FOR one glorious moment last week, I became a Justin Bieber fan. And then, with the same haste in which Greg Norman changes wives, my infatuation soon faded to a distant memory. It was the pop star’s assessment of Lady Gaga’s over-the-top arrival at the Grammys that prompted my temporary conversion to Bieber mania.
Amid the commentators seeking to feverishly analyse the subtext of her red-carpet entrance while “incubating”, the Canadian had a refreshingly simple take on the attention-seeking stunt. “People say it’s artistic and stuff,” he later remarked. “I’m just like, ‘You’re an egg.’”
While not exactly profound, it was an observation more astute than most in piercing the slavish pop-culture reverence that usually surrounds the one-woman publicity machine known as Gaga. “It’s enough to make me actually like the guy,” I begrudgingly told Kathy McCabe when she filled me in on Bieber’s uncharacteristically insightful comments. But in less than 24 hours it was all over.
Drawing on his considerable life experience (IE: not very much) and extensive knowledge of family planning (IE: even less), Bieber has aired his opposition to abortion in Rolling Stone. “I think [an embryo] is a human,” he said. “It’s like killing a baby.” Hardly surprising coming from a devout Christian who was raised by a single mother who shares Bible verses with her Twitter followers and ensures a pastor is among the entourage whenever her son is on tour.
Yet he with the allegedly dreamy good looks didn’t stop there. When asked if exceptions should be made when an unwanted pregnancy is the result of rape, he revealed his naivety in all its adolescent, sheltered glory. “I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason,” he replied. “I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”
After feeling the heat once the magazine hit newsstands, Bieber’s management heavied Rolling Stone into admitting the interview included an “incomplete quote”. Turns out what Bieber really said was: “Well, I think that’s really sad, but everything happens for a reason. I don’t know how that would be a reason. I guess I haven’t been in that position, so I wouldn’t be able to judge that.”
While rape victims may be slightly less insulted by the acknowledgment that there’s not always a perfectly good “reason” behind a violent crime, it fails to dilute the breathtaking ignorance of his remarks. As others have noted, Rolling Stone’s clarification only served as proof of the clout of Bieber’s minders rather than absolving the baby-faced crooner for mouthing off on things he patently knows nothing about.
As he himself admitted, he’s in no position to judge rape victims faced with an unenviable choice. But it’s not only rape victims who deserve his compassion. Bieber is in no way qualified to judge anyone faced with an unplanned pregnancy, irrespective of their circumstances. None of us are.
Like Bieber, I’ve never found myself in that position either. But plenty of women do, and fortunately their right to access safe, legalised medical care should they opt to terminate their pregnancy is not in the hands of a pious 16-year-old. This is the problem with what passes for “debate” over the issue of abortion. The most vocal of opponents tend to be the very people least qualified to comment.
Religious zealots convinced a higher power is on their side. Self-righteous teenagers certain they already know everything there is to know about life. That’s what separates being pro-life from pro-choice. Being pro-choice doesn’t equate to advocating abortion. Most reasonable people would be in agreement that the lower the termination rate, the better.
But for those who find themselves faced with unplanned or unwanted pregnancies, legalised abortion must remain an option. It’s a decision very few women – or couples – take lightly, but one that is ultimately only theirs to make. That’s pro-choice. Pro-lifers, however, seek to impose their one-size-fits-all beliefs on everyone.
That Bieber – an immensely privileged, overprotected teenager – felt it appropriate to comment on matters so beyond his understanding is characteristic of this arrogant disregard for the complexities of each individual case.
Bieber would do well to remember it’s really none of his business. Unless the subject matter happens to be Lady Gaga, he’d be wise to respond to all future questions with a polite “No comment.”
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