California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

California Lutheran University's Student Newspaper Since 1961

The Echo

    Do you still Belieb?

    As of the morning of Feb. 3 244,143 people have signed a We the People White House petition to have โ€œJustin Bieber deported and his green card revoked.โ€ By the time you are reading this article, the petition could have well over 300,000 signatures.

    It is amazing that nearly a quarter of a million people so far have taken time out of their day to sign a document just so they could say they potentially had a small part in kicking Bieber out of America.

    It is almost human nature to want people who are rich and successful to fall flat on their face and fail.

    As a culture, we take great enjoyment in watching people rise from obscurity, capture the American dream, become a major icon, only to see them crumble in front of our very eyes.

    This is exactly what is happening to Bieber. By now, most people know how much trouble with the law he has gotten himself into. From allegedly egging his neighborโ€™s house to driving under the influence while drag racing in Florida, Bieber has had himself an eventful two weeks. While it is easy to bash Bieber as a filthy rich, stuck up white celebrity who should have known better, people tend to forget he is a 19-year-old kid.

    โ€œThe transition from child star to adult star can be quite difficult,โ€ said Ryan Medders, who has a masterโ€™s degree in mass communication.

    So instead of constantly going after Bieber and criticizing his every move, try and understand the circumstances he is in.

    According to Business Insider, Bieberโ€™s net worth is $130 million. That is an incredible amount of money.ย  While it seems Bieber can do whatever he wants with all his money, the reality is he canโ€™t.

    He canโ€™t just walk down the street to watch a movie or go to his favorite local Chinese place for a bite.

    He is under almost constant surveillance. So, when he had the opportunity to blow off some steam he took it.

    It just so happened that the way he decided to blow off steam was to drink alcohol underage, smoke marijuana and get behind a vehicle while being impaired.

    Bieberโ€™s biggest challenge going forward will be to convince his fans and critics alike that he truly felt as though he made a mistake and has learned from that mistake.

    Senior Julia Burris said he should โ€œgo back to making music and caring about his fans.โ€

    In no way is this article condoning driving under the influence or breaking the law.

    It is simply stating an interesting observation that our culture enjoys taking celebrities and thinking they are somehow more than human. That because of their fame they should be held in a higher regard and that they somehow owe it to people to do the right thing.

    Senior Lizzie Lopez, who admits she is not a fan of Bieber, said that in order to repair his image he needs to โ€œbe a good role model through his actions.โ€

    While for the most part, we would like to think celebrities will do, act and say the right things, the reality is that whether good or bad, they can do whatever they want.

    If we forget that Bieber is a multimillionaire and just look at him as a person, the fact is Bieber is a teenager, teenagers make mistakes and more often than not, teenagers learn from their mistakes.

    If Bieber follows this ideology, he should have no problem getting his fans to Belieb again.

     

    Joshua Dwyer
    Staff Writer
    Published Feb. 5, 2014