I choose this title for a myriad of reasons.
1. I know it makes me look like a monster, and I enjoy being the thing of nightmares rather than dreams.
2. It plays well in to my topic of discussion, namely young people who piss me off.
3. Pheonix is pretty much a greta reference for this post.
4. I like making lists.
5. Unless they are to do lists.
The most disturbing development has recently come to my attention. I have only been tangentially aware of the existance of something known as the Bieber. I understood from what little information has trickled in to my cerebral cortex that he is a a mom made internet star. That is to say, his mom made him post you tube videos of himself until some image maker got a hold of it and made him a star. This may not be the whole story, but I am loathe to research this any further, so we are going to assume this is all that happened and we can blame Mrs. Beebs for this whole mess.
What mess you may ask? This Mess. Go a head and click on it, I swear this isn't a Rick Roll. This is too serious a situation for that kind of tom foolary.
Did you click on it? Do you now know the terrible thing that will end the world as we know it?
Bierber has....an autobiography.
At 16.
A biography, and more importantly, an auto biography is about more than money. It is about more than posterity. It is about more than just fame. Yet, this boy's handlers have cheapened it, and we have let them.
Bierber is now as important to the people of the world as any historic figure, because we have given him that power. We have said that your contribution to society is so important we need you to document it. You are so important to us that we need to know what makes you tick.
You wanna know what makes Bierber tick? He is 16. He doesn`t even know who he is yet. Appearently the book is about a rebellion against the fact that most people think he is going to fall from grace at some point. He claims this will not happen to him. He is incorrect.
Justin Bieber is not who he should be. I know this becuase he is too young to have confirmed his identity. Too young to have found who he is and make peace with it. He is who others want him to be. He has been forceed in to a role, and at some point in his life, that role will break down. He will rebel against that role and seek out who he really is.
What that rebellion will look like, who can say. River Pheonix took his turmoil over identity and internalized it and drugged his way to oblivion.
Michael Jackson....well....I don`t really think anyone knows the truth about what Michael Jackson did with his turmoil, but we can certainly surmise it was not pretty.
Justin Bieber, at 16 has won. We have let him. I am tired of it. I am tired of my passions being ignored.
I know this is self serving and a bit narcissitic, but at this stage in our lives, I honestly believe I have more to offer the world autobiographically than Justin Bierber. I am not saying I am more important to the world in general. He provides the world with something very valuable, and while it is not my cup of tea, I must recognize that it is still valuable, and in many ways his continued existance provides more to the world than mine. That is not the point I am making here.
What I am talking about is the point to an auto biography.
They are meant to provide the world with insight in to a person`s chartacter. To describe the events of thier life, and then, through exposition and self examination, provide context and understanding. They add to the collective consciousness of society by defining a contribution to society.
There is value in most stories, but Bieber`s is so far from finished there is no value in it. There is no character arc, no struggle, no overcoming adversity, no lessons learned.
At this point all he can teach us is; go on you tube, get noticed, sign deal, give other people control of your imnage, go on stage and perform. This is not anything new, nor is it anything worthwhile in the long run. It is a fad thing, and we see it all the time.
20 years from now, when Justin has experienced some hardship, or managed to avoid all hardship, I will want to read his story. At that time it will provide something worth reading. Right now it is merely a marketing tool and a money grab.
All too often we fall prey to these schemes, forgeting true stories and immersing ourselves in the hoopla of fame.
Look to the people in your life and relish their stories.
Look to the people you pass on the street and learn their story. It is a far better one than anything Justin Bieber has to tell at this point.
Yeah, I am jaded and pissed that Bieber gets to tell his story and I do not. That makes me a bit pathetic, and I can live with that. What pisses me off more though is that he gets to tell his story and River Pheonix doesn`t. River had something to teach us, but we will never know what it is. But we certainly can find out what turns Bieber on.
Is there no other statement on modern society that is sadder than that?
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