Sorry ‘Beliebers’: Your Favorite Pop Star Might Be Getting Deported

Image: NRK P3 via Flickr CC

By now you’ve probably heard about the newest scandal surrounding pop star Justin Bieber. If you’ve been lucky enough to evade the barrage of news reports on the issue, a brief recap: Bieber was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida last week after getting busted for drag racing in the early hours of the morning. The singer was subsequently charged with a DUI, resisting arrest, and having an expired driver’s license, details The Hollywood Reporter. And the latest news? Due to a major petition to deport Bieber, signed by more than 100,000 people, the White House is now reportedly being forced to issue a response.

It seems like it was just yesterday that Justin Bieber emerged on the music scene. You remember, right? The wholesome, young singer with the signature long blond ‘do delighted tweens worldwide, gaining fame as rapidly, and mysteriously, as his entrance into pop stardom. Fast forward to 2014: Bieber joins the brigade of young stars that are caught acting publicly reckless, erratic, and, as many have pointed out, coddled by the limelight. Miley Cyrus, Brittney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, and Amanda Bynes have all been part of this media-spun “downward spiral” of young stars. And really, it’s like what they say about car crashes, you just can’t look away.

From a legal standpoint, there just isn’t any chance that Bieber would get deported from the United States for a DUI offense, or any of his other crimes, and as legal analyst Kendall Coffey points out, Bieber’s charges make him both “a lawyer’s dream and a lawyer’s nightmare.” Miami-based Coffey also explains that Bieber’s case will stir up a lot of public scrutiny. “On the one hand, you don’t want to punish him worse than some crazy kid from a local junior college,” Coffey told Steve Malzberg on Newsmax TV. “On the other hand you don’t want the public to think, yeah, the rich people can drive like crazy and get away with it.”

Obviously, the public is already very much invested in the charges against Bieber. More than 100,000 people want the pop star deported, and many more are engulfed in the dramatic media portrayal of the whole mess. According to The Hollywood Reporter, once a signature goal on a petition is met, the White House is required to issue a response, adding another layer to the Bieber drama. The White House (unsurprisingly) has yet to comment. 

The Music World is Buzzing in Anticipation of this Weekend’s VMAs

MTV’s annual Video Music Awards are definitely one of the biggest celebrity gatherings of the summer. Music industry heavyweights flock to the awards show to honor one another in a night of musical and visual celebration. The fashion choices at these shows are notoriously outrageous; the hordes of entertainers have a little more expressive leeway at the MTV event than they would at say, the Academy Awards (remember when Gwen Stefani showed up at the 1998 VMAs with blue hair, braces, and platform flip-flops?). The musical performances are over the top, and the awards themselves – MTV’s iconic Moonman trophies – are given to those who most influenced the music industry and popular culture over the last year.

This year’s Video Music Awards are happening this weekend, and the world of entertainment is buzzing in anticipation for what’s to come. Lady Gaga is reportedly opening the show with a live performance from her newest single, “Applause,” and you can also expect appearances from Bruno Mars, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, Miley Cyrus, and many, many others. Perhaps what most people are getting excited about is a performance from the beloved boy band ‘NSync, who is reuniting, if only for one night, to perform together at the VMAs. Despite the band’s members going on to pursue other avenues after their 2002 break-up, it is indisputable that singer Justin Timberlake has achieved unparalleled success, which is evident in his multiple VMA nominations in 2013.

Timberlake is tied with Macklemore for the most nominations at this year’s awards show; each performer has 6 nominations in a variety of categories, although many predict that Timberlake will take home the most wins. Not only can he hold his own as a solo performer, the singer has succeeded in Hollywood and in fashion. He can dance, sing, act, and market himself remarkably well, although some are still most fond of the days he fronted ‘NSync, emerging as a leader and true superstar early on. This year at the VMAs, Timberlake is set to perform, to potentially win as many as six Moonmen, and to be awarded with MTV’s prestigious Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award. The Video Vanguard Award is MTV’s version of a Lifetime Achievement Award, and Timberlake is receiving it because of the profound impact he has made on MTV, music, and popular culture throughout his career.

Make sure to tune in this weekend for the MTV Video Music Awards airing live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn! 

 

Image: Kenny Chang via Flickr CC

Image: Edward Kustoff via Flickr CC