If you live under a rock, chances are you still heard about the recent legal drama and public sentiment against pop sensation Justin Bieber. Miami Police pulled the 19-year-old Canadian over early on the morning of January 23rd after responding to reports of drag racing in the Miami beach area. Bieber, according to Miami Police, was obviously impaired and also admitted that he had used a combination of alcohol, marijuana, and an unspecified prescription drug prior to taking the wheel. The singer, who was arrested, charged with a DUI, and then released on $2500 bail, is now awaiting a Valentines Day court date.
Justin Bieber, who first came on the scene in 2009 with the seven track “My World” EP, blew up immediately at just age fourteen. The video for his 2010 single “Baby” is close to reaching one billion views on YouTube making it the most viewed video on the internet by far. As of today, Bieber is a close second behind Katy Perry for the most followers on Twitter with 49.1 million. No matter where you go, everyone has some form of an opinion on the star.
Though the Canadian now carries a bad boy reputation, most seem to have forgotten or never heard about his philanthropy that has spanned over 15 charities. The music video for his 2010 single “Pray” highlights Bieber’s work in hospitals around the world visiting sick children. It was hard to form a bad opinion on the celebrity’s character back then.
But now the tables have turned. It only took a few highly publicized poor decisions to ruin Bieber’s public image. A video of the singer urinating into a restaurant’s mop bucket surfaced in 2013 causing public outrage. The Canadian has also been caught smoking pot on several occasions through photos taken without Bieber’s knowledge.
However, no one should be surprised that Justin Bieber has taken the path he has.
Considering he is probably the most famous teenager in the world, it’s wasn’t surprising to see Bieber turn to the abuse of drugs and alcohol to deal with his problems. Bieber’s critics seem to forget that most teens use or have used drugs and alcohol to alleviate stress. In fact, though young adults have been educated on the dangers of driving under the influence, many still do. Teens are now widely accepting the false notion that driving while high is safe and does not impair your ability to maneuver a vehicle. Bieber’s behavior is not condonable in anyway. But, it certainly isn’t uncommon.
Take a second and step into a 19-year-old millionaire’s shoes.
It’s hard for adults to understand Bieber’s dilemma because they only see the recklessness and punk-like behavior behind his actions. If you were Justin Bieber, would you turn down the fast cars, aggressive partying, the opportunity to hang out with rappers, and super models that come with the lifestyle? Bieber is like a 6-year-old in a candy store with no one to grab his hand and say “no.”
It would be interesting to see the mistakes that some of the singer’s critics would make if put in the same situation and given similar boundaries. It’s amusing to imagine newscasters at the studio ranting about Justin Bieber while their own sons are home smoking joints and speeding down the driveway.
Regardless of my opinion, it’s safe to say that the young heartthrob’s “good guy” image is tarnished in the eyes of the general public. But Bieber got what he wanted.
An article published by CNN entitled “Justin Bieber, you had the right to remain silent” was published Friday proclaiming that the 19-year-old “should have just shut up.” From a legal standpoint, the singer dug himself into a deeper hole for no reason by admitting what he did. CNN is right, Bieber should not have said anything, that is if his intentions were to truly stay out of trouble. There is a reason why Bieber said more than he should have and there is a reason Bieber swore excessively at police when obviously outright disrespect to authorities will only increase suspicion and the chances of an arrest.
The 19-year-old has completely manipulated the media and anyone who has formed a bad opinion of him after reading the headlines these past few weeks. Bieber won because he has proved to everyone that it’s no more Mr. Nice Guy. He wants to be perceived as dangerous, not cute. The 15-year-old with the shiny hair, squeaky voice and sweet lyrics about “one less lonely girl,” is gone. Bieber has solidified his mature image. I’m sure it’s also all a coincidence that his new music video for the single “Confident” has premiered almost exactly a week to the day of his arrest.
The singer is likely so numb to hearing gossip about himself that he is virtually unaffected by anyone’s opinion. He does not seem to be bothered by the opinions of the authorities either. His first mug shot displaying a toothy grin ear to ear says it all.
Leave a comment below and let us know what you think.
Sources:http://www.cnn.com/
Grace Van Cleef • Mar 28, 2014 at 10:35 pm
The idea that Justin Bieber is doing this for his image is a really interesting take on the subject, one I hadn’t thought of before. However, I really do think this is not going to help him in the long run, and that it’s a little bit more than an act. I mean, when staying at a hotel, he told a girl at the pool she looked like a “beached whale”. It was hardly covered by press, and it wasn’t to build a reputation. That was just mean.
Alexa Antonelli • Mar 20, 2014 at 6:31 pm
It is sad that young celebrities invested themselves too much into the money and the fame leading them into certain situations like Justin Bieber has