Usually, magazine editors bend over backwards to make A-list cover stars sound as good as possible. Or, at the very least, the writers won’t overtly insult the celebs. Not in the case of Men’s Health, which features Justin Bieber in their new edition.
For the profile, writer Oliver Broudy spent a day with Justin — and didn’t seem to get the best impression of the singer.
It’s not that you don’t like Justin Bieber. You actually find him offensive. Why? Because his success primarily depends on skillful producers and shrieking tweens? Because he managed to steal the attention of half the planet’s girls by basically becoming one of them? Or maybe it’s just that he’s never had to deal with all the crap the rest of us have. Like public transportation. Job interviews. Getting fired, or dumped, or ignored at the bar. Mowing the f–king lawn. This is a kid who had his bodyguards carry him up the Great Wall of China. Everything was handed to him. And now he’s a big boy and he thinks manhood is going to be handed to him too. And you’re like, no, dude. No.
In the interview, Justin talked about how he’s matured, is accepting responsibility for his actions and is trying to be a man. Oliver didn’t seem to be buying it.
“Watching it is painful, like watching a skunk attempt to work loose from a bear trap. But there’s something fascinating about it as well. It turns into a kind of dark sport,” Oliver said of observing Justin throughout his time in the spotlight. “And if you watch long enough, you can’t help but think Jaysus, if I only had five minutes with the kid…But what exactly would you say? And could he even hear you if he hasn’t learned to listen yet?”
In the Men’s Health offices, it doesn’t seem Oliver is alone in his feelings about the 21-year-old. Even editor-in-chief Bill Phillips admitted their new cover star “has been acting like a spoiled brat the past couple of years.” So, why did they even feature him? Bill said that he came to believe Justin’s desire to “man up” is authentic.
“We’re all works in progress. The key to growth is realizing it. When I was 20, I pulled quite a few of my own d-bag moves. Only difference was that TMZ wasn’t there to report them,” Bill said. “No one questioned if I deserved a second chance. We all do… The same goes for Justin Bieber, and we’re giving him one. Right here, right now, we’re calling a cease-fire. Will he actually turn his life around? Time and the paparazzi will tell. But if the first step is self-awareness, then Bieber has started down the right path.”
