Show Business Commentary: Heidi Oringer

Aug. 10 -- Didja know that not only can you listen to ’N Sync, the hot boy band that consistently tops the pop charts, but now, yes now, you can play with ’N Sync too?

No, you can’t get up onstage with your marionette likeness and jam “Bye Bye Bye” with the group (they do that onstage for those of you not in the know), nor am I talking about joining the fab five for roller hockey. I’m referring to playing the new board game called, “’N Sync Backstage Pass.” And you were worried how you’d spend the rest of your summer.

Here’s the premise: You start out in the back row of an ’N Sync concert. That’s where you’d end up anyway, unless you got on line for the tickets in B.C. or you get enough allowance to afford you scalper seats. By answering a series of trivia (trivial?) questions about the band, you eek your way up to the front row whereupon, through some more, undoubtedly tougher questions, “What’s Lance’s favorite ice cream?”, you can get past the security guards and, voila, you are backstage. At which point you become the big winner (wiener?).

Sound exciting? If you need to run to the bathroom now because you’re about to lose control of your water, I’ll wait. Done? On we go!

Roll the Dice, Be Eminem’s Victim

There’s nothing wrong with good, wholesome fun, which this game is, I guess, if you like ’N Sync. And if you don’t, I’m sure there are plenty of young girls out there who would tell you you’re a big dumb jerk who needs to have their head crushed in a meat grinder so your brains can work, even though you have none cause you’re a big dumb jerk. But this leads me to believe the door has just been opened for other such games centered on recently successful music groups, celebrities, etc.

Will we see the “Eminem Backstage Slash” board game? The object of which is to attend an Eminem concert and both understand and explain the lyrics each time it is your turn. If you succeed, you get to advance backstage and meet Eminem.