SALON

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 4:47 PM UTC

Justin Bieber cuts hair, Internet explodes

True "Beliebers" struggle to accept as the singer cuts off his signature 'do

By

Topics: Justin Bieber, Television,

Justin Bieber cuts hair, Internet explodesBieber, shorn.

Justin Bieber cut his hair this weekend, and whether you like it or not, this is going to be the big cultural news of the day. Sure, we’d all like to discuss the closing of Barcelona’s Liceu opera house or the museums reopening in Egypt, but the fact of the matter is that Justin Bieber cut his hair and somehow looks even more like a lady than he did before, and girls all over the world are looking to re-create the Sakai Incident of 1868.

Sixteen hours ago, the Bieber backlash began in earnest on the Plixi.com account of Jay DeMarcus, a member of the country trio Rascal Flatts, with whom Bieber is currently collaborating on a single:

“He looks like a cheap whore,” read one comment.

“Sure that’s not Hillary Swank?” said another.

As for the true “Beliebers” on JustinbBieberZone.com, the reactions varied from acceptance to suicidal.

“HELP ME!! I got pics on my wall of him but now that his hair has changed should i take them of and put neew one’s on? But I have LOTS of pics!! HELP!!___”

“NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!NO!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!WHY?!…….BUT I STILL LOVE YOU!!!!143 AKA I LOVE YOU JB!!!!!!!!!”

Already, epitaphs for the Biebs hair (which is going to charity) are being published in magazine and blogs all over the world. Entertainment Weekly treated the event with deep gravitas:

There is the obvious concern that an open auction could allow the Hair to end up in the wrong hands. Rogue governments with not-so-secret ambitions to grow a herd of rainbow unicorns have been seeking the Hair for several years. Certainly, there are also some Hollywood record executives who would like a clone army of Biebers under their control. But it seems clear that rogue governments and record executives will be no match for 13-Year-Old Girls With Daddy’s Credit Card. It is these young patriots that will keep the Hair and our way of life safe.”

No matter how ridiculous you consider Biebermania, this moment in pop history is worth noting, as it might be the first time Justin’s legion of teen girl fans have questioned his authority. The great Unfollowing on Twitter has begun. Like Samson, has Justin lost his power along with his long locks?

Drew Grant is a staff writer for Salon. Follow her on Twitter at @videodrew. More Drew Grant.

Next Article

Related Stories

More Related Stories

Featured Slide Shows

The week in 10 pics

close X
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11
  • Lisa Montgomery embraces her nephew Thursday after a tornado tore apart her home in Cleburne, Texas. The twister killed six people and destroyed entire swaths of the North Texas town.
    Credit: AP/LM Otero

  • Jack McMahon, the defense attorney for abortion doctor Kermit Gosnell, speaks outside the Criminal Justice Center in Philadelphia Tuesday. His client was convicted of killing three babies in his clinic, and will serve multiple life sentences.
    Credit: AP/Matt Rourke

  • A photo taken Monday captures Vice President Joe Biden's response to a Milwaukee second-grader's innovative proposal to end America's epidemic of gun violence. This guy!
    Credit: AP/Jenny Aicher

  • Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., flanked by a grouper-eyed Michele Bachmann, addresses the IRS' admission that it targeted Tea Party groups in advance of the 2012 election. In an op-ed for CNN Thursday, the Kentucky senator slammed the president for his faux outrage.
    Credit: AP/Molly Riley

  • Ousted IRS chief Steven Miller is sworn in on Capitol Hill Friday. Miller testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on the extra scrutiny the agency gave conservative groups applying for tax-exempt status.
    Credit: AP/J. Scott Applewhite

  • Attorney General Eric Holder pauses as he testifies on Capitol Hill before the House Judiciary Committee Wednesday. Holder is under fire, among other things, for the Justice Department's gathering of phone records at the Associated Press.
    Credit: AP/Carolyn Kaster

  • O.J. Simpson sits during an evidentiary hearing at Clark County District Court in Las Vegas, Nev., Thursday. Simpson, who is currently serving a nine-to-33-year sentence in state prison for armed robbery and kidnapping, is using a writ of habeas corpus to seek a new trial.
    Credit: AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal/Jeff Scheid

  • Major Tom to ground control: On Sunday astronaut Chris Hadfield recorded the first music video from space, a cover of David Bowie's "Space Oddity."
    Credit: AP/NASA/Chris Hadfield

  • When it rains it pours. President Barack Obama speaks during a news conference Thursday with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, inexplicably inspiring an #umbrellagate Twitter meme.
    Credit: AP/Jacquelyn Martin

  • A smoke plume rises high above a road block at the intersection of County A and Ross Road east of Solon Springs, Wis., Tuesday. No injuries were reported, but the the wildfire caused evacuations across northwestern Wisconsin.
    Credit: AP/The Duluth News-Tribune/Clint Austin

  • Recent Slide Shows

  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on Facebook
  • Thumbnails
  • Fullscreen
  • 1 of 11

Related Videos

Comments

 13 Comments

Comment Preview

Your name will appear as username

You may use these HTML tags and attributes: <a href=""> <b> <em> <strong> <i> <blockquote>

follow salon

Most Read

Popular on Reddit

links from salon.com

vote
Oklahoma senator: Tornado aid “totally different” from Sandy aid
2986 points2987 points | 1771 comments
vote
Anyone Regret Slashing National Weather Service Budget Now?: With GOP-backed cuts to forecasting agency, experts warn future storms will go undetected and more lives lost
932 points933 points | 471 comments
vote
Oklahoma senator wants to offset tornado aid with other cuts
141 points142 points | 45 comments
vote
Horrifying new trend: Posting rapes to Facebook " In Chicago this weekend, prosecutors announced three teenaged boys will tried as adults for aggravated criminal sexual assault after allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl — and posting a video of the attack on Facebook."
25 points26 points | 13 comments
vote
New campaign compares gun control to anti-LGBT discrimination
21 points22 points | 9 comments

From Around the Web

Presented by Scribol
listener_new_rect The Listener: So long, Sookie Stackhouse

Recommendations