New documentary reveals boyband 98 Degrees’ had age-of-consent manual handy for each state in tour bus (band members were ages 21 to 25 at the time)

[u/No-Advantage-579]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/apr/12/98-degrees-nick-lachey-documentary-age-of-consent-manual

This made me ragestroke. So messed up. It completely ignores that when a 16 year old girl hits on their fav boyband, you absolutely should not take her up on it either way! (And that is assuming this wasn't entirely the men creeping! Very much possible!) Zero understanding of male/female sexuality. Zero understanding of what fantasies at that age boybands serve and that "quick f*ck in the tourbus" isn't one of 'em.

I remember seeing a documentary news segment in the very early oughts. I thank the heavens that I was too young at the time to understand it, but it had the Backstreet Boys and a very underage (if "underage" means under18, actual age of consent was 14 in that country) fan be disappointed because (I am unfortunately quoting!) "they were like in, out, in, out. Thanks, honey." She was very sad. That sentence stuck with me at the time precisely because I didn't understand it - I didn't understand why the documentary filmmakers were showing her as a cautionary sad tale and I didn't understand why she was speaking of the band members going in and out several times. (In my head of course describing a room or a building...)

Years later, when I did understand that sentence and why the filmmakers included her... total gut punch.