Oh My Biebs!

Houston, we have a problem! A pandemic, classified as BIEBERMANIA, is exponentially spreading worldwide. Viable cures are nowhere to be found. Its conditions are targeting girls, and boys, of all ages, from all nations. Those who become infected with it, are sent into an obsessive craze with eighteen year old, Justin Drew Bieber. Diagnosis of this disorder is most commonly identified by a Bieber Fever. Other symptoms include: delirious crying upon contact, erratic stalking, an odd compulsion to tweet him daily, the uncontrollable need to buy American Apparel brand hoodies, and an immoderate need to listen to his songs on repeat. Scientists seem to be trumped by its resistance to all possible cures. They have conjured up temporary treatments, which include: turning off your local radio and avoiding large gatherings of teenage girls, who call themselves The Beliebers. They suggest taking all necessary precautions to prevent infection.

The above might not be completely true, but to a non-Belieber like myself, some sort of a global infatuation with "The Biebs" does in fact exist, and many of the stated symptoms, do most certainly occur on a daily basis (I find it hilarious to see how this all draws a strange parallel to contagious disease). Seeing as this teen superstar has captured the hearts of so many, and there seems to be no way to get rid of him anytime soon, two important questions arise: How has he remained in power for such an extended period in time and what is he accomplishing with all of that power?

What seems like centuries ago, Justin was a normal kid doing generic, little kid things in the little town of Stratford, Ontario (REPRESENT CANADA). Then one day, some famous men in some fancy suits discovered him and Tada, we have a multi-award winning artist, taking over the world one song at a time. When I say 'taking over the world,' I literally mean, humans of all races, countries and ages continue to succumb to his "charming" smile, dapper good looks, angelic voice, and "sweet" personality. Perhaps the qualities aforementioned, are what have led to the mass hysteria surrounding him? FALSE. My little cousins possess all of these traits, which leads me to think that there has to be another reason for his; people must buy into his genuineness, they must find his image authentic and sincere.

 He seems to exude, one, a "good boy" vibe (devout Christian he is), and two, a positive and humble energy, that is typically not associated with such notable celebrities. He also seems to support great causes (even if he does self-promote regularly). If he is portrayed as a down to earth young lad, who does all kinds of great things for humanity at large, and promotes all sorts of cheesy but nonetheless, empowering mottos: Never Say Never, Stay Humble, Put God and Family First, how can people not fall head over heels for him? 

As of this morning, Biebs has 18, 077, 335 followers (or disciples as I like to refer to them) on 

twitter. These numbers alone prove the reason as to why he is on Time's 100 List of Most Influential People (but then again, so are Tom Ford and Bruno Mars). With all this power in his tiny, teenage hands, what is this talented young man doing for the world? First and foremost, he is a role-model to the children and parents of this generation. He seems to embrace this fact and is quite determined in portraying an image that many have clearly taken a liking to. He is involved in numerous charities; donating and promoting both. The foundations he stands for are very diverse: they range from "It Gets Better" (one dedicated to anti-gay bullying) to "Give Back" (dedicated to bring fresh water to developing nations). He is also very public with his Christian faith! Shattering the stereotypical necessity of being a bad boy in order to succeed, and preaching messages of perseverance and prayer, he remains an inspiration and a hero to many. In addition, as said earlier, he stands behind some intriguing messages. His movie and book showcase a "Never Say Never" motto...and maybe that is just what these kids need, someone to tell them that they have to stay focused in order to reach their goals, that there is hope for everyone, and that religion is...cool? 

At the end of the day, I guess it really does not matter if you or I are Bieber fans, it will not change anything. He is doing his part to make the world a better place, and is doing a lot more than most of us do in our own communities. As much as I cannot understand how quickly he became such a phenomenon, and for what crazy reasons he did, I still have to applaud the man for staying on path...for now. The best thing we can do is learn from his deeds. Try and do the same, if not better. Who are we to judge how he is to lead by example, if we are not doing the same ourselves? I leave you with one of his recent tweets, imagine how many 13 year olds went crazy over this one?

-Arina

Note: An article about this new embrace of Christianty by celebrities can be found below. Here is a very interesting excerpt:

“It’s not bad brand marketing,” explains Ann Neuman, the editor of The Revealer website at New York University’s Center for Religion and Media. “Bieber’s godliness makes him particularly safe and acceptable to tweens and their parents.”

Neuman also says the juxtaposition with God also sets these celebs up as martyr figures, which is even more appealing to their fans.

“It’s hard being a multi-million dollar sensation. You can have an off game, poor reviews and you’re constantly in the public’s critical eye. Having God in your corner means that he loves you even when you drop the ball or bomb a concert,” Neuman said. “It also means a devoted audience for your product of fellow believers and a ready parable for both success and failure.”

Read more here.