Because who am I, a 41 year old woman, to have a crush on a boy band half my age?! And they’re not even that cute. And they don’t sing that great. And they really can’t dance. So why do I honestly have a crush on Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan? I can’t explain it, but I can’t deny it, either.
When my children scan the “Guide,” and decide on a Nickelodeon program, I usually tune out. (I don’t know why they even check the Guide because they always land on Nickelodeon. No Disney. No PBS. Certainly no Discovery Kids Channel. Nickelodeon.) I tune out if it’s SpongeBob SquarePants. Not because I don’t like SpongeBob, because I do. I actually think “he” and the show are pretty funny at times. But I also feel like I’ve seen most of the episodes. Unless it’s one of my favorites, it no longer holds my attention.
The same holds true for iCarly. I used to really like iCarly until they aired the “iLook-a-Like” episode and I found their behavior so absolutely atrocious that we almost didn’t finish watching it. If I had been a better, stronger parent, I would have turned it off mid-episode, but I kept hoping that it would get better and they would redeem themselves. It didn’t and they didn’t, either. By then it was 8:29PM and we had suffered through an episode littered with bad decisions, dishonesty, and disrespect. Ever since then I have watched Carly, Sam and Freddie with a great degree of trepidation and lasting dislike. (I’m purposely avoiding the discussion about whether my children should have been watching iCarly to begin with.) iCarly has been on long enough that my children feel like they are peers with the cast as opposed to being on the younger side of the same generation. Therefore the show holds a stage that appears to be a pedestal for their characters – not one they can be knocked off of, but one that children aspire to be on. As the characters have gotten older I have found that they are better behaved and I can once again stomach them. But now I am a “good” parent and watch all new episodes before letting my girls watch.
Victorious falls somewhere in the middle. I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it, either. Most of the characters are decent people and the one or two that behave selfishly or immaturely do so with such aplomb that it showcases the glaring discord with the other characters. You can’t help but look at them and know that their behavior is wrong. “Tori” is the lovable character that usually does the right thing. Her singing, long hair and down-to-earth personality give her a starlet-esque presence that is still within the reach of most girls. She could be the teenage girl next door that every little girl wants to be.
And then there’s Big Time Rush. BTR. The dogs. A boy band in a time when I can’t name any other boy bands. Jake has asked me if the show was supposed to introduce the group to the world, or whether the music is actually a marketing by-product of the show. I’m still trying to figure that out. But there’s no doubt that the popularity of the group as a music sensation does not rival that of boy bands of the past. They may be the newest edition of young males on the scene, but their lyrics are not as contagious as New Edition’s were. We might find ourselves saying, “Uh-uh-u-oh-oh!” to the newest kids on the block, because their dance moves are not as well choreographed as NKOTB’s. It is also doubtful we will watch them grow from boys to men as they are already clearly young men and do not harmonize like Boys II Men. I was never really an ‘N Sync fan so I can’t make any comparisons there. And they certainly will never hold a candle to the greatest boy band of all time: The Jackson Five. I still know that “I’ll Be There” to learn my “ABC”s.
Along with my children I find myself singing BTR's tunes and watching snippets of their videos in between our Nickelodeon programming. Their songs have each had their fifteen minutes of fame in my house with at least one of my children singing in the shower or while they danced across the family room floor. I tend to have my karaoke moments in front of the kitchen sink while doing dishes. Clearly “Boyfriend” is the catchiest tune to date that the boys have crooned through the tube. I do find myself wondering if the addition of Snoop Dog to the video, and his conspicuous credit-grabbing, were supposed to be musical support, a popularity-legitimizing stunt, or both for the group. Knowing what I know about Snoop Dog I find his presence more a self-redeeming act than an image-boosting opportunity for the boys. Either way, “Boyfriend” will be my next search on iTunes.
Although no one has ever quite duplicated the magic of the “Dancing Machine” that Michael Jackson made famous, there is no denying the effort made by boy bands to get you to “Shake Your Body (Down to the Ground)” along with them. Justin Timberlake, formerly of ‘N Sync, credits Michael Jackson for inspiring many of his moves and performances. BTR is not as fluid or smooth in their execution, but here at 5 Harding Lane we try to follow along. We try to spin and touch the ground and alternate sliding forward and back on the carpet. Even without soul they encourage us to mimic their rhythm.
Despite all that they don’t have, BTR has something that brings me back to each episode. They have something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Like iCarly and Victorious the characters are often selfish and self-absorbed, but there’s a lovable notion to these slightly dim-witted, narcissistic Minnesota transplants. Their antics are not about hurting others, but more about self-preservation and discovery. They are teenage boys in California, trying to find their way as a new pop-music group with all of the chaos, stress, and fun that brings. Despite the highly illogical and unlikely scenario their “lives” present for the viewers, we want to be a part of it.
There is no denying that Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan have my attention. I didn’t get into Hannah Montana, nor do I have “Bieber Fever,” but I do have my crush on Big Time Rush. I am serious when I say that if they came to Boston I would stand in line overnight to get tickets to a show. I might even buy a few seats for my kids.
There is no denying that Kendall, James, Carlos and Logan have my attention. I didn’t get into Hannah Montana, nor do I have “Bieber Fever,” but I do have my crush on Big Time Rush. I am serious when I say that if they came to Boston I would stand in line overnight to get tickets to a show. I might even buy a few seats for my kids.
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