So about this potential Justin Bieber scandal with the stolen laptop and the threat of a bombshell release -- Gawker posits that it’s a publicity stunt, and I’m always on board for a famewhore theory so, assuming that it does end up being a hoax to elicit maximum coverage for a new video or whatever, the question is whether or not it’s a good move. Anything for a headline, right? Anything to drive interest, increase sales. It seems to be what works these days. Have you heard about that former American Idol contestant, Brittany Kerr, who got a little messy with married country singer Jason Aldean recently? Click here for the background. Now TMZ is reporting that Kerr has been offered her own reality show.
What’s the payoff then for a possible Bieber prank? For drawing his fans into a make-believe intrigue situation, sending them into a stress frenzy all over Twitter, so that many of them, so young and gullible and engaged, weren’t able to sleep last night...and what if there was a test today in math class and one of them couldn’t focus enough, too worried about what would happen to JB, that they weren’t able to answer the questions?
(Can we ask for a redo in school these days with that excuse? I was up all night fretting about Justin Bieber, please let me another chance...? I can totally imagine a helicopter parent making a case for this with the principal.)
They used to say that you should never f-ck around with a fan’s loyalty. That ultimately that kind of manipulation will have an adverse effect on their commitment. That they would consider it a betrayal of their steadfast support. It’s a basic tenet of customer service. Is that still true though? No Matter What seems to be the first rule of the Fan Club these days. The Modern Fan puts love before reason and, sometimes, devotion before morality. See Chris Brown.
