Well, you know the drill: Justin Bieber got arrested early this morning in Miami Beach for drag racing while inebriated (a combo of drugs and alcohol), so here comes the inevitable mugshot, via Gawker.
Now, this next part is about to get ranty, but I’m just going to go through everyone’s reactions to Justin Bieber’s arrest and point out the flaws in those arguments …
Reaction #1: Justin Bieber’s just a kid, we should be going easy on him!
Nope, sorry. I don’t care if you’re 19, or mid-40’s, or if you’re friggin’ one hundred years old. When you get behind the wheel of a car, you’re complicit in agreeing to be responsible and not to endanger your own life or the lives of others. EVERYONE knows not to drive inebriated. Even kids too young to drive know you shouldn’t drive impaired. This isn’t a matter of age or experience, it’s a matter of not being an asshole.
Reaction #2: People are just going after him because he’s famous
You know what? Yes, the spotlight on him is a lot greater because he’s famous. With apologies to Miley Cyrus or anyone else who says “I’m not a role model just because I’m famous,” guess what? You are. Like it or not, one of the trade-offs of being rich and famous because of a large fanbase is that you answer to them now. When you’re given a ton of power and a voice it’s your responsibility to uphold a certain level of maturity. If you don’t like it, quit. But none of that matters because HE DROVE RECKLESSLY WHILE INEBRIATED.
Reaction #3: He doesn’t know any better, he grew up in a skewed Hollywood version of reality!
This one is basically a combination of the last two reactions, so I can basically combine both answers for this one. Justin has basically been given every resource in the world, and he chose to use them selfishly and irresponsibly. I get that his handlers give him a TON of wiggle room because he’s they’re cashcow, but it’s not like they ever took him aside and said “You can drive drunk because the magic of fame protects you from death!” I’ll grant him a measure of understanding based on how sheltered he is, but there has to be some level of common sense running through his head.
Reaction #4: Haha, awesome! He got arrested!
I’ll admit, this one crossed my mind. But you know what? Nope. Nuh-uh. You can’t be happy that someone put their own life — and the lives of others — in danger just because the ends of them being arrested justified the means. He could have killed someone. For all we know, he nearly did. Yes, he deserved to have the book thrown at him, but he didn’t have to endanger others along the way.
Reaction #5: All these haters trying to bring him down … why can’t you just focus on the music?
F**k you, stop being an asshole.