Beyoncé And Her Boy Band

Pop-diva powerhouse, Beyoncé, recently announced that she is in the process of developing her own label.

“I see so many male artists building these empires and passing their knowledge on to other artists and development. I see myself doing the same thing, and hopefully other young artists when they grow up and have been around for 15, 20 years, they can do the same thing,” she told the Huffington Post.

Isn’t that great?

Oh yeah– and she wants to create a boy band.

I wonder if Beyoncé would reconsider her aspirations to create a boy band if I got on my knees and begged. What if I cried? I wouldn’t even have to get in the zone and think about hungry, homeless kitties with mange; all I’d have to think about is Beyoncé creating a boy band that sells members with labels like, “the bad boy,” “the sensitive guy,” “the one who is still in the closet,” and “the guy who actually has talent,” and I would naturally tear up from the acid reflux that pulsed through my diaphragm to the beat of some panty wetting love song written by an industry professional who looks like Kim Mitchell circa 1993.

It seems that boy bands have been around since man discovered fire, and the reason why they have held such long withstanding popularity is due to their marketability (marketability is code for money). Similar to the polished, good girl gone bad image that threads dominant, young, female pop acts into a singular money-making prototype of sassy sexuality, the saleability of boy bands is centered around sex, as well, although a much different version of it. While a demographic of young, heterosexual males may find these pop tart, vixens aesthetically appealing with their stripper dance moves and premeditated poses,  these young men are not running out in hordes to buy their CDs, or to stand at the edge of a concert stage screaming in falsetto while fanning their fingers in front of their joyfully tearful faces.

The sexuality packaged within the boy band product is considerably less advert than that of the the young, female pop artist, and is marketed as emotional foreplay for budding young girls. This masculine ideal promises a kiss goodnight, an OMG, he said the sweetest thing kind of feminine fantasy, and often becomes a safe source for young girls’ to hone their first romantic crushes. The different styles of sex that male and female pop artists sell is reflective of the girls want to cuddle and guys want to fuck sexual stereotypes that we continue to buy.

Despite the money making potential of boy bands to make rich people richer (Beyoncé included), and the questionable cultural values we’re instilling in young girls that make them such malleable, consumer whores, you have to wonder– is the boy band phenomena as innocent as it appears?

Do young girls need unrealistically gooey images of teen heart throbs to nurture their developing sexual psyches? Are the depictions of male sexuality sold by pop culture constructs like boy bands teaching girls anything valuable about sex or intimate relationships, like self esteem, pride, independence, or balance? Wouldn’t it be more empowering for young girls to redirect their passions into positive projects and endeavors, rather than fawning over fantastical images of young males that are meticulously carved for their consumption? I guess Beyonce is willing to turn a blind eye if it’s a dollar sign that is obstructing her view.

Even though many of us are still hung over from the frenzy surrounding N’Sync and the Backstreet Boys, and continue to feel disoriented from the steadfast rise of Justin Bieber, with his never ending whine that haunts us over radio airwaves, it seems as though it will be just a matter of time before we’ll have another boy band to contend with. But hey, at least there will be One Less Lonely Girl.

Contact the author here: lojomanifesto@morningquickie.com