THAT’S HOW I BEAT SHAQ (TO THE GRAVE)
Aughties popster/hip hopper Aaron Carter has met the fate of many a child star aged 34. The younger brother of Backstreet Boy Nick Carter, he rode his big bro’s coattails into a career of his own, becoming a kiddy favourite through Nickelodeon-friendly fare including a cover of “I Want Candy” and “That’s How I Beat Shaq”. These appearances on Nickelodeon made him one of the first celebrities I had any awareness of, if you want to feel ancient. Unable to transfer his teen idol fame into an enduring career, the hits well dried up before 9/11 and throughout the 10s he had all the hallmarks of an early demise: feuds with his siblings, trips to rehab, drug-related arrests. The end result, death by drowning in his bathtub with likely drug subtext, marks the latest sobering reminder of the vicious cycle of the children’s entertainment industry. Boom! Boom! Buttsoup and Star Dust put it through the hoop like slam! Slam!
Aaron Carter
7 December 1987 – 5 November 2022, aged 34
2 TEAMS (💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 + 😲 = 13 POINTS)