“It’s not a girl singing, Mom… it’s Aaron Carter!” I insisted as the prepubescent Justin Bieber of yesteryear screeched “I Want Candy” on Radio Disney about a million years ago. With his bleached blonde hair, toothy smile and catchy tunes, Aaron Carter melted the hearts of ‘90s youngsters worldwide. After his appearance on “Lizzie McGuire,” he began dating Hilary Duff… and Lindsay Lohan, initiating a hair-pulling feud between the two stars. Remember that? Unlikely.
That may very well be the last you heard of him. But as you probably guessed, Carter would have been better off with Lohan. He epitomized the bubblegum Disney star gone sour: a lawsuit, a proposal to a Playboy model, drug addiction, “Dancing With The Stars,” you name it.
Things looked promising for Carter after his stint in rehab when he was invited to participate in “Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off” on the Food Network. Unfortunately, he was eliminated after round one, but in his defense, the guy only eats candy.
In all honesty though, Carter has done some noteworthy things since his “Aaron’s Party (Come Get It)” days. With his leftover skills from “DWTS,” he auditioned and secured a lead role in the off-Broadway show, “The Fantasticks.” Good for him!
Sadly, Carter filed for bankruptcy Nov. 22, which is hard to believe because he was rolling in it before I started elementary school — and it’s also hard to believe because he completed a sold-out tour one year prior. Well, I guess he can borrow from his big bro Nick now that the Backstreet Boys are making a successful comeback! In the words of Aaron’s reggae-sounding female backup singers, “Aaron, oh Aaron, what are we going to do with you?”
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Twitter: @EricaWitte