R.S.? How about a milliion screaming fans a day? Temptation...wait! I don't see Courtney (the future Mrs. Bass) there! :-)
Is Lance the troubled member of *NSYNC? AH?! Highly unlikely.
Probably not. In the album's thank-yous, Lance is the only one who includes a pair of quotations from Psalms. Surely any well-groomed man with such an unshakable faith would never stray from His teachings.
He's such a good boy, isn't he...
We can probably rule out Chris and Joey as trouble spots. As the two least attractive and talented members of *NSYNC, it's fair to assume they appreciate their fortune and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize the free ride. I don't think I've read a comment that was more rude. What makes you think they're unattractive? Are you blind? And least talented? OMG! Did I really just read that? Free ride my cute little butt... ALL five of these guys have worked their tails off to get where there are today. Give credit where it's due please...
And then there were two: Justin and JC. [A Smile croses Dana's face....] Ok, back to work D...
The dreamy twin talent attack of *NSYNC, who are responsible for, together and separately, co-writing most of the material and producing a handful of the tracks on Celebrity. Surely they have nothing to hide from ... or do they? Dreamy? YEP. Talent? YEP. Writing? YEP. Hide? I feel my sarcasm is ready to increase...
Well, of the two, Justin appears to have it together a little more, although one has to wonder what kind of psychological damage is being done to the poor boy as he's sent home ... um, unrelieved night after night by a deliciously chaste Britney Spears. Remember back a few paragraghs when I said that I'd never read a comment that was more rude than naming Joey and Chris the least attractive and talented? I think I might have found something that irritates me MORE! Leave Britney alone. For God's sake people. We preach chastity and virtue but when one of the most beautiful and famous women in America actually practices it, you put her down. Who can say Justin is "the poor boy"? And isn't it Justin who said that he was also waiting for sex till marriage anyway...yeah, I thought so.
As for JC, well, he appears to be the one on the brink. Other than the dead giveaway that, similar to A.J., his first name is two initials, there's the second banana principle. JC will always be the mustard behind Justin's ketchup, the margarine to Justin's creamy butter, the white jellybean to ... well, to every other kind of jellybean. Yeah, because the whole initial thing really is proof. I better warn my friends TJ and JC (other one, peeps!) that they're next to slip into depression and drug abuse. Second banana principle. Ok, I'll prove this one wrong too. Mustard? Since when do we compare men to condiments...nice analogy there...really. (HA!) Margarine? Well, it's better for your body. (You take that any way that you want!) Call me wierd...whatever...I LOVE white jellybeans, so I guess it's strange that you compared him to well... a jellybean?
Yes, he's hot and talented, AMEN! but in *NSYNC he'll always be the second hottest and talented That's a matter of opinion. -- and that has to gnaw at his insides.
Then there are JC's songs on Celebrity: The Game Is Over, Up Against the Wall, Selfish, The Two Of Us. WOW! You can read the credits in the album cover! You should be proud.
So much rage, so much anger and betrayal set to a poppy synthetic disco beat. Where will it all lead, where will JC turn, what will become of *NSYNC? Rage? Anger? Betrayal? How about Good, Better, Best, and too good to mention? JC will turn to...me...and Nsync will go on forever.
The answer depends on us. We can all do something to help. We can light a candle, we can say a prayer, we can enter a chat room -- anything to let JC know we care.
We owe it to him. And we owe it to A.J.
Never again. Never again.
I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT BITTER TOWARDS ALL WRITERS, REALLY. BUT I CAN'T STAND WHEN CREDIT IS NOT GIVEN WHERE CREDIT IS DUE. IT'S ANNOYING. IT'S RUDE. IT'S DOWN RIGHT NASTY! I'M NOT A LITTLE TEENY BOPPER, BUT I STILL LOVE THESE GUYS AND WILL DEFEND THEM TILL THE END. I OWE THEM THAT MUCH, THEY MAKE ME SMILE. I WATCH THEM ON TV, AND THEY MAKE ME LAUGH. I LISTEN TO THEIR CDs AND THEY MAKE ME SMILE. I LOOK AT MY CONCERT PICTURES AND I CAN NEVER REMEMBER A BETTER NIGHT. I KNOW I'M NOT THE ONLY PERSON THE FEEL THE SAME WAY, AND THAT'S WHY *NSYNC HAVE THE BEST FANS, BECAUSE WE CARE. THESE TWO ARTICLES TOUCHED A NERVED. I DON'T KNOW WHY, MAYBE I'VE JUST HAD ENOUGH. BOYS, IF SOMEDAY WHEN YOUR OLD AND GRAY AND HAD A CHANCE TO STUMBLE UPON THIS SITE AND THIS VERY SECTION, I WANT YOU TO KNOW ONE THING. YOU'RE LOVED AND ADMIRED. "DO YOUR THING" FOREVER, NEVER STOP, WE'LL STILL BE HERE. ~D
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