As most of you know, Alex (aka: AJ) McLean from the Backstreet Boys was in rehab for alcohol abuse, depression, and anxiety. He was released a week ago (August 4, 2001) and is currently an out-patient. When my mom told me that AJ was in rehab for alcohol abuse, my first reaction was "Yeah, right. Nice try mom." Then I watched the 10 o'clock news. When they showed the other four guys talking about it, I realized that it was true. When I saw Nick start to cry, I realized that this wasn't a small alcohol problem - it was big and had to have been going on for a while. As soon as the news segment was over, I left the room, found a quiet place and cried. There was nothing that I could do other than to cry. This was the guy who's voice has amazed me since I first heard "We've Got It Goin' On" back in 1995. No way was he in a life-threatening situation. The good part about the whole announcement was that it meant that AJ would be getting help and getting better. It was also good because it showed that the Backstreet Boys know that they're fans are the most important people in their careers and they were honest with us. They didn't say that Alex had broken a bone or something like that. They came out and said that he was battling alcoholism and depression. And what did Alex get for being honest with his fans? More stress. While many fans supported him, there were those that shut him out. When I went to message boards, I found countless people saying that Alex was tearing the Backstreet Boys apart and that they were going to end up breaking up and it would be all his fault. I have never heard something that is that far from the truth
When things happen, there is more than one reason behind them. When people commit suicide, there are usually multiple reasons for it. Most cases don't envolve just one bad day. It is the culmination of things that cause people to take their lives. The same would hold true for the break-up of the Backstreet Boys. I'm not saying that I think that they will break up soon. Don't get me wrong - I think that they have many years ahead of them as a group. I'm simply saying that if they do in fact break-up, that it will be a culmination of things, not just Alex going to rehab. It would be because they felt that the time was right or that they wanted to go out on top. I firmly believe that none of the fellas would say, "Well, since AJ went into rehab, we should break-up becasue it will cause us to lose fans." If they do lose or have lost fans because of this, then those people were not true fans to start with and they should be gone. No one needs "fans" that will shut them out the minute something bad happens. They need fans that are there "for better and for worse," through thick and thin. Many people who call themselves true fans turned their backs on Alex the minute they heard about his battle. I laugh at them. How dare you call yourself a Backstreet Boys fan? What the hell ever gave you the idea that you were a fan? Go say you're an *N Sync fan. The true Backstreet Boys fans don't want you in our ranks. We'd be much better if you left now and never came back.
Being a fan is more than buying their CD and liking their music. If you are a fan of someone, of anyone, you support them. You stick by them when things go wrong and you let them know that you are there for them. You give them a reason to stay strong by letting them know that people care about them. You don't walk away, only to return when things are good again. That's what I call a teenybopper. They are flimsy in their favorite harmonizing group. One day, it might be the Backstreet Boys and the next it is *N Sync. Those are not true fans that the bands can rely on. They are the kind of fans that have no substance.
I don't know if anyone reading this saw the 20/20 segment that featured Denise McLean being interviewed by Connie Chung. I saw it. I cried. It was incredibly sad to hear Alex's mom talking about his struggle. Not just now, but since the whole thing started. She talked candidly about the differences between AJ and Alex. In case you haven't noticed, I tend to call him Alex. I believe that he is only AJ when he is onstage or in fanfictions. Every other time in his life, he is Alex. I thought it was touching to hear what she felt about the whole thing.
Anyway, those of you that say that the Backstreet Boys are going to break up because of Alex are strongly misguided.
Copyright Kentucky Girl 2001