Justin Bieber has once again found his way to the top of Australian Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate’s priority list. The issue? Graffiti.
Slamming the 19-year-old star as a “pop princess,” Tate can now be seen in a TMZ video repeating an ultimatum he gave Bieber last week after he spray-painted graffiti on a wall at the Gold Coast QT Hotel — namely, to come back and clean up his “mess,” or perform at a Christmas Carol concert on December 7.
“I’ve got a message for pop princess Justin Bieber,” Tate said, grinning somewhat maniacally. “We love your music but we hate your graffiti and your vandalism here in our city.”
That isn’t actually accurate.
In the wake of the graffiti furor, the QT Hotel updated their Facebook page with a picture of Bieber next to a sample of his work and a statement that read, “He asked and we said yes.”
The hotel made further statements praising the singer as “a lovely young guy” and also said they considered Bieber’s wall a “wonderful addition to the colorful Gold Coast art scene.” QT’s owners have since launched an online search to find local artists to graffiti a wall at their complex.
Notwithstanding the QT hotel’s consent, which rather undermines the concept of “vandalism,” Tate continued laying down the law in the video message.
“Mate, you’ve got two choices; come back and clean up your mess or come back and sing at the on the 7th of December,” the Mayor demanded.
Tate also invites viewers to call QT Hotel if they “agree” with him, which may well reflect a stand-off situation with the hotel who have said they will resist an order by Gold Coast City Council to paint over or remove the Canadian’s graffiti.
Despite the fact that Bieber will still be in Australia to perform the last two dates of his Believe tour — Adelaide and Perth on December 5 and December 8, respectively — we reckon he should give Tate’s Christmas offer a miss.
Incidentally, while the good Mayor found the time to mug for TMZ, Bieber spent some of his giving a special acoustic concert for Australian fan Kate O’Neill who survived a horrific car crash that left her with multiple injuries including a broken spine.
The “All That Matters” singer has also made a video offering one fan the chance to hang out in a studio with him if they contribute to a relief fund for victims of the Philippines Typhoon Haiyan.
See what we mean about priorities?
What do you think: Has Mayor Tate utterly failed to grasp the point about permission, or does he have a reasonable axe to grind with Bieber?
Add your comments below.