The Internet is an amazing tool that is used either to clobber everything kind in this world or spread the foundations of human connection and understanding. Unfortunately, the former often overshadows the latter.
“Cutting for Bieber” is yet another entry in the long list of bludgeonings carried out by the Internet’s cavemen. Well, to be fair, cavemen produced things of value.
“Cutting for Bieber” is a hoax created by the fine people of 4Chan, designed to lure Bieber die-hards into cutting their wrists and uploading pictures of them to show their depression and disappointment for Bieber’s recent drug use “controversy.”
The lack of compassion and basic decency shown by the propagators of this trend is apparent to everyone who’s worth the time to converse with, so that’s not what I find important to focus on.
It’s an unfathomable notion to me that at the root of these sick individuals’ dislike for Justin Bieber is unhappiness with the fact that other people enjoy his music while they do not. Fans of the “Cutting for Bieber” movement and revelrous observers alike disgrace basic human decency, yes. But they also degrade, shame, and ruin what music in general should be. Music does not break itself into warring countries, even if those who create or listen to it may.
The “Cutting for Bieber” movement is yet another progression of American society into a world where those who ignorantly produce nothing worth listening to, musically or otherwise, attempt to incite constant warfare against those who create it and their particular listeners.
Musical rivalries exist everywhere, but hip-hop has stood as the main example of violence, hate, and bloodshed between listeners. This divide, however, has roots in gang violence, poverty, and both internal and external neglect. Justin Bieber fans and those who hate Justin Bieber fans have no infinitesimal iota of rationale with which to hate each other.
Music should bridge divides, not facilitate petty squabbles. Those who forget this are a disgrace to basic human decency and every single artist to whom they listen.