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Justin Bieber Cuts No Ice In Ice Bucket Challenge? Nor Did Lena Dunham, JLo & Tori Spelling

By Page Mackinley
Published on: 08:44 PST, Aug 18, 2014

Justin Bieber’s Ice Cube Challenges are copping flak because he didn’t use ice cubes, despite his physical reactions clearly indicating the water was cold. Meanwhile, Lena Dunham, Jennifer Lopez and Tori Spelling’s similarly iceless challenges have not been called out.

Justin Bieber’s Ice Cube Challenges are copping flak due to a lack of ice cubes, despite the fact his physical reactions indicate his water was very cold. Oddly, Lena Dunham, Jennifer Lopez and Tori Spelling’s similarly iceless challenges have not been slammed.

It’s also hard to spot the ice in rapper Iggy Azalea’s challenge video. Ditto Kylie Jenner.

Like a gazillion other celebrities, Bieber’s ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, has helped raise funds and awareness of the ALS Association’s efforts for sufferers of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis — the neurodegenerative condition more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Perhaps due to the criticisms, the “Baby” singer accepted two challenges.

In his first on Saturday, the 20-year-old poured water from a large pot over his head after he was nominated by manager Scooter Braun.

Before the water drop, Bieber declared his three nominees as daytime TV host/comedienne Ellen DeGeneres, President Barack Obama and the comic Chris Delia.

Since then, increasing numbers of media outlets and public comment has kvetched about a lack of ice cubes in Bieber’s challenges. But there seems no doubt his water was extremely cold – both times – judging by his physical reactions.

Yet, similarly ice-cube-less challenges by Dunham, Azalea, Spelling, Lopez and Jenner are getting little to no heat.

Has the fashionable trend to dump on Bieber developed into a full-blown blind spot, even in a supposedly professional media?

On Sunday, the Biebs accepted a second challenge. This time, shirtless, with a large bucket.

When it came to nominating candidates, Justin went beyond the three people limit which will help to raise more money for the ALS charity.

Declaring that he nominated “my Beliebers all over the world,” Justin drenched himself with water and said to the camera: “I know you guys got an ice bucket somewhere.”

Shortly after, Bieber blitzed Twitter retweeting numerous fans who accepted his challenge and also donated money to the cause.

“I Nominate all the #BELIEBERS for the #alsicebucketchallenge,” he captioned his second video.

And what of Bieber’s first challenge nominees?

(Photo: Justin Bieber gets doused in icy water for the second time.)

Chris Delia donated. Meanwhile, it looks like Ellen has forfeited as well as President Obama and will elect to pay $100 to the ALS charity as per the rules of the challenge.

So far, the POTUS has declined nominations from Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert F. Kennedy, Cleveland Cavaliers player Lebron James, Bieber and now New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony.

The president’s refusals haven’t harmed the charity’s fundraising. NBC reports donations to ALS stand at over $15.6 million and counting. The list of celebrities who have stepped up to the challenge is staggering, and includes:

Bieber, Chris Brown, Taylor Swift, Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Lady Gaga, Robert Downey Jr., Gigi Hadid, Chris Pratt, Oprah Winfrey, Selena Gomez, Tom Hiddleston, Ryan Seacrest, Rita Ora, Drake, Lil Wayne, Martha Stewart and tons more.

The reasons why Bieber’s iceless Ice Bucket Challenge has been singled out despite other offenders, is perhaps best expressed by fame veteran Alanis Morissette, who recently gave her take on the pop prince’s reversal of fortune.

It’s very difficult because when you’re that age you’re trying to define yourself, trying to find out who you are, what your values are and what you believe in. You’re supposed to be experimenting. It’s a time when you’re supposed to be trying on red, blue, yellow, green, you know? Seeing what works for you and finding out what integrity even means.”

“All of this happening in the public eye while you’re being hyper-judged, hyper-accessed… it’s not the ideal environment to be cutting your teeth on. It’s a very unusual circumstance to be famous, while you’re in the early stage of development… I still have PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder) from it.”

A by no means comprehensive selection of ALS Ice Bucket Challenges follows.

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