text: is it safe to say that the "boy band" era is dead? *knocks on wood*  thank god. : ) no! don't say its dead! because as soon as we say its dead it becomes retro. retro and cool. and it will come back to haunt us with delightful dance moves and high pitched voices.   let it live, small and pathetic in the gutter of pop culture.  do not call it dead, though.