Backing Away From The Backstreets
Source: Excite.com
BY MARY MROCH
The Daily Iowan
(U-WIRE) IOWA CITY, Iowa -- It looks like we have some more Backstreet Boys news, and thank God, because the boys haven't been gracing the pages of tabloids or respectable newspapers for a while.
I wasn't sure how much longer I could go without hearing about the amazingly talented boy band that sings the poetic lyrics "Show Me The Meaning Of Being Lonely," "Backstreet's back, all right!" and my personal favorite, "Get down, get down, and move it all around."
Without any further ado, here's the shocking Backstreet Boy news: Everyone's favorite Backstreet Boy, A.J. McLean, has taken off on a solo career (Note: As we all know, this doesn't mean he's leaving the backstreet boys!), and a quite ridiculous one at that. Please, no fainting, ladies. A.J., the "bad boy" with the satanic-looking facial hair, dark sunglasses and cowboy hat, has made an alter ego for himself. Over the spring he toured the United States as Johnny No Name. A.J. -- I mean Johnny No Name, is very different from his Backstreet character. (That was sarcasm, in case you missed it.) Instead of singing love ballads, he sings cover songs from heavier groups like Rage Against the Machine. A.J. has made Johnny No Name his bad boy alter ego. Odd -- wasn't he supposed to be a bad boy in the Backstreet Boys?
A.J., Johnny, or whatever he wants to go by, told YM that his fans are different from his Backstreet Boys fans. "They're raunchier," he said. "On stage at the Backstreet Boys shows, I usually get teddy bears, candy and flowers thrown at me. Johnny gets panties and bras." Possibly this difference is because his Backstreet Boy fans have not matured into the bra-wearing stage yet.
Oh, but this isn't the silliest part of his solo career. Not only will he be creating music as a Backstreet Boy and as a solo artist, but he also plans to work on an R&B record as A.J. McLean. This is even more confusing than when Garth Brooks transformed himself into a fictional grunge rock star. Or what about the time Prince changed his name to some sign that looked like the "female" symbol ... and then became the Artist ... and then became Prince again? No artist ever found success in a name change; maybe someone should clue A.J. into the fatal career move he just made.
Most people are treated for multiple personality disorders. Not A.J. -- he tries to make money off of his three personalities. It would be absurd if Gov. Vilsack were a governor by day but King of the Carnies by night. Mary Sue Coleman would look foolish moonlighting as a Fieldhouse bartender. Some things just should not be.
Now that A.J. has three different personas, the public can get sick of his face three times as fast -- his plan to monopolize TRL has backfired.
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