Last time I checked, in America we have the privilege of choosing what we do with our lives. It’s something that is bred into our brains as children especially when it comes to career paths. “You can be anything you want” is the mantra of most American parents and teachers. Discover what you love to do and make a career out of it. It wouldn’t make sense for someone afraid of flying to become a pilot. People who don’t like blood shouldn’t be surgeons and people who don’t like crowds shouldn’t take on jobs that put them in the spotlight. Make’s a lot of sense until you throw the celebrity factor in.

Celebrities make their money by marketing themselves to you. If they do it right, you become a fan who begins to purchase their product (e.g. movies, television shows, music). Sometimes the product doesn’t even have anything to do with their profession like when they put their name/face on a fragrance bottle or toothbrush, people will still spend their hard earned money to support their favorite celebrity. And if they get enough fans, that’s a lot of hard earned money going towards that celebrity. So why would anyone who chooses this career be so rude and disrespectful towards those fans who give them the ability to make a living this way?

On February 13, 2012, Justin Bieber visited with a 6-year-old brain cancer patient. Something so personal and what most people would consider a private matter was blasted all over the media. Not surprisingly, with a celebrity like Bieber cameras were there and he didn’t seem to mind at all given the seriousness of the visit. Seems like a great guy until you realize it was nothing more then a publicity stunt to tug at the heart strings of his fans the day before Valentines. The same guy who is seen kissing Avalanna Routh for the whole world to see sure didn’t like being photographed at the happiest place on earth.

On Valentines Day 2012, Justin Bieber and girlfriend Selena Gomez were spotted at Anaheim California’s Disneyland. Celebrities as big as Bieber and Gomez honestly can’t expect to not bump into fans in public especially when they’re surrounded with Disneyland cast members following them everywhere. When fans took pictures of the duo, instead of being mature about it because it comes with the career they chose, Bieber and Gomez told the fans they had no soul and were mean. Then in the ultimate act of disrespectful immaturity, Bieber started giving fans the finger. It’s one thing to get annoyed, but to say such words to those who give you their hard earned money then insult them and everyone else (including innocent children who might have seen him) by giving the finger at the happiest place on earth is just wrong. Especially for someone with a portrait of Jesus on his leg. Performer M.I.A. was blasted all over the media for doing this at the Super bowl, an event targeted towards adults and Bieber did this at the biggest destination for children all over the world. What kind of role model is that?

The news of this spread fast as angered fans posted pictures and video on social networks sites like Facebook and Twitter. Bieber fans quickly came to his aide claiming that the victims were actually stalkers who were harassing the celebrity couple. But one wonders if these accusations of harassment were true, why did Disneyland Security allow them to get so close to Bieber and Gomez in the first place let alone close enough to take pictures and video. Personally I’m not a fan of Bieber or Gomez and feel that like all cookie cutter teen stars they will eventually fade away. But for those who support them by giving them their hard earned money, Bieber and Gomez owe all of them, including the innocent who witnessed his vulgar display of disrespect, a public apology.

I’m reminded of a quote by the late great John Wooden:“Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.”

Just because you took public photos with a cancer patient the day before doesn’t give you the right to flip people off the next day. Are you really the caring person with the cancer patient or the disrespectful brat at Disneyland?

Click here to see Justin’s response to a fan telling him “I follow you on twitter”. Justin’s red hoodie (as seen in the above photos) can clearly be seen on the right of the Alice in Wonderland ride.