Hanson Must Die. This homemade shirt, worn by a roadie at DotFest ’97, was one of the big laughs of the day. The back read “MMM Duh.”

So why do people hate teen sensation Hanson so much?

“It’s the nature of the beast,” said Dark Knight, a radio personality for the Ames Top 40 station KCCQ.

Knight joked (at least I think he was joking) that the station spins the song at least 60 times a day and still gets requests to play it more.

But not all call-in listeners are riding the Hanson big-wheel. “I do an all-request show at night and people will call in and say ‘just anything but Hanson,'” Knight said. “I sympathize with them. I really do.”

As store manager for Musicland in North Grand Mall, Brad Niland has overheard customers talking about the trio. “It seems like we get a few snide comments about them,” Niland said.

Niland said it is mostly younger kids who buy the record. “We had the CD in the listening station for a while and that really helped sales,” he said. Niland even admitted that “Middle of Nowhere” “really isn’t too bad for three kids.”

Kyle Munson, music reporter for The Des Moines Register, has a similar opinion. “‘Middle of Nowhere’ isn’t a horrible album, but it wouldn’t have gotten the attention if the Hansons were the typical alterna-twentysomethings,” he said.

But the big question remains. Will the Hanson brothers be a summer crush or can they hold on to their popularity through puberty?

“I think that if the Hanson boys become cynical and burned out they may make better records,” Munson said. “I hope they don’t go the Silverchair route. They certainly won’t become the suburb’s answer to Nick Drake; better songwriting is definitely on the horizon.”

Knight said he hasn’t heard the entire record but guaranteed that nothing will be as huge as “MMM Bop.” “It’s just not possible,” he said. “Let’s just say I don’t think I’ll be going to a Hanson tour in 20 years.”

Niland said there are a couple of songs that might do well as singles. “They were on Letterman and played their own instruments and they write some of their own songs, so they’re not totally like the New Kids,” he explained.

The New Kids? Could this be true? Will Isaac, Taylor and Zachary replace Jordan, Donnie, Danny, Joe and John?

Only time will tell. But for now, Hanson will have to serve as the next Jackson 5.

“I don’t think that’s fair,” Knight said. “There’s five of them and only three Hanson guys. Calling them the next Jackson 5 only limits them.”

Munson feels the comparison is justified. “I think the Jackson 5 comparison is somewhat relevant, especially when you consider that the relatively carefree, joyous pop that both bands represent hasn’t been a popular flavor for some time,” he said.

What the Hanson brothers also have is some little-known history under their belts. Did you know they have already recorded two full- length CDs and have written over 100 songs?

Did you know they are often forced to play outside of bars in their hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma, because they are too young to get in?

Did you know more than 63,316 people have visited the official Hanson website (not to mention the dozen or so non-official sites) since its debut.

Although “MMM Bop” has been on the air since April, it is still a new release according to radio time. Knight even predicts the song to hold off until the end of the summer, much like last summer’s “Macarena.” “I just hope this one doesn’t start popping up at weddings,” Knight said.

With “Middle of Nowhere” still high on the Billboard chart, Hanson doesn’t look to be fading anytime soon. And just like the New Kids were gay lovers, rumors have begun to pop up about Hanson.

Some people even believe the brothers have another sibling in alternative singer Beck (whose last name is Hansen).

“I don’t know any anecdotes, but the Hansons have been seen frequenting the Hollywood scene a lot,” Munson said.

“That’s a bad omen; burnout could be on the horizon, or overexposure. They appeared on ‘Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee,’ another bad sign.”

What’s next? A Tickle-Me-Hanson doll? Only time will tell.

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Corey Moss is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from Urbandale. This column originally appeared in the June 17, 1997 issue of the Daily.