Bieber Fever is spreading faster than lice through a classroom of first graders and as much focus as there is on the fans and how crazy they go for the world’s favorite teenage canuck, very few people have actually taken the time to see how it’s effected the man at the center of the storm. Recently, Liz Jones of You Mag in the UK did just that and what she found was a young man who has a better grip on celebrity than most stars twice his age. He’s got the support behind him to keep from from turning into another child star cautionary tale and while he appreciates the fans and what they do for him, he acknowledges that it isn’t easy at the top.
On his fans:
‘It is not real love,’ he says. ‘You can say it is, but it’s not. They do not know who I am.’
His Manager’s take on discipline:
‘He is the son I didn’t have. If he has done something wrong, he has to apologise,’ he says. ‘Justin isn’t treated with kid gloves. I’ve sacked people who have pandered to him. He’s a kid. He’s not perfect. You have to set boundaries, consistencies.’ Scooter has been known to confiscate his young star’s phone and laptop if he breaks the rules: he must get eight hours’ sleep, good grades, and be polite to journalists… Justin’s earnings are in a trust fund that he can’t access until he turns 18; in the meantime, he gets £30 pocket money a day. I tell Scooter this all sounds a bit harsh. ‘The child becomes the breadwinner,’ he says, ‘and the parents don’t know how to deal with them. They are terrified of upsetting the kid.’
On how his success has effected his family:
‘There are ups and downs, my mum is very proud. My dad, he misses me. I don’t see him a lot.’ But, Bieber says, ‘You’ve got to follow your dreams. My mum had a job and wasn’t with me, so I resented the job, but we needed the money.’
On the loneliness of the road:
‘Lonely, yeah. I want to hang out with my friends, but I need security. I’m going to get my dog to come on the road in a couple of weeks.’