You've watched Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter. What's next?
the true crime that's worth your time
[CW: sexual assault, suicidal ideation, and substance misuse]
I've only watched the first half of Fallen Idols: Nick and Aaron Carter, which premiered Monday on ID and Max, but I think I've seen enough to say whether it's worth your time. The short answer is, alas, an unhelpful "maybe?"...
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…and the longer answer is that, as true-crime content, Fallen Idols has a lot of the same challenges that faced Quiet on Set. That's not surprising; Fallen Idols isn't solely an attempt to capitalize on the buzz Quiet on Set generated, but nor would I call said buzz completely irrelevant to Fallen's existence. Quiet on Set blended extremely watchable, nostalgia-forward contemporary footage of nineties/aughts pop culture; survivor testimony of former child stars; and headline revelations. What's more, it showed its parent networks that that blend would find an audience, and under the steady direction of Tara Malone (The Age of Influence), Fallen follows the recipe faithfully.
But as with Quiet, the conflicting tones here – the compelling visuals of the boy-band/girl-group era, interspersed with wrenching allegations of sexual assault – may not work for everyone. Also as with Quiet, a lot of Fallen's boldest-type intel is already out there; skimming a listicle takes three minutes, Fallen's total runtime is three hours…enough said.
Fallen isn't a waste, mind you: Dave Holmes and Scaachi Koul do plus work in talking-head interviews; Melissa Schuman's experience, particularly after she came forward only to get mauled by the Nick Carter Army, underlines how little many people still understand about the trauma response – and the necessity of stuffing that response if, as Melissa did, you want to keep working in a toxic industry where your abuser has power and you don't. It's worthwhile for those things, and for coverage of the late Aaron's decision to stand with his older brother's accusers.
But your time might be better spent on properties that focus on specific aspects of Fallen's story – or on adding them to your watch queues or library-hold lists while you watch Fallen.
And my list is just a starting point; please do chime in in the comments with properties I overlooked! (Please also be aware that content warnings apply for many, if not most, of the series and books below.)
Other accounts from entertainment-industry survivors
Leaving Neverland
Surviving R Kelly
Deeply reported overviews of industry power structures, and why victims of abuse and harassment in the arts "don't just"
Burn It Down // I served as a first reader on Mo Ryan's brilliant look at unhealthy/harassive TV people and shows, so I'm biased, but you can see for yourself with this THR excerpt from the SNL chapter.
Catch and Kill // Ronan Farrow's book on the battle to unmask Harvey Weinstein later became a series and a podcast, but for my money the book is the most powerful.
Milli Vanilli // The recent doc on the disgraced duo wasn't perfect, but really opened a window into the warping influence of act "packager" Frank Farian, who died earlier this year.
More on the toxic environment that was turn-of-the-millennium boy-band/girl-group life
The high cost of child stardom…including having to cover it
Behind The Music's legendary Leif Garrett episode // BTM was on this beat almost 30 years ago; the pertinent eps can be elusive (try YouTube for others on Tiffany, plus the E! True Hollywood Story on the New Kids), but despite a somewhat glib and predictable structure, few other narratives drove home how a career in music/showbiz could stunt a person permanently.
Confessions of a Teen Idol // I don't think anyone else remembers this 2009 attempt at a televised workfare program for former 16 cover boys, much less watched the whole thing, and lord knows where you'd even find it now, but as cynical as it was in its inception, it's stuck with me.
I'm Glad My Mom Died // Jennette McCurdy's memoir is yet another indictment of "mom-agers" and isn't afraid to name names.
Meow!: My Groovy Life with Tiger Beat's Teen Idols // Not terribly well written, but it reveals more than Ann Moses might think it does about teen idol-dom (and misogyny in journalism) 50-60 years ago. (It reveals exactly what she thinks it does about her pitiable youthful affair with a Gibb.) — SDB