Disney has been sucking the life out of me for the past 5 years or so.
Everytime a new Miley Cyrus came out with a tv series, an album, and a clothing line, all in the same month, I was forced to listen to my younger siblings belt out dried-up pop lyrics so over-produced I wondered if Disney was actually building child robots to fulfill their evil schemes to dig their hands as far into parents wallets as possible. I was also forced to be embarrassed at every checkout line when their birthdays rolled around- it's not flattering to purchase the Hannah Montana movie on a Saturday afternoon at Target. I have an image to protect.
The prepubescent slaves graced magazine covers for their wholesome ideals and cheek-to-cheek smiles that could truly melt Scourge on the coldest day the North Pole has ever seen. They're the new Olson twins, complete with guarantees you'll never see them fall out of a club at 2 am in a cocaine-induced coma. Wholesome America had a new group of, well, I'll call them "politicians".
But fact of the matter remains, no matter what heart-warming story these kids come attached with, they were brought to the top by a corporate machine which I feel uses children to cash in on the most sensitive audience who've got their hands deeper in mommy's purse than mommy herself.
And in the midst of this clean-cut adolescent celeb movement, along came Justin Bieber. The Canadian boy (literally) who resided with his single, struggling mother in Ontario was a mere 12 years of age when his mom began posting videos on Youtube of Justin playing guitar, covering radio-friendly tunes, simply to share with family. Within a few months, the buzz spread. Big time. The charm of his wispy hair, baby face, and talented vocals gained the young star thousands of views on Youtube. That's all it took for an Atlanta manager to stumble across his videos one night; and that's all it took for that manager to fly Justin and his mother to the states and sign him the very same day.
But Bieber, in one of the smartest moves of 21st century promotions, kept it grassroots. He recorded and posted more videos on Youtube. And people responded. In yet another brilliant, but simple, move, he responded back. He gave his young fans a reason to come back for more. His engagement resulted in a loyal fan base who felt that Bieber did more than just care about his young audience; he was one of them.
And although it did nothing to help the boy get signed to a label, it did garner up attention from celebs interested in collaborating with him- particularly folks like Justin Timberlake. Yeah, that's a pretty big deal for a 13 yr old Internet famous singer.
To this day, Bieber regularly interacts with his fans, responding to select tweets from his more than 2 million Twitter followers. His bubblegum music hits hard in the hearts of teenage girls- Bieber writes ballads about lust and broken homes. Subjects every teen can relate to. But, remember what I just said- HE writes them. Take that Miley, who can't even pretend to know the Jay-Z song she belts about in her hit single "Party in the USA".
He's been on just about every late night TV show, SNL, and even made his way to the White House. He's the longest running trending topic on Twitter. The kid is unavoidable.
Please don't mistake my remarks- I'm not on a mission to convert anyone, including myself, into a Justin Bieber "fan". But, with the announcement of his tour making a pit stop in Reno, and my little sister knocking on my door every five seconds to score her tickets, it's made me take a second look at the kid. And you know what- I'm impressed.
I give you this Justin- props for communication. So many of my favorite musical artists refuse to do interviews, interact, or even play shows near certain areas (particularly the areas close to me). This is the kid that was willing to put on a show at Roller Kingdom, even after he exploded. He may have a strong resemblance to Ellen, but I don't see that bothering any of the millions of tear-streaked, screaming/screeching fans of his.
He just goes to show that the Internet is a powerful tool once it's used properly. By keeping things personal, he developed a person relationship with each and every fan across the world. These girls (and maybe even boys, haha) feel like they've got a front row view into the life of someone who is just like them. And what better can a person do to secure their fame than draw positive attention to themselves through the easiest/cheapest medium there is than prove that where there is a dream, a webcam, and a browser, there can be a rise to the top.
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