Texas School: "Backstreet's Bad, Alright!"

Back - Index - Submissions - - What is RSS? Date: Mar 11, 2000 Source: VH1: The Wire Submitted By: Gina By Rob Kemp Aren't those Backstreet Boys nice? VH1.com's granny and the ladies we play bingo with at church every Tuesday all agree that Nick, Brian, A.J., Kevin and Howie are fine, upstanding young men. All the girls' screams deafening Times Square workers every day at 4 PM outside of TRL concur. Our informal consensus holds that Backstreet, and all their hits, would never suggest untoward behavior. But officials at the Sunnybrook Christian Academy in San Antonio,Texas don't think so. Four students - two high school age, two junior high school age - at the private school have been suspended for attending a Backstreet Boys concert at San Antonio's Alamodome on March 1. A.J.'s onstage writhing and Nick's rhetorical query "Am I sexual?" in the anthem "Backstreet's Back" contradicts the school's policy opposing "involvement in inappropriate music [or] dancing." School administrator Trudie Perez elaborated the Academy's philosophy on Wednesday. "Our conduct must be moral and upright 24 hours a day. Students are expected to adhere to school regulations against such behavior as swearing and drinking even after the school bell has rung for the day." Three students served their one-day suspension, but the fourth, senior Jason Trejo, resolved to leave the school. Perez said Trejo was enrolled at Sunnybrook by his stepfather, but when his mother was asked to sign a contract acknowledging the school's principles, she pulled him out. The incident does not appear to have affected Sunnybrook's policy. Perez states that "inappropriate music would be anything that would promote values that would be contrary to Biblical values. We promote abstinence until marriage, so any music that would have any type of sexual content would be deemed inappropriate." Barring any incipient uproar (a la the recently rescinded ban on interracial dating at Bob Jones University), perhaps the famously devout Brian Littrell could defend the intentions of his group. VH1.com wonders what hitmakers could meet Sunnybrook's morally sound definition. Bob Carlisle, he of "Butterfly Kisses," makes the grade, as does defunct, ludicrous Christian metallions Stryper. Then there's Hildegard of Bingen, the 14th century nun given to composing monophonic Gregorian chants. Otherwise, VH1.com is stumped. Pat Boone, sadly, is out, since the longtime Baptist entertainer made that big band/heavy metal album No More Mr. Nice Guy. But sundry pop performers have long run afoul of Sunnybrook's standards: Perez reckoned that students had been suspended for attending inappropriate concerts since 1983. An incident that had not made the news was the suspension of a student that had been infected by the devilish gyrations we all know abound at Ricky Martin shows. Free-speech activist Nina Crowley, executive director for the Massachusetts Music Industry Coalition is having none of it, telling SonicNet.com that she'd never heard of school strictures as inflexible as Sunnybrook's. "It totally takes all choice about your kids' cultural experience out of your hands, 24 hours a day," she said, going on to speculate on the motives of parents willing to send their children to such a restrictive school. "So many people are looking for somebody else to morally guide their child. What better way to do that than to have someone dictate to them around the clock?" San Antonio has been a testing ground for what pop artists can get away with ever since Ozzy Osbourne relieved himself on the Alamo 18 years ago. And more recently, a few Texas public school districts held Marilyn Manson Awareness training. The Crime Prevention Resource Center, the Fort Worth nonprofit group that organized the events, sent guidelines to schools suggesting that devotees of Manson and other "scary" rock and metal bands should be regarded as gang members. As yet, the Backstreet organization has not commented on this latest contretemps, but they have spoken out against counterfeit tickets and backstage passes being proffered on eBay. "The Backstreet Boys would like to inform you that there are people who are selling counterfeit tickets and backstage passes for Backstreet Boys concerts on eBay," reads a message to fans on the Boys' official Web site (www.backstreetboys.com). "This is in no way affiliated or condoned by the Backstreet Boys." "The Backstreet Boys want you to be very careful in considering these false offers. Individuals are wasting large sums of money on these tickets and passes because they are bogus. Please be aware and know that backstage passes are never sold for Backstreet Boys shows by anyone, ever." There, we told you that Backstreet were good chaps. Comment on this item. Recent Comments Submitted by: johnanz http://imrdsoacha.gov.co/silvitra-120mg-qrms Submitted by: smashing top seo 8YXVjQ I appreciate you sharing this article. Comment on this item. Next Item: Man! I Feel Like A Diva Prev Item: "The One" is the one