March 10 saw Justin Bieber leave the UK to continue his world tour, and it
March 10 saw Justin Bieber leave the UK to continue his world tour, and it’s safe to say we are glad to see the back of him.
For the past two weeks the 19-year-old Canadian singer has been grabbing headlines for all the wrong reasons. Starting with being turned away from Manchester nightclub Sankeys – ‘He shuffles on stage and we can’t be having that in Sankeys now can we!!’ – to the turning up two hours late for a show and ending with THAT attack on the paparazzi and collapsing on stage.
Is this the work of a spoilt brat pop star or another victim of growing up in the public eye?
If we take a closer look at the events of the week, the finger of blame doesn’t necessarily lie with the multi-millionaire pop star. Take the Sankeys incident for instance. As much as Bieber might not be the ‘type’ that normally inhabits the club, this just left a dent in the youngster’s ego whilst providing nationwide publicity for the Manchester based nightclub. As for the attack on the paparazzi, as much as it’s a love/hate relationship between celebrity and cameraman, both need each other to survive. Without a celebrity there’s no-one for the paps to take pictures of, whilst without the paps celebrities wouldn’t be featured in magazines. However, if you listen to the video closely, you can hear what could be considered as racial abuse towards Bieber and his bodyguards. But does this allow for Justin to retaliate in the violent way that he did?
What I don’t agree with though is the turning up two hours late for a concert in the UK’s most famous arena, the O2. Bieber’s problem is that he is a children’s entertainer. It’s a different job from what is regarded as ‘rock star.’ His fan base is mostly young teen and pre-teen girls and so concerts are highly energetic and draining on the parents much like children’s birthday parties. So with Bieber turning up two hours late, all the fizz has left the children that have been running around, jumping, screaming and shouting thanks to too much orange juice and not enough pop star. Understandably parents would be enraged at the 19-year-old as its way past the kids’ bedtime and they’ve paid money to see him.
Already five years into his career, Bieber isn’t the fresh-faced virginal squeaky pop star anymore. He’s fighting for a transition to be regarded as an adult in a world that has acted as his mum and dad during his adolescent years. But there was nothing more wonderfully teenage about his birthday night in London. Planning to spend vast amounts of money on booze and private tables in London’s swanky Cirque du Soir to see in his 19th birthday, Bieber was left red-faced as his underage friends were turned away by British law that stipulates no underage drinkers in club venues. This led to what is now known as the third most retweeted tweet – ‘Worst birthday’ – from what I can imagine, a sulking, bottom lip protruding teenage pop star.
Justin Bieber is desperate to be considered older, cooler, edgier and more rock starry by falling out of clubs, being late for gigs and teasing his fans into a frenzy. But it seems he is following in the footsteps of the other child stars.
The tragic stories of former child stars such as River Phoenix, Brad Renfro, Cory Haim and Judy Garland, who met their end too soon, somehow hasn’t prevented a new generation of stars from living life in the fast lane. Britney Spears went mental with a shaved head and umbrella, Drew Barrymore was talking cocaine at 13 years-old, whilst the like of Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes and others are constantly in trouble with the law.
However, it’s not all booze, drugs and breakdowns though. For every Lindsay Lohan there’s a Joseph-Gordon Levitt. Child stars that are still enjoying their fame without the excessive and hedonistic life include Jodie Foster (Freaky Friday), Anna Paquin (The Piano) and Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother).
Reports say that Will Smith, another successful child to adult star, has taken Justin Bieber under his wing to get him back on the straight and narrow, so maybe there’s hope for him yet?
But is it really acceptable for him to unleash a four-letter rant threatening violence? I mean what kind of role model is he being to his young fans, who seem to accept everything he does because he’s Justin Bieber.
Not any kind of one in my eyes, and if the recent reports are anything to go by we won’t be seeing him in Great Britain for a long time (if at all). Oh.
What do you think of Justin Bieber? Would you want to see him if he returned to the UK? Have your say in the comments section below, on Facebook or on Twitter.
