The Schadenfreudeification of Justin Bieber.

by: Chris Warren

Is anyone shocked that Justin Bieber finally got arrested for something? In a few short years he has evolved from cute singing kid to the mugshot heard ’round the world. And there was a lot of mischief in between. For his virgin arrest he did it up good: A nice fat felony. If we accept that hardly anyone gets busted the first time they do something, it’s safe to say he’s been headed in the wrong direction for most of his teenaged life.

Making fun of young Justin will without a doubt be the flavor of the week on Saturday Night Live and the late night comedy shows. Living large off young girls’ birthday and babysitting money lends itself well to mockery, even without the arrest. In my January 11 blog post I discussed at length the consequences of young men who grow up with no direction. Bieber has all these handlers looking out for his money but not for him as an individual. No one was concerned about the personal issues that led to the serious and growing legal issues; you can bet someone will start caring now that the cash flow is at stake. Where were these responsible adults four or five years ago when Justin was just some kid they found on YouTube? Even his mother, whom he is apparently close to, seems to be missing from all this.

Why is it so funny that a young person is arrested for a felony, particularly a kid with so much going for him? If one wants to lampoon Justin Bieber for his talent, or lack of it, ok cool. There’s no room for him on my iPod either, so I can totally understand that. But celebrating the decline of a young life is more abrasive to my sensibilities than the hysterical screams of teen aged girls in the front row of one of his concerts.