I’m undecided whether it’s because I’m getting older and less tolerant of the obsessions of the tweenage crowd or if the manufactured ‘idols’ of the moment and the legions of fans they produce are really getting worse. You may have been able to look past his previous indiscretions of saliva launching at fans and alleged vandalism on a neighbour’s house (although I really hope not). And who can forget the possibly misguided but ultimately disgusting escapades at the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam last April? Regardless, it’s safe to say that the latest shenanigans of everyone’s favourite love-to-hate superstar, Justin Bieber really have hit the nail in the coffin. As the media have gleefully documented every twist and turn of his most recent spiral towards a level of insanity, it seems only a celebrity can reach, it’s likely that you’re probably already familiar with his latest run in with the law of a reported drink and drive incident over the last few days. In a decade dotted with the bleary faced mug shots of souped up celebs, like Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie, to name but a few, these days it seems a ‘DUI’ is no more than an initialism without any real meaning, and rather a label for the young, rich and hedonistic.
It’s really no surprise that one group of society who truly seem to have lost all perspective are his legions of ‘Beliebers.’ Matters are complicated when we also take account of the power and influence of social media, and the extra dimension that this mode of communication brings. The fangirls and boys who fawned and fainted over Elvis, The Beatles and the Spice Girls now have the dimension of ‘The twittersphere’ and the power of the hashtag to, in a way, collectively chant their mantras. Sadly, some of these hashtags promoted by raging Beliebers include ‘#WeWillAlwaysSupportYouJustin’ ‘#freebieber.’ This isn’t just annoying or downright disturbing, it’s ridiculously offensive. The thing that irks me most is that I can guarantee that practically every one of these twitter users who have utilised the hashtags mentioned in the past few days have no doubt seen the spine- chilling reports repeatedly splashed on our screens and the tabloids of families who have lost a brother, a mother or a friend to the sheer recklessness of those who chose selfishly to drink and drive. Promoting the behaviour of Bieber as something that should be supported is arguably just as selfish. There is no excuse for it.
One video which summed up everything I was feeling was Youtuber Josh Sundquist’s recently uploaded response (‘Justin Bieber Arrested: The tweet he should be forced to send’ if you’re interested). Sundquist begins the video by discussing a college friend called Katie who he met through an acapella group. Sadly, she lost her life due to carelessness of a drink driver on the road. Sundquist hauntingly ends his anecdote with “She can no longer sing, Justin Bieber can.
It’s important to note that the cult of celebrity has existed way before even Justin’s parents were born, an obsession with scandal and speculation that will probably never die out in our lifetime at least. The issue we need to address around Bieber is more than just having a low tolerance for his music or finding him an annoying human being in general. It’s not even really about the guy himself, but rather the crazy emotional response and the message to society he, as a brand generates. So while Bieber’s team of PR minions pick up the pieces of his career and attempt to sweep his doings under the carpet away from the public eye, I think it’s crucial that we try to take something away from this particular situation as a whole. Should we accept that celebrities aren’t squeaky-clean? Should we completely disregard the exploits of those in the public eye and instead, focus on the world-wide conflicts happening under our noses right now, seemingly unreported by the press? Or should all of us with an ounce of common sense just shake our heads in shame, unplug all our electronic devices, delete our social media accounts and be done with it all entirely? It seems a bit rich of me to suggest not taking any interest into those positioned towards the public eye, as I spent the first 150 words or so pointing out to you the exploits of one in particular. There is no denying that there are many conflicts that are taking place right now in the world as you are reading is, vastly underreported, that deserve a hell of a lot more coverage than that little teenybopper. However, I think we should utilise our pre-existing knowledge of celebrities’ misdemeanours to champion causes that promote responsible behaviours in society, the complete avoidance of driving under the influence being one. There may be no point arguing with the most avid 13 year old fan that their idol is problematic, but if we reinforce to them that everyone regardless of whatever status they seem to hold should take responsibility for their actions, they may come to the conclusion themselves. They might even redirect the energy previously taken up to idolise the ‘Biebz’ and use their passion for something worth fighting for, worldwide issues of injustice and inequality. Then maybe go read a book or something.
Image Sources:
3) http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/HY0Vbn5Ka70/mqdefault.jpg
Grace Webster