Justin Bieber’s now legendary face-off with a British paparazzo last week has been immortalized in song .
The incident capped seven days of the pop prince versus London, with each escalating event gleefully reported by national and international media.
But unlike most paparazzi invasions of privacy where it’s usually obvious who’s doing the invading, Bieber’s encounter wasn’t exactly cut and dry.
As the 19-year-old exited his Park Lane hotel, he reached out and shoved one of the paparazzo’s standing by the door then jumped into a waiting space cruiser.
Cue expletives from the pap, before Bieber jumped out swore a threat and had to be restrained by his minders. Naturally, the pictures went around the world. While some say Bieber caused the blow-up; others blame the photographers .
Mountain Goats singer and Indie folk star John Darnielle takes a different tack.
Accepting that paparazzi is a power for the course of any celebrity or public figure’s life, he sings :
“Now, on the one hand, it’s hard to feel sorry for the very rich, you can record an album of Mountain Goats covers and torpedo your career overnight. You chose this life. But on the other hand, even a rich guy needs some space, and should be able to get to his car without people getting all up in his face and getting on his case. You don’t have to leave Justin alone … but don’t be an a*****e.”
Bieber’s 125-date “Believe” world tour has now moved to Portugal. Last night he performed at Lisbon’s Pavilhao Atlantico and his manager Scooter Braun has since addressed a British tabloid’s assertion that the second scheduled Lisbon show was cancelled due to poor ticket sales.
Scooter said : “The British tabloids are full of s**t,” adding that his musical protege is “in a great place. Tell everyone Justin is good, really good.”
As for the superstar himself, Bieber spoke to German newspaper Bild about his time in London.
Admitting it was a “hard week,” the teen idol added: “I was working out every morning and had a huge show every night. When people are pushing their camera in your face all day long and yell mean things at you – I’m only human, too.”
“I’m far away from home, I miss my family, my siblings and my friends.”
Poignantly — though cynics will obviously have a field day — Bieber said he is still “the boy from Canada who has only one goal, to share his music with the world,” and that he “regrets nothing” about his London experience.
Indeed, the singer sounded positively jubilant in the Twitter message he posted last night about the Lisbon concert’s sold out status . A definitive answer to his critics, non?
What do you think of Darnielle’s musical advice to the paps over their pursuit of Justin Bieber?