Disney music not only for adolescents

The most fun I’ve ever had was when I went to a Jonas Brothers concert with my younger sister.
We anticipated the event for months. We read every interview in every teen magazine, watched every talk show appearance and crossed out the days on a “Countdown to JoBros” calendar proudly displayed on the fridge.
When the concert finally came, we had a blast hanging around Phillips Arena, buying T-shirts and trying to get a glimpse of our favorite stars before they went on stage.  

Yes, I am one of “those” girls — the ones who haven’t quite outgrown their pre-teen *NSYNC and Backstreet Boy fan days.
I actually have a Jonas Brothers poster in my room, my ring tone changes with every song Justin Bieber releases and I genuinely enjoyed Miley Cyrus years before playing “Party in the USA” at bars was funny and ironic.
It seems as if I am alone in my fandom. Attempts to express or even defend my musical taste have been met with incredulous stares and threats to destroy my iPod.
I guess those reactions are understandable, as I fully realize this behavior is not quite normal for a senior in college, but I can’t help what I like. At some points I don’t understand why my 16-year-old sister and I seem to be the only ones who give this music a chance.
It may be mass-produced and over-marketed, but I’ve read and seen enough interviews with the Jonas Brothers to know that they truly do write their own songs and play their own instruments and really have a passion for the music they record.
Also, few Hollywood actors can pull off a tuxedo the way the Jonas Brothers can. Did you see them at The Grammys?
And Justin Bieber is a perfect example of the modern rags-to-riches story. A normal kid from a small town in Canada posts a few Youtube videos of himself singing and  becomes an overnight sensation, hanging with such hip-hop heavy hitters as P. Diddy, Wyclef Jean and Usher.
Despite what I think is a good reason to give the teenybopper set a second chance, I still get laughs and taunts when I try to convert others into fanatics like myself.
So I’ve given up. I know a futile task when I see one, but what’s wrong with not acting your age every once in a while? Yes, of course college comes with responsibilities that one must take seriously.
For most it’s the first time living away from home or being financially independent, not to mention dealing with the temptations of downtown and the complications of adult relationships.  
For seniors waiting for the dreaded G-word — graduation — at the end of the semester, this time of year is spent frantically searching for jobs and preparing for that so-called real world that surely awaits us after we leave UGA’s cushy nest.  
But why does it all have to be serious? We should keep in mind that we are still young.
As corny as it sounds, in the world of Miley and Jonas there are no job interviews or overdue bills to pay or term papers to write.
It’s a way of realizing that life is not just a jumble of responsibilities and chores, but that there is time to enjoy the simple things that give you pleasure, no matter how age-inappropriate.
Maybe I’ll forever be the only Jonas fan on campus, but there are plenty of other ways to hold on to the last fleeting bit of youth.
If a Friday night seems better spent having a Mario Kart tournament and watching The Lion King than going downtown with the rest of your friends, I say go for it.
Embrace your 13-year-old self.It might be the best Friday night you’ve had since middle school.
—Bailey Keiger is a senior from Atlanta majoring in magazines