European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 9, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse A amps Anita Gosch pop sensations new kids on the Block above clockwise from left Jon Knight Donnie Wahlberg Jordan Knight Joe Mcintyre and Danny Wood. Below new kids on stage Joe left Jon and Donnie. New kid Danny returned to the United states to recuperate from a sprained ankle. They screeched and they screeched some More. Some 10,000 kids a mostly girls mostly americans and most Between 12 and 15 though some As Young As 7 or 8 a screeched their hearts out when teen idols new kids on the Block took Over the fest Halle in Frankfurt West Germany last week. They screeched before the show started each time a song playing Over the speakers died Down. They screeched when the lights dimmed and they let out a Hel Lacious screech when the new kids took the stage. Then they really screeched. Quot they re just so talented Quot gushed 12-year-old Desiree Duryea of Pitburg West Germany. Quot they got a great personality and they re very very Quot they re Good clean Cut kids Quot added Desiree s Mother Catherine herself a new kids fan. The girls screeched each time the Boston pop singers themselves just kids in their late teens and Early 20s, broke into yet another hit song a i la be Loving you forever Hangin Tough or you got it the right stuff. They screeched whenever one of the kids Brothers Jordan and Jon Knight Joe Mcintyre and Donnie Wahlberg kid Danny Wood was recuperating from a twisted ankle a spoke into the microphone. Quot Are you ready to. Quot screech Quot. Party Quot scree be each they screeched each time Jordan clearly one of the favorite kids winked at them and smiled and each time Joe the other favorite kid swivelled his hips and thrust his Pelvis. And when the new kids took off their shirts and threw them into the crowd they really screeched. Quot they re awesome a said 13-year-old Gina cogs Quot quo of Rhein main a. Quot they re cute and they got awes a Quot Quot they have some sex Appeal Quot said Tracey Manley of Hahn a Mother of two new kids fans herself a onetime fan of onetime teen idols the Osmond. Quot i Don t think they re Goody two shoes. We be seen some moves on stage that myself As a Mother could not possibly applaud. My kids loved it a and i thought it was great the girls kept on screeching while mom and dad waited dutifully in the bleachers in the Back of the Hall. Those parents caught in the crowd glanced around from time to time Shook their Heads and smiled probably remembering their own Youthful hysteria Over the beatles and the monkeys. Occasionally some of the old folks would tap their toes or swing their hips to the new kids infectious beat. And while most of the girls screeched others cried. Dawn Wiliams cried because she lost the shirt that Jordan Thuv and she had happened to catch. Someone asked it from her before she could hide it safely Ali. S sweat on it it had his smell on it Quot wailed a old from Rhein main a. Quot i can still smell it done to know year old Jaime Smith of Mainz cried because lost the Chance to see her idols. She was pushed Ai j shoved so hard in the crowd that she could t t lathe and had to leave the Hall. Had the 14-ye< on my Hai is four tet Quot now i breaking could and sobs Little girl could t. An t see Joe Quot she whimpered before to sobs. Quot he a my life. He helps me during the Day e m the Augh he s not really there. I feel like i really no Angela Burbage lost something More important than a shirt or show she lost a bit of her Youthful idealism. The 14 ear old from Rhein main a and her friends had arrive i Early in the Hall and sat on the floor in front of the Sta e waiting for the concert to begin. Suddenly the Crown behind them surged Forward. Quot every Ody was squished together passing out. You in breathe a Burbage said Between heaves they just All trampled us. I tried to help this in kept calling me to pick her up but i a amps Anita Gosch 2 fans went wild at the new kids concert in Frankfurt West Germany. Above new kid Jordan Knight. Quot i was on stage performer Burbage i could t but by Quot i know help it Quot can to go a Corr concert a station in Hospital considered when parking to their Batty Shin there the new exit and pounding Quot i saw window a o mad at the new kids. When they first came thought a How can you be Happy and when All those people got trampled a Quot Aid. Quot i take it. I had to leave because it there and celebrate after that Cage s idealism Isnit All gone a yet. It s not the new kids fault. They in said. A i still like them. I always will. But i another ing to officials 260 kids fainted during the ibid were treated and released at the first Aid Ide the Hall. Five kids were taken to the treatment their conditions were not serious it r t was All Over the girls Hung out in the outside the Hall. They proudly displayed 3 scars a a sprained ankle Here a bruised they boasted about How Jordan or Joe looked them straight in the eyes and they argued about when one of the new kids really is the cutest. Suddenly one final screech Rose up from the crowd ids tour bus was inching its Way toward the he girls surged after it screeching and the Back of the bus. Ordan Quot one girl shrieked. A the looked out the me Quot the sad truth is the new kids weren t even on the bus before the crowd had left the Hall they had rushed out to their waiting Limos and were already on their Way to the hotel. After All there was a party to attend. The now kids will be Back a some Day. But will their fans7 v do you think the new kids on the Block Are really awesome Are you going to one of their concerts in Europe we d like to hear about it. Tell us in 150 words or less what you thought of the new kids show a a Why you liked it or did t like it. Well print the Best reviews at the end of the new kids european tour. And there a More. Writers of the Best reviews will each copy of the new kids Best Selling Book. Send your review to stars and stripes a new kids review apoos211 or to the International address stars and stripes a new kids review Postrach 1114 37 d-6100 Darmstadt 11 West Germany please include your name address age the Date and location of the concert and a Small non returnable photo of yourself deadline for entry is May 27, hot or not and Why by Michael Mills Cox news service being a teen idol is risky business. One Day you re hot the next you re not. Just ask such where Are they now figures As Fabian Davy Jones and David Cassidy. Just ask Johnny Depp who made his starring film debut in the recently released cry baby. Despite an Avalanche of publicity the John Waters musical comedy made a disappointing $3 million its first week of release. Where were the legions of teen agers who helped make Depp s to series 21 jump Street a hit Quot i think a lot of it is that Johnny in t real accessible to his Young fans Quot said Julie Laufer editor of Bop and big bopper two teen magazines with a combined International circulation of about 850,000. Quot he has said in Many interviews he does no to want to be in teen age entertainment magazines. He does t think highly of the target audience for Laufer s magazines consists of Young teen girls in Small towns. It s important to her readers that they relate to their idols she said. Quot if they play somebody Nice and vulnerable and emotional and sensitive and things Don t always go their Way our readers have a tendency to relate to that because they can share some of those same there s also an element of budding sexuality involved with teen idolatry said Jack Nachbar professor of popular culture at Ohio s Bowling Green state University. Quot for a teen age girl idols Are Safe Quot Nachbar said. Quot they re not a real test of on s sexual allure at a time when teen age girls Are very self conscious very unsure of themselves. A lot of them Are just going through puberty so that a a Touchy time and it s easy therefore to take on this kind of highly emotional thing with somebody who is at a Safe Depp fit the Bill when 21 jump Street first aired three seasons ago Laufer said. Quot the girls did t know that much about him yet. He s handsome on the show and his character is emotional and vulnerable. He did become very popular but As he spoke out More he became Distant to his Young audience. Quot As Nachbar and Laufer Point out the Young audience is extremely fickle. Quot they re real trend oriented. Their main concern is acceptance Quot Nachbar said. Quot this goes with i think the whole business of being insecure. Something catches on and you Don t want to be left out so you grab onto it As quickly As you can. And then you Don t want to be seen As sticking with it too Long because the danger is then you la be thought of As a Quot they Are Loyal to a Point but not when they re Cut Down Quot said Laufer. Quot there s a lot of other people out there that they can put their energies a and their Money a greater spending Power is an important distinction Between the Young fans of today and those who popularized such Early teen idols As Rudy Vallee and Frank Sinatra. Kids Between 12 and 19 spend about $30 billion annually these Days and the teen magazines Are a $100 million a year Market. With that kind of financial clout teen fans can make or break an idol. Exposure is another Factor said Laufer adding that musicians often fare better As teen idols than actors. Judging from Reader fan mail she said new kids on the Block Are the hot teen idols of the moment. Quot Young teen agers need that stimulation almost daily and that s Why musicians seem to really gain the popularity because their fans can listen to their voices and see their videos every the simple fact of aging ultimately comes into play according to Nachbar who said a teen idol who does t work hard to broaden his image and Appeal can expect to fade fast. Quot if you Don t act like you re 17 anymore kids just Arentt interested. The Only person i know of who s really been Able to maintain that sort of rebellious sneering image for any Long length of time would be somebody like Mick Jagger who is actually starting to look a Little bit ridiculous. Quot but most of these people Are associated with youth and that s Why there s the sense of wednesday May 9,1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 15
