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Marketing androgyny: the evolution of the Backstreet Boys

2007; Cambridge University Press; Volume: 26; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1017/s0261143007001286

1474-0095

Daryl Jamieson,

Sexuality, Behavior, and Technology

Abstract The trend in popular culture away from idealising mature, strong ‘men’ in favour of young, androgynous ‘boys’ can in part be traced to how pop music impresarios such as Lou Pearlman present sexuality to their huge market of young listeners. During their time under the management of Wright Stuff, 1996–1998, the Backstreet Boys were the most popular manufactured boyband in the world, and as such influenced the sexual development of millions of young women and men. This paper examines how, during this period, the presentation and marketing of the Backstreet Boys, and their youngest member Nick Carter in particular, encouraged queer readings, and how those subtle queer subtexts in the music and videos may have affected their (mostly) young, uncritical audience.