10 Moments That Gave Fanboys A Bad Name

4. Cut For Bieber

justin_bieber_terrible_lyrics When it comes to mockery and general loathing, Justin Bieber is an incredibly easy target for people. He's like a great big hate magnet. And it's understandable to some extent, given that he frequently acts like a complete tool. But while Bieber's frequent gaffes make him an easy target for mockery, his fans shouldn't be treated badly for liking him. In 2012, somebody started a "Cut For Bieber" campaign on Twitter, urging Justin Bieber's fans to cut themselves as a way of urging him to stop smoking marijuana. The initial Tweets were revealed as a prank by some sick individual who should seriously reassess their life, but the disturbing thing is that some fans actually went along with it. Twitter was suddenly filled with photos of people's arms that had been sliced open in a bizarre act of devotion. How many were real and how many were fake is open to speculation but it's generally accepted that at least a few were real. I understand fan devotion but there never has and never will be a reason related to any of my fandoms that would cause me to self harm. Obviously, teenage girls are impressionable and some will always do stupid things but this takes the biscuit. Cut For Bieber not only proved that there are some people on the internet who seriously deserve a punch in the face (the pranksters, not the Bieber fans) but also that there are some fans of Justin Bieber who really need to try and establish some balance in their lives. The people who like Bieber's music and aren't squealing fangirls that treat him like some kind of deity (assuming that those two categories aren't mutually exclusive) have been overshadowed by these kind of crazies ever since he became a big star. A generalisation that isn't helped by people who believe (regardless of whether or not they are spurred on by some sicko on the internet) that he's worth scarring themselves for.
Contributor
Contributor

JG Moore is a writer and filmmaker from the south of England. He also works as an editor and VFX artist, and has a BA in Media Production from the University Of Winchester.