But all I cared to know was that there were young people crazy about him. I would ordinarily have skipped this story by The Daily Telegraph's Sarah Rainey, in TODAY (1 May, page T2)...
But somehow I read the first few lines and realised that this was an amazing story -- for someone awed by the young people who are awed by Bieber. Here are the excerpts that intrigued me...
There's nothing these fans wouldn't do to meet their pop hero Justin Bieber -- during a hotel stake-out
"Are you here for Justin Bieber?" asks the girl with the pink glittery eyeshadow... outside the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, west London. "Er, sort of...," I stutter.
"Are you from the papers? Are you interviewing Justin? Can you get into his hotel?" A manic look spreads across her face. "Can you get me into his hotel?"
Suddenly I am surrounded by a swarm of girls... One of them grabs my pen. "Please write my name down!" "Give him my Twitter address!" "Tell Justin I love him!"
Meet the "Beliebers", a group of some 40 million devotees worldwide who pride themselves on being Justin Bieber's biggest fans. Mostly female, aged between 12 and 21, there isn't anything they wouldn't do in their relentless pursuit of the Canadian pop sensation...
For four days the hordes have stood in the rain outside his hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of their 18-year-old idol... Earlier in the week, Bieber appeared at the window, flashing his stomach to the squealing masses. Two girls, I am told, fainted on sight...
Bieber, a clean-cut Christian from Ontario, is used to the frenzy his visits inspire. The singer, who was discovered five years ago after his mother put videos of him on YouTube, has sold eight million records and is worth £65 million (S$131 million).
His popularity is cultivated online: He has 21 million Twitter followers (his is the second most popular Twitter account behind Lady Gaga) and 42 million fans on Facebook. These die-hards live, sleep and breathe Bieber: They stake out concert venues and name parts of his body (apparently it is called "Jerry").
"We're not obsessed; we're dedicated," explains Alicia, 13. "We just want Justin to be happy -- we'd do anything for him." But some fans are more desperate for his attention. "I was going to put my foot under a car so I'd get first aid inside the hotel," reveals Natalia, 15. "Then Justin would have to come down and tell me he was sorry."...
[The hotel's deputy general manager Jonathan Lowrey says the encamped fans]... "come in from all over the world: South America, Australia, the Far East".
"We've had to beef up security on the forecourt to keep the fans at bay. We now have six security guards as well as support from the police, who are trying to keep the girls off the road and away from the traffic. We were aware of his reputation before he arrived but this is just unbelievable." [He should have said "unbelieber-ble"; see dictionary below!]
... A hassled-looking policeman tells me he counted 500 girls here last night, some of whom camped out until 1am. Given the frenzy, Bieber is, wisely, staying in his room. "It's really sad when he does come out," says one of the security guards, holding back a screeching teenager in a home-made "Mrs Bieber" T-shirt. "They all go after him -- and he just runs away."
[This is the part I like best...]
Sophia, 15, admits it might be too much if her idol actually came out to meet the masses. "Everyone would jump on him so hard they'd probably kill him, and then people would take away parts of his body to treasure forever. Not in, like, a creepy way -- just because we love him."
Not everyone is here for the resident celebrity, however. An elderly man sitting at the bus stop outside the hotel asks the woman next to him what's happening. "They're waiting for Justin Beaver," she says, with conviction. "He's that little kid who won Britain's Got Talent last year." "Oh good," he replies. "I thought they were all getting on the No 9 bus."
Meet the "Beliebers", a group of some 40 million devotees worldwide who pride themselves on being Justin Bieber's biggest fans. Mostly female, aged between 12 and 21, there isn't anything they wouldn't do in their relentless pursuit of the Canadian pop sensation...
For four days the hordes have stood in the rain outside his hotel, hoping to catch a glimpse of their 18-year-old idol... Earlier in the week, Bieber appeared at the window, flashing his stomach to the squealing masses. Two girls, I am told, fainted on sight...
Bieber, a clean-cut Christian from Ontario, is used to the frenzy his visits inspire. The singer, who was discovered five years ago after his mother put videos of him on YouTube, has sold eight million records and is worth £65 million (S$131 million).
His popularity is cultivated online: He has 21 million Twitter followers (his is the second most popular Twitter account behind Lady Gaga) and 42 million fans on Facebook. These die-hards live, sleep and breathe Bieber: They stake out concert venues and name parts of his body (apparently it is called "Jerry").
"We're not obsessed; we're dedicated," explains Alicia, 13. "We just want Justin to be happy -- we'd do anything for him." But some fans are more desperate for his attention. "I was going to put my foot under a car so I'd get first aid inside the hotel," reveals Natalia, 15. "Then Justin would have to come down and tell me he was sorry."...
[The hotel's deputy general manager Jonathan Lowrey says the encamped fans]... "come in from all over the world: South America, Australia, the Far East".
"We've had to beef up security on the forecourt to keep the fans at bay. We now have six security guards as well as support from the police, who are trying to keep the girls off the road and away from the traffic. We were aware of his reputation before he arrived but this is just unbelievable." [He should have said "unbelieber-ble"; see dictionary below!]
... A hassled-looking policeman tells me he counted 500 girls here last night, some of whom camped out until 1am. Given the frenzy, Bieber is, wisely, staying in his room. "It's really sad when he does come out," says one of the security guards, holding back a screeching teenager in a home-made "Mrs Bieber" T-shirt. "They all go after him -- and he just runs away."
[This is the part I like best...]
Sophia, 15, admits it might be too much if her idol actually came out to meet the masses. "Everyone would jump on him so hard they'd probably kill him, and then people would take away parts of his body to treasure forever. Not in, like, a creepy way -- just because we love him."
Not everyone is here for the resident celebrity, however. An elderly man sitting at the bus stop outside the hotel asks the woman next to him what's happening. "They're waiting for Justin Beaver," she says, with conviction. "He's that little kid who won Britain's Got Talent last year." "Oh good," he replies. "I thought they were all getting on the No 9 bus."
---------------------------------------------
There's even a Bieber Dictionary (from a blog)...
JUSTIN BIEBER -- well he is the definitsion [sic] of hot, gorgous, talented, heartthrob and many more words
Beliber -- this means (a true fan that belives in Justin Bieber and helps him through his haters and helps him live his dream)
Bieberific -- this means (well basically this is another word for terrific but in Justin Bieber style)
Bieberlicious -- this means (basically Justin Bieber is delicious and you just want to eat him... no sugar chillie because he is sweet and hot enough)
Biebmzing -- this means (another way to say Justin Bieber is amazing but in Bieber style)
Belibe -- this means (instead of beliving [sic] in Justin you 'belibe' in him )
Biebtastic -- this means ('Justin Bieber is not FANtastic he is BIEBtastic)
Beliebers -- basically...(Justin Bieber does NOT have fans; he has BELIBERS... it means the same but it is better because it is in Bieber language)
Bieber-fever -- WARNING this disease is VERY yess VERY contagious; it is a VERY,VERY common disease mainly affecting teenage girls and quite a few mums out there)
Bieberphobia -- it is basically another word for biebphobia.. a disease affecting 99.9per cent of teenagers all over the globe)
Bieberphile -- this is a word that means and teen bieber fan who has made there mum/aunt/gran catch bieberfever and become a fan of Justin Bieber)
Twiber -- well...twitter blocked Justin Bieber being a TT so there is now a new Twitte- like website full of Bieber fans
Biebtube-justin bieber was found on youtube and basically he stole youtube so we now call it biebtube
Biebbook -- Justin Bieber took over Twitter and YouTube so we thought he could take over Facebook as ell so we named it Biebbook.
Biebspace -- BIEBER HAS TOOK [sic] OVER THE WHOLE INTERNET SO HE MIGHT ASWELL TAKE OVER MYSPACE AS WELL
CHUCK NORRIS -- Justin Bieber's idol and insperation [sic] to us all ;)
---------------------------------------
In Memoriam
How times flies. Today is the first annivesary of my brother Tee Chuan's death. He is dearly missed.
No comments:
Post a Comment