Revenge of the Mouseketeers

ARJANWRITES.COM — Two Disney starlets are reunited. Justin Timberlake has teamed with fellow pop star Christina Aguilera on their "Stripped/Justified" summer tour.

The tour is not the first collaboration for Timberlake and Aguilera. They previously worked together as Mouseketeers on Disney's "The Mickey Mouse Club" in the early '90s. The show has been a fertile breeding ground for the recent teen pop movement, including Disney veterans Britney Spears and some of Timberlake’s fellow *NSYNC members, who are planning to reunite with him for future albums.

The time has come for Timberlake and Aguilera, both 22, to shed their saccharine Disney images. Both want to prove to critics that they have grown up beyond their pop tarty peers and show audiences what really is on their minds as young adults.

Timberlake's mature and buff appearance on Rolling Stone's January cover made him an instant sex symbol, giving both teenage girls and gay guys plenty to drool over. Despite his mainstream appeal, the singer has often shown appreciation for his gay following in the media.

In a recent interview with NEXT Magazine, the Tennessee native puts the hype surrounding his persona in perspective. He says, "Music is music; it's the universal language. And whether you're gay, straight, black, white, you know, whatever, you like what you like. And I'm flattered by anybody who likes my sound."

Fellow mouseketter Aguilera burst onto the scene in 2000 with the catchy "Genie In A Bottle." After her tame debut album, Aguilera showed her edgier side on her sophomore effort "Stripped."

Produced by lesbian Linda Perry, Aguilera exhibited a bombastic mix of rock and pop while wearing outfits that often showed more skin than style.

Despite her faulty fashion record, the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) honored the singer for including gay and transgender images in her "Beautiful" music video earlier this year.

Article Author: Arjan Timmermans

Visit Arjan Timmermans's author page — Arjan Timmermans's Blog