Altru-Bieber-ism

Introduction:

"I'm a Belieber", "Bieber mania" –from his discovery in 2008 and the release of his first debut single, One Time, in July 2009, Justin Bieber's musical career has catapulted and skyrocketed over the following years. Bieber has now become a global phenomenon and has secured himself as one of the most recognizable stars of 2012, being dubbed as one of the most influential person in the social networking sphere, surpassing the likes of Barack Obama or the Dalai Lama (The Observer, 2011).

Throughout his career, Justin Bieber has been involved in numerous philanthropic activities both on a microscopic and macroscopic scale. Such activities include, but are not limited to: visiting children in the hospital, running a charity drive allowing donors to send money to any charity of their choice via his website: http://www.justinbiebermusic.com/believecharity/, and more recently, making 6 year old girl, Avalanna Routh's, dream come true by coming in to meet her. Routh was diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour called atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (AT/RT).

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From the aforementioned examples, it appears this teen-sensation is quite the fellow, but is he really? Many are skeptical of the ulterior motives lurking behind such actions; a hidden promotional agenda to expand his already widespread-international recognition and status, which in effect can produce multiplied profits not just for our celebrity, but also for the record label and companies that stand behind him as well. It is worth noting that this scepticism is equally applicable to other celebrities who perform philanthropic activities as well; because celebrities are so commodified nowadays, the authenticity of their actions are constantly subjected to questioning.

So is Justin Bieber really authentic? Here's my answer: we just don't know. We may listen to his songs, jam out to 'Baby' being incessantly playing on the radio, and we may read about the occurrences of his life vis-a-vis magazines and the news, but the ultimate reality is that we really don't know who or how he is. We're not granted complete access into the discussions that preclude a philanthropic event or into his life behind the scenes for that matter; what we do know is fed to us through a lens with different parties regulating its focus. A better question, then, is to ask: does authenticity really matter?  With the influence and recognized status that Bieber currently has, it is inevitable that: (1) he is drawing awareness into the social injustices of the world, and, intent cast aside, (2) people are being helped. In both cases, the attention drawn and the recipients being helped far exceed the capabilities that a single, non-celebrity can manage. Celebrities are powerful; they can draw attention like no other (cue Lady Gaga, Beyonce, and Britney Spears). In my opinion, I believe it is better to view Bieber's actions in relation to the widespread impact they have on society instead of narrowing our focus on his character because again, we cannot deduce anything given that we do not really know him. In Justin's defence, he can easily say: "Hey, I am a millionaire now. I have all the attention I need. I really don't have to do all of this." But he hasn't and still continues to help others, so I believe we should give him credit where credit is due.

For more information on:

Justin's social networking influence:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jan/02/klout-social-media-networking

Justin's meeting with Avalanna Routh:

http://chickashanews.com/features/x1704540913/Justin-Bieber-makes-dream-come-true-for-child-with-brain-tumor  

One of many videos of Justin visiting children in the hospital:

The video that encapsulates the variety of Bieber's philanthropic work:

Pray- Justin Bieber