Is Bieber Fever Heating Up or Cooling Down?

Overnight, Justin Bieber went from an unknown Canadian boy who loved to sing to an international superstar.

Teenage girls across the globe melt at the mention of his name and uncontrollably cry at his presence. He’s achieved almost Beatle-like status and has sold millions of albums; all by the ripe age of sixteen years old. His songs are about girls, love, and heartbreak, all sung to innocent ballads. The fame of Justin Bieber has spread around the world and has been quite contagious, and many of us have caught the “Bieber Fever.” How do you know if you have Bieber Fever? Well, here are a few common symptoms for us college girls:

1. During the Grammy’s, you were looking forward to his performance even more than Lady GaGa’s, and cried a little when he lost Best New Artist to Esperanza Spalding. (I still don’t know who she is…)
2. When the Justin Bieber music videos play at the LBC or Bruff, you are secretly very excited.
3. You have five or more Justin Bieber songs on your iPod…and actually listen to them.
4. You’ve asked your friends to see “Never Say Never” with you and when they laugh, you have to explain to them that you are serious. Whenever people make fun of him, you relentlessly defend him.

Many believe that Biever Fever has only begun, and soon many more will catch the contagious disease. This past week’s episode of “Glee” demonstrated the effects of Justin Bieber’s songs on girls. “Never Say Never” tells the heartwarming story about his journey to stardom and show the artistic talents he possesses. His songs are pretty catchy and his performances are engaging and entertaining, so what would make the widespread epidemic of Bieber Fever cool down?
 
Controversial topics. Once a celebrity voices his or her opinion about a controversy, it’s bound to cause drama, fights, and even MORE spotlight on that celebrity. In Justin Bieber’s recent interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, he revealed his stance on abortion and states, “I really don’t believe in abortion. It’s like killing a baby.” That statement alone fueled more fire for the ongoing pro-choice/pro-life debate. Bieber’s religious upbringing has led him to lean towards the pro-life side, along with his belief of waiting for love to have sex and “everything happens for a reason” attitude. With the large effect Bieber has on young girls, many are concerned that young teenage girls will follow Bieber’s beliefs. The interviewer of Justin Bieber, Vanessa Grigoriadis defends her controversial questions, and says, “I think that anyone who has as much sway in popular culture as Justin should be asked all questions.”
 
While it is interesting to know all kinds of facts about Justin Bieber and celebrities in general, is that the main reason we like them? No. We like celebrities for their music and acting talents, not their stance on controversial topics. Whether or not a person agrees with Justin Bieber’s opinion about abortion has nothing to do with enjoying his music and performances. By supporting Justin Bieber, you are not supporting the pro-life side of the abortion debate, you are simply supporting a singer. Celebrities are entitled to their own opinions, and these opinions are separate from their contributions to pop culture.
 
So, what do you think, is Bieber Fever still heating up?