In defense of Justin Bieber

I don't know why I feel compelled to write on this message board, since I can usually ignore all of the negativity that seems to have permeated these IMDb boards for years. But, alas, I do feel compelled...and so I decided to write a defense of Justin Bieber. Before I begin, I want to say that I'm not a 12-year-old girl with no life who screams and cries at the sound of "One Less Lonely Girl." I am a male fifth grade teacher who teaches inclusion (where special education students are integrated into a regular ed classroom). I teach predominantly at-risk and underprivileged students. I say all of this not to brag (though I am quite proud), but to hopefully prove that I'm not defending him because of how dreamy he is or whatnot. I urge you to read everything I have to say before you respond.

Anyway, when I first heard Justin sing on the radio, I (like many of you) thought, "Who is this girl?" before sluffing him off as some one-hit wonder. But then, my students started to talk about him, wear shirts covered with his face, and brag about being Beliebers. So, because I always try to stay up-to-date with what (and who) my students like, I bought his CD and listened to it. Yep, it was the same predictable, but catchy pop fluff that twelve-year-olds love. Nothing wrong with that; my students deserve music that appeals to them, just as adults do.

But, for many of my students, Justin Bieber's appeal went deeper than just them liking his music. As I said, I teach mainly at-risk and underprivileged students. Many of them come from broken homes, many of them live in public housing, and many of them don't have enough food to eat at home (just as Justin did). My students found that they could relate to Justin Bieber...they, honestly, believe that he came from some of the same situations that they now face. And they see how successful he has become. At the risk of sounding melodramatic, he has given them hope for their own futures. In that respect, he has done something for them that I have not been able to do. I came from an upper-middle-class family and grew up never wanting for anything. I can do my best to understand what my students go through each and every day, but I can never truly be on their level, because I never experienced it. Justin Bieber connected with them and inspired them, because of their similarities.

Now, I'm not going to stand here and tell you that this is the case for all of my students. I have some students who actively despise him (just like many of you), and I have some who couldn't care less about him. But, I have enough that love him and that are inspired by him, that I have to respect and like him. I don't care if he fades away when he turns eighteen never to be heard from again or if he isn't the most talented singer who has ever lived. I love the fact that he has inspired my students...my wonderful students who deserve inspiration, but have never gotten it from their parents, other relatives, etc. I want them to know that hard work and believing in yourself can bring you out of any situation, and Justin Bieber's life is a testament to that for them.

So, you can all sit on these message boards and make fun of him and hope that he fails all you want. That's fine...but you will never hear that from me. I'm not a Belieber by any means, but I'm thankful for him and his success. I'm thankful that my students have someone to admire other than the Jersey Shore kids or even, for some of them, their own parents. Now, all I have to do is mention Justin Bieber's name in my lesson and, bam, I have their interest (you would be surprised at how well Bieber fits in a lesson on adverbs). For those of you who say that my students' fascination with him is shallow and will be short-lived...to that, I say "Who cares?" Twelve-year-olds are famous for changing their minds at the drop of a hat. All I know is that, right now, Justin Bieber is inspiring them and moving them to believe in brighter futures, and that's all I can really ask for.