Look, these things start innocently enough. Our age addled memories of our idealized youth and the bands we loved lead us down a treacherous path of wishful thoughts of reliving those days. Do we dwell on the realities of questionable hairstyles, bad fashion, awkward fumbling moments in the back seat of a car and poor complexion? No, instead some 40′ish survey group out there showed some scant interest in the rebirth of New Kids On The Block. I can just see the record executives now dutifully reviewing the data to decide which derelict band from yesteryear they pull out of the closet, slap some lipstick and a bow on it and trot it out as this year’s prize hog. (By the way, if you took this survey you should die.)

If it stops here, I think we can all sleep at night, but if I see two or more members of *NSYNC or the Backsreet boys in one place, it’s time to gather the villagers and get some torches and pitchforks. (Do you ever wonder if Donnie Wahlberg cries himself to sleep at night huddled under a blanket, lovingly petting a Jordan Knight doll? Maybe it’s just me . . .)

After months of speculation, 80s boy band New Kids on The Block are planning a comeback, is reporting People magazine. The band’s website, nkotb.com, which had been offline for months, is now back up and running in anticipation of the official announcement, which the source insists will be made in the next few weeks. The site currently shows a television graphic with a fuzzy, flickering photos of NKOTB in their heyday, and a link inviting fans to sign up to their newsletter. The band enjoyed enormous success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The group went on to sell over 70 million albums worldwide, generated hundreds of millions of dollars in concert revenues, and paved the way for acts like Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC. The oldest member, Jonathan Knight, now a real estate developer, will celebrate his 40th birthday later this year. Since the band’s demise, former members Donnie Wahlberg, 38, and Joey McIntyre, 35, have seen acting success, while Danny Wood, 38, has worked as a music producer and Knight’s brother, Jordan, 37, has continued to make music.

[Gossip Boulevard]