The New Kids on the Block officially announced that they’ve reunited yesterday morning on the Today show. I wasn’t planning on covering this, but my nine-year-old self got incredibly cranky and threatened to climb into her NKOTB sleeping bag and refuse to come out until I did. My current-age-withheld self was also pretty damn impressed – those guys aged WELL. Despite the painfully obvious abundance of “Old Men on the Block” jokes, there was no denying that even the ugly one is decent looking now. And I’m pretty sure it’s worth it to write all about them for that reason alone. Back in the day, the New Kids sold over 70 million albums, paving the way for such illustrious boybands as the Backstreet Boys, Nsync, and the ultra-prestigious LFO. Now they’re ready to reclaim their rightful place at the top of the charts.

The undeniably aged entertainers, reunited 22 years after first forming and 20 years after the release of their debut album, Hanging Tough, are apparently more than willing to embrace their status as the elder statesmen of teenybop pop. (Jonathan Knight’s the eldest, at 39; [Donny] Wahlberg and [Danny] Wood are both 38; Jordan Knight is 37; and [Joey] McIntyre is the baby, at 35.) Asked what they had in store for long-suffering fans on their new album, McIntyre teased, “Three things: the economy, health care and job security.”

“We’ve got some new material,” Wahlberg said. “We’re going to dance, we’re going to sing, we’re going to do it all.” Once the man band was unveiled—with a drumroll and from behind a red-velvet curtain set up outdoors—Wahlberg wasted no time in getting down to the business of the announcement. “We started recording in August,” he said. “Really, it was music that brought us back.”

Wahlberg also noted that the reunion announcement, which has been in the ether for months, was something the group wasn’t planning on confirming so early on, but felt they needed to after word began to leak out in January. “We really weren’t going to announce this yet,” he said, adding that the boys-no-more band ultimately decided to confirm the rumors for their fans’ sake. “The fans got a little excited, but they got a little unsure, so we thought we better come out and let them know it’s official. We hope to tour in the fall—we’re already setting up limited dates.”

[From

Today is a sorta slow news day. Correction: today is a slow gossip day. So I’ll mention that if you’re into politics or fighting the forces of evil, you’ll be happy to learn that Karl Rove just resigned. In Entertainment news, here’s a little rundown of who’s had a baby in the last week or so.

Spice Girl Emma Bunton passed the title of “Baby” on to her new little boy this past Friday, August 10. Named Beau, the Spice Boy weighed in at 7 lbs, 15oz. The baby’s father is Bunton’s longtime boyfriend, Jade Jones.

“Pop singer Emma Bunton gave birth to her own Baby Spice on Friday — a boy called Beau.

“Bunton, 31, known as Baby Spice during her days with the Spice Girls, and partner Jade Jones’s first baby was born at 11:12 a.m. at London’s private Portland Hospital.

“’We just had a lovely baby boy,’ a beaming Jones told reporters outside the hospital. ‘Emma is doing very well … she’s just bonding with baby. We’re over the moon.’

“Jones said the first request the singer had following the birth was for Coca-Cola and flapjacks.

“Bunton and Jones, a former member of Nineties boy band Damage, have been together for eight years.

“Bunton is the latest member of Spice Girls, who announced in June that they are reforming for a comeback tour, to give birth.”

[From the Washington Post]

I think Emma’s held up the best of all the Spice Girls. She looks fairly natural, and very pretty.

Next up, Sara Gilbert, who played Darlene on “Roseanne” and has a continuing role on “E.R.” gave birth to a baby girl on August 2nd. She and her partner, Allison Adler, named the baby Sawyer. The two have a 3-year-old son named Levi, who Adler gave birth to.

“Sara Gilbert, the actress who came to fame portraying Darlene Conner on the hit ABC sitcom Roseanne, has started a family of her own. Gilbert gave birth to her first daughter back on August 2.

“32-year-old Sara Gilbert gave birth to her second child, a daughter named Sawyer, a week and a half ago, according to Variety. The announcement of the birth of Sawyer was made by Sara Gilbert’s publicist, though the publicist did not give any more details about the birth or the baby.”

[From Actress Archives]

That is one of the huge advantages of lesbian relationships. You can trade off birthing duties.

And, most relevant of all, Jordan Knight, he of “New Kids on the Block” and “The Surreal Life” fame, had a son in February. Why is this just getting reported now, you ask? Because it’s Jordan Knight, and if it gets mentioned within 18 months of it happening, he should consider himself pretty damn lucky. I mean even People Magazine only reported it this week. Maybe he was trying to keep it under wraps, so he wouldn’t be hounded by fans and the paparazzi.

“Knight’s wife Evelyn gave birth in February to the couple’s second child, Eric Jacob Knight. Older son Dante is now 7.

“’Right now, all Dante wants to do is take care of his brother, so we don’t have any jealousy issues,’ says his dad. “Dante is very protective, so it really bothers him when Eric cries. I think they’re going to be very close.’

“Unlike some new parents, Knight doesn’t mind midnight feedings or diaper changes. ‘I am a night owl, so that actually works out well,’ he says. ‘I like to stay up until 4 or 5 in the morning, so I can take care of him if he wakes up, and let my wife sleep.’

“After releasing his second solo album, Love Songs, last year, Knight is taking some time off to spend with his family.

“’There are a lot of doors open right now,” he says. ‘But I don’t want to do anything that will take me away from my family for very long. They’re only going to be young for so long, and I’d hate to miss this time in their lives.’”

[From People]

That’s kinda sweet. I’m pretty much only reporting this because I was supposed to marry Jordan Knight. At least my second-grade self was. The current self is glad he’s moved on and found someone else.

Picture note by JayBird: Here is Sara Gilbert at the Art of Elysium event in November, 2005 and Jordan Knight at the People’s Choice Awards in January 2005. Header image is Baby Spice at the Spice Girls press conference. Images thanks to PR Photos.