I see the media merchandising this negative event too. This behavior is nothing new. Great stars in the past have been drug abusers, Steve Allen, Tony Bennett, Ava Gardner, Judy Garland,Elvis Presley etc. and you were all fans of at least one of them. They just had damage control by their studios. He's been groomed by some of the highest paid agents and image makers and they know how you have to act and be to make big money and that's the bottom line. He had very poor role models for parents and now handlers who do what's best for their wallet. To me it's a tragedy that a talented young man couldn't have been groomed towards a healthier life style. He needed people who really wanted what was best for him and that didn't happen. Perhaps this will be a wake up call. I hope so. To be a mentally healthy whole person you need to feel loved and perhaps that's not the case for him. He's idolized as a pop figure but that's a warped perception.

"Are you kidding me?
I got a speeding ticket in 1989. Was headed to Fairmont Hot Springs (way before 09/11), across the Canadian border, and detained for about four hours while they interrogated me, my husband, ran background checks, tore my car apart, then informed me that I could fill out an application and pay an 800.00 "rehabilitation fee" to enter Canada.

eta: a woman from near Vancouver wanted to go to a concert in Washington state last summer. She does not have a criminal record. The US border crossing guard asked her if she EVER did anything illegal in her life. She said she smoked a joint the week previous. He gave her a LIFETIME BAN from entering the US and told her she could get it overturned. The problem: she doesn't have a conviction for smoking pot, so there is nothing to overturn! And it can take 10 years to fight that. She lives minutes from the border. WTG! If all 35 million of us answered that question truthfully, none of us could ever enter the US. LOL

There are times however, when a person can't get a passport in each country. But you can get one if you have a shoplifting charge, or DUI. It's up to the country you want to enter to decide if they will allow you to visit.

The point I was making is: Canada does not decide who enters the US, and the US does not decide who enters Canada. :)

This post was edited by debby_ab on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 12:24

He will eventually grow out of it e.a. Robert Downey Jr and Drew Barrymore

I was thinking more on the lines of Heath Ledger and Amy Winehouse etc.

"The US border crossing guard asked her if she EVER did anything illegal in her life."

If someone who has the ability to find a rap sheet ever asks this, it seems to me as if they are just fishing around for a reason to to something.

quote
"Why such venom?
It sounds like he's a screwed-up kid with a drug problem.

I hope none of you ever has to go to the police station for your own son or daughter"

Sylvia? not that know what your kids drive, but mine, it sure wasn't a 100 grand car, and let out on 2500 bucks! the stupid things they did, didn't put them in jail either...

I'm seeing a kid who has EVERYTHING one could wish for and at 19! all my kids at that age, were working at least one job (and dd1, 2) and paying their way thru college....

All these celebrity kids are so dang stupid anyway, they've made more money in their tiny little lives than most of us would make in 10 lifetimes yet they just piss it all away. They could, if they had any wits about them whatsoever...never have to work another day in their lives and still be able to live an entire life of luxury (to us common folks anyway).

And because the police may have screwed this up, he may get away without even a fine. Turns out, the cop that said he smelled of booze may have lied. There was so little alcohol in Bieb's system, it barely registered. One lie can toss the whole case out.

Lucielle, there was no rap sheet. The woman who was asked that question had never been arrested or convicted of anything in her life.

If you had stolen a dime from your mothers purse as a child, that's a crime. A crime that a border crossing person calls theft. he can ban you for life from entering the US because you admitted you once stole money from your mothers purse.

Debby, I think you misunderstood, I'm totally agreeing with you. I'm just saying that if they had authority enough to find any record and it wasn't there, and then went fishing for some tiny infraction, that seems to be a miscarriage of justice.
Frankly, if someone asked my such a question I'd just say no. If my answer could lead to negative consequences, it is the State's burden to prove, I certainly do not have to incriminate myself at all.

To be up front this is third party repeating so take it with a grain of salt. People I know lived in and around the town and had friends who were in the same school. They have nothing but poor things to say about the kid and his parents. It seems maybe due to his mom's young age but the kid was allowed to do what he wanted little guidance and from a young age was headed towards music so nothing or no one really mattered meaning he looked down on others around him because he was special.... It seems not much has changed other then going from small money to way too much money. There should be no excuse for this kind of behavior rich, poor or somewhere in between. I think it is a shame with thousands of really talented people out there who get no attention that the media chooses to showers attention on these types of fools.

Amen Frogged!!!
I live in a city near his hometown and my niece and nephew went to high school with him, and he was a jerk all thru school.

Yes, I did misunderstand you. :)

Let's just *drop* it. In show business all ink is good ink. Watch how they play this out to the max -- to keep his name and face in 'the news'. (Until he is yesterday's news...hope that's soon.)

Isn't he pretty much already a "has-been"? Let's face it, he is no longer that cute little boy that all the little girls swooned over...he is not aging very well. Neither is his look-alike, Miley.

I've never heard his music, so I really don't care too much. So many talented young people have burned out early, he's just the latest example.

In all the photo/videos I've seen lately, he looks unhappy. I'm sure it gets old having people fawning all over you all the time, professing their "love and adoration" when they don't even know you. I would find that very off-putting. No privacy, no real friends, no normalcy. Too much fame and fortune and no real goals or chance of a normal life.

So I feel sort of sorry for him, and at the same time, I want to shake some sense into him AND his parents, even though now he's an adult.

I really feel bad for his neighbor in CA. You buy a nice house and get a lunatic, spoiled neighbor for your trouble. And if anyone had backed out of their driveway while they were drag racing, someone could have been seriously injured or killed. So his stupid choices could have had deadly consequences.

If he had blown a .02, he'd be in serious trouble, since he's underage as far as alcohol is concerned. No telling how much pot was in his system. It'll be interesting to see how this ends up.

His father is sketchy too. Bad parenting all around. Looks like a smart-ass punk to me. He's a nonentity to my grandkids.

Can anyone here spell, "F-r-a-n-k-i-e" ...

as in "S-I-n-a-t-r-a"?

Oh, right - I'm such an old fart!

This isn't just a recent phenomenon, I think.

o j

I don't get your point, Susan.

Are you saying that a poorer person who pulled stupid stunts would be less offensive/obnoxious/dangerous & more pitiable/deserving of second chances?

OJ's righht: it's been going on forever.

I once was watching a historical drama with a friend, & one of the main characters was a spoiled son in a 'noble' English family.

He spent tons of money, gambled away tons of money, was obsessed with his wardrobe (never paid his tailor), raped girls from lower classes, robbed & assaulted & occasionally killed guys from lower classes, took bets on whether he could 'ruin' girls from his own class...
&, by custom & law, was entitled to do so.

My friend said,
"He has too much power & not enough responsibility."

That was probably 20 years ago, & I can't improve on her analysis to this day.

but I think that the answer is to re-train the offender, not to wish him to "fall hard & fast", to have disasters or grief or pain, to get raped.

Monaco exists because men of 'quality' in England and on the Continent had nothing to do. They couldn't DO anything meaningful without losing their rank and privilege. They were SO BORED. They were imprisoned by their social standing.

He is 19 for goodness sake!

He is still a child. He hasn't killed anyone, tortured animals, raped young girls. He is sowing some oats and not making the best decisions but most 19 year old boys do that, they are just not in the spotlight like he is.

Thank Goodness all the mistakes and bad decisions I made at 19 were not for public scrutiny. I'll bet most of you would say the same thing.

He is not a POS. He is young and still growing up. Hopefully he will learn from his mistakes but the venom towards this young man here is really uncalled for IMO. What if that were your Son everyone was talking about, making insinuations about and judging him when they don't even know him? It just seems really over the top and hateful.

I read somewhere today but now I can't find it, that the cop lied and said his blood alcohol level was .14 when in actuality it was barely detectable at .04.

magic_az, I don't care how old he is. He is a ROLE MODEL to millions of young impressionable teenagers. When my child "sowed his oats" he was 17 and NOT a role model to anyone. There is a HUGE difference. Besides, he is 19. The legal drinking age in Florida is 21. he spent tens of thousands on drinks in a bar. Really? IN a bar! Any amount of booze on him is illegal. He also smoked a joint. And he was drag racing down a public street in a rented car on without a valid drivers licence, with his FATHER who blocked traffic so his kid could illegally drag race. Do you know anyone who has ever been killed in a collision by someone who was under the influence? My sons SEVENTEEN year old co-worker was killed on December 6 2012 while driving home from work, by a drunk driver. If the beebs doesn't get his life under control now, he could possibly be the driver of a car who does this to another mothers 17 year old child. The driver in this collision was 23.

Here is a link that might be useful: Brandon Thomas

This post was edited by debby_ab on Sat, Jan 25, 14 at 23:46

He is only a ROLE MODEL because people choose to make him one. I doubt he would call himself that and I don't recall him ever referring to himself as that. Because he is talented enough to make a lot of money he is a ROLE MODEL? I just don't see that.

Because your son was not a role model to anyone,it was okay for him to sow his oats but not okay for anyone else? It's okay for your Son to do what ever he wants but because he is not a multi-millionaire it's okay???

You are putting unfair expectations on a 19 year old kid who just happens to be a great success at a young age. That doesn't change the fact that succesful or not, he is still 19.

I don't know where you are getting the information that he spent thousands of dollars on alcohol in a BAR because that is the first time I have heard that little tidbit of information, but if that's the case, shouldn't your venom be directed towards the bar who served him? As I said, he had such a minute amount of alcohol in his system that it barely registered and could be breathalizer error. The cop lied. Doesn't that upset you at all? He LIED. Never heard that he smoked a joint in this particular instance either nor was he tested for THC.

I am not a fan of his but I find it disturbing that grown adults can and do say the things that were said here about a 19 year old boy. You can "what if " all you want but the fact is most of his stunts have been minor and if not for the fact that the media is all over him would not be a huge deal. I attended many, many street races as a high school student in California. Thank goodness no one was hurt but the fact that we did it never made the news. In fact, half the time, the Cops watched a few races before they ran us off.

Magic_AZ has stated the most sensible perspective.
When I was 19 I did stupid stuff. Maybe you, your
kids or their kids have done stupid stuff when they were

19. The only difference is that JB is a celebrity so we
    all know about it. I hope he grows up soon, but who
    knows?

So it's okay that this "misunderstood kid" drives his car at high rates of speed around his residential neighborhood? A neighborhood where young children play in the street, or even just walk across the street to a friend's house, and are in danger because of "misunderstood Justin Bieber" who has, according to some, every right to do whatever he wants?

I find it interesting that some folks here seem to think it's okay that he urinated into a mop bucket in a restaurant kitchen, and that he consumed any alcohol at all at his age and then drove a car at a speed at least twice the posted limit, without a valid license.

Role model or not, the kid is out of control and thinks way too much of himself.

Magic az-I wish when I was 19 you were my parent. Now that I'm an adult I'm grateful you were not.

I'm done with this subject. Seriously that anyone would think what he did is okay because he's 19 years old. REALLY? smh......... walking away.

eta: it was NOT okay for my son to sow his oats. If you've read any of my posts on another thread, you'll have read I told the police when they called me to tell him to sleep well, I was going to bed. I did not pick him up from jail either. That's what a REAL parent does.

This post was edited by debby_ab on Sun, Jan 26, 14 at 10:37

'I find it disturbing that grown adults can and do say the things that were said here about a 19 year old boy'

amen.

no, lindsay, nobody said it's 'okay' to drive recklessly or to do any other stupid and/or dangerous thing.

I wouldn't want to try to explain anyone else's comments, but what *I* said is that the fact that this person is rich & famous doesn't make it any more morally outrageous for him to have done stupid things than for anyone else to have done them.

& the 'role model' accusation is ridiculous.

This boy didn't set out to be a role model;
he didn't sign up to lead a Scout group or to be a youth minister.

He's a pop star, a performer;
he sings, he performs for money.

If he has bad parents (which I don't know about, not being a fan or a follower), then it seems reasonable & rational that your anger should be directed at them rather than at their messed-up kid.

NO ONE said it was okay that he do those things and no one said he should get away with it. He should be punished just like evry other 19 year old would be if he was caught doing the same thing. And yes, he is a spoiled brat.

But, to call him a POS is beyond childish. To suggest he be raped in jail or any of the other things that were said is just over the line.

Sleeperblues, for your information my Son would have been more scared of me than the police if he got caught doing something like that. He has never been in any trouble at all, was a wrestler in school since the 6th grade and was even recruited to wrestle in college. He is now a Sophmore in college and doing very well. I'm not saying he is perfect but when he screwed up, no one called him a POS or wished horrible things for him or beat him. Kids screw up, that's a fact.

And I am glad I am not your mother either.

Nobody is condoning JB's behavior.
What some of us are trying to point out is that
if a KT member posted that their son / daughter
was behaving badly nobody would respond with
the crass comments which have been made here.
This is just one more celebrity in a string of dozens
who doesn't know how to handle fame and lots of money.
Life goes on.

amen.

I have read all of the above responses. I think a few young "talented" people become Role Models because a lot of parents, apparently, are paying for their young people to go to the concerts, so that means the parents approve of it. I don't know why that kind of "talent" attracts young people, or why the parents approve of it.

Of course, I am from "back in the day." Actually I read two words(?) here that I don't even know the meaning of: POS and smh.

Sue

Piece of "excrement" and Shaking My Head

Lindakathy, thanks. The POS, I would never have reason to use, and if I wanted to shake my head I would use this:

Yep, I'm just an old fuddy-duddy.

Sue

The radio reported this morning that they're taking a petition to have him deported ...

... that it has gathered 60,000 signatures ...

... and that, when one of those petitions gathers 100,000, that usually the White House makes a response.

It seems that he's on a specially important persons/ unusual capabilities/celebrity visa.

Have no other comment to make.

ole joyful

Well I'm pretty sure you can't just deport someone because you don't like them. I also would hope the White House has more important things to worry about, but maybe not.

I was somewhat surprised to hear the vituperation expressed here.

I haven't been following his activities, until I've heard a bit about some of the more crass ones in recent times.

He didn't ask for the huge fame ... but he's enjoying it. And taking advantage of some of the perqs that it offers. Endorses the cheques.

I agree that he should be in equal trouble that ordinary young men or women of his age would be: no more ... no less.

I think that part of the extra fuss raised in his case is because so many young people are so enamored of him, and many of us old-timers are worried/afraid that they'll be tempted to accept some of his antics as guidelines for their own lives.

I think that part of my resentment relates to his being able to avoid trouble as being part of a more general benefit that many famous, powerful (and usually "rich") people enjoy of being able to escape the difficulties that beset many of us when we fall afoul of society's norms, including the legal aspects of same.

Farmer Dad used to say," It depends on whose ox is being gored".

Dad also said that "Some people think that their (four-letter word starting with "s" - not "suit" - don't stink!"!!

ole joyful ... still a farmer at heart, maybe?

It is reported that they've achieved the 100,000 signatures on the petition to have his special visa as an important celebrity lifted, which number sometimes results in a reply from the White House.

Plus ... he's now being arrested in Toronto for having a dust-up with a limo driver.

ole joyful

Looks like Seth Rogan and I agree. But, hey, at least Justin has Rob Ford pulling for him, lol!!

Here is a link that might be useful: Seth Rogan's opinion

How do so many of you all know that his Mother was such a bad parent...where is all that documented....I have seenMama blamed so many times for a kids misbehaving and I am here to tell you that once a teenager makes up his or her mind to do something, no matter what kind of parent you were, they will be hell bent to do it...ask those Mothers whose daughters eloped or ran off with some guy at 16 or got pregnant or skipped school or smoked pot...

Listen, I thought I was the worlds best Mother and thought I did all the right things and had many friends who did exactly the same things I did...we played that role to the hilt and we still had kids that did things we were not proud of...

if they had money like the beibs, god only knows the trouble they would have gotten into...once a kid leaves home like the beibs has done, Mama's word is so far in the back of his mind he is only listening to his buddy's and having a good time...

It's hard to disagree with Rogan's comment. I'd be happy for this punk to spend more time sharing his joy with his native land and the rest of the world, US visas are limited, there's no sense in wasting one on him. He's undeserving of the privilege.

ruthie, I think I have a different view of what good parenting is. Even among my peer group, I don't see a whole lot of it.

I'm not saying I'm better or worse than anyone else, but I've always thought the job of a parent is to prepare kids to be adults who can cope with the demands of adult life. You don't tell them what to do, but rather teach them how to make good decisions and choices on their own. This moron fails on that score.

I'm not sure that his mother, an unwed teenager when he was born, had any pearls of wisdom to pass on. At least he seems to have learned about the importance of birth control but perhaps little else.

I still stand by my opinion that having money and being only 19, you should still know right from wrong.

When I was a teenager, LSD was a popular drug, as was smoking pot. Smoking and drugs was all around me, yet I had never done any. Ever. I fail to see why I would start, just because I had money or was around people who did it. I can make my own choices, and don't need to be swayed. I didn't when I was a teenager.

He gets picked on by the media and the public, because a lot of it he brings on. What would he think people would say when he walked around wearing a gas mask?? Did he think no one would notice? Or when he wears those gawd-awful pants that look like he took a humongous dump in them. With his team around him, no one would tell him that he looks like an idiot?

Everyone knows who he is by his antics, not his record sales. He gives concerts, but not a lot of record sales. People don't buy his music to listen to long-term.
He's famous for being famous.

"Never heard that he smoked a joint in this particular instance either nor was he tested for THC."

He admitted to the arresting officers that he had been smoking pot all night at the recording studio, and taking prescription drugs. And his tox screen came back showing positive for marijuana and Xanax (a prescription drug).

So, obviously, he was "tested for THC."

Snidely said...I'm not sure that his mother, an unwed teenager when he was born, had any pearls of wisdom to pass on.....

now that is a pathetic statement itself...there have been many unwed 16 year old's.....and I am sure many were good mothers. Most of them end up having help from their parents but but being an unwed 16 year old didn't make her a bad Mother, pearls of wisdom or no...Not an ideal situation by any means but 16 isn't an unheard of age for a girl to get married anyway.

I am not trying to make a case for his Mother just saying ask any woman whose kid has taken up a life of mischief, drugs or even of pregnancy just how much control she had over it...and to put down any and every unwed 16 year old????

A stupid statement...and wrong to blame his Mother for his actions when he is at an age of accountability.

A petition to deport him? RFLMAO. What a farce.
There must be a million undesirable non-citizens
that should be in front of him in the "let's deport him" line.
Some people have way too much time on their hands.

ruthie,

Would you agree that part of the parenting job, especially as the teen years approach, involves sharing judgements and perspectives with kids so that their understanding of the world gets a running start? It's a training role, not a command and control one. How much good judgement does someone of his mother's age and circumstances have to share? I'd say none.

Teenagers are sexually active, that's reality. They also experiment with drugs - I did both, didn't you? If you want to use the words stupid and pathetic, apply it to a teenage couple whose activities results in a pregnancy or marriage. Sorry, that's not par for the course on my golf course.

I don't think there's anything to agree on, so be it. To me, he's a trashy person from a trashy background, he's unneeded here.

I have refrained from this conversation, but really want to weigh in.
I have never been to a concert, bought a t-shirt or poster, nor do I have any little girls in my life that have swooned over him.
Does he need to straighten up? Most definately.
But I do feel sorry for him. He has been a celebrity more than half his life.
Everywhere he goes, he is fawned over and pampered. People scrambling to meet or exceed his every whimper. Probably never been said no to, never spanked, never sent to his room, never denied anything. It was his talent that paid for it afterall (and possibly your job that hung in the balance)
I cant imagine all have been looking out for his best interest. Where would a celebrity of his status get alcohol and drugs? He is far too popular to walk out on the street and ask for any...He has no school mates slipping it to him.
His suppliers are trusted adults.
Probably the same adults that are on his bankroll. The same people that make money when he is in the spotlight.
Lets give the kid a little slack. I believe his behaviour was taught, encouraged and condoned by some unsavory people looking to take advantage.
HE HAS BEEN TAUGHT that he is untouchable.
It's not too late for him to get some tough love and guidance.
I only hope he can, because ALL celebrities are role models.
Kids with no role models at home will find someone to mirror their behaviour.

What Ruthie said.
exactly.
to a tee.
100%
Thank you for taking the time to think it out & write it out.

Paul Anka was a teen heart-throb in an earlier generation, as well ... and I think that there was no hint of such scandalous behaviour swirling around his head.

ole joyful