Bojan the Top7 Dog

A few weeks ago Glee dedicated an episode to the songs and style of the first YouTube pop star in history – Justin Bieber. Or, as he is now known, “The Biebster”.

What was surprising was that it was actually blonde haired quarter back Sam Evans who suggested they dedicate songs to Justin Bieber. Are the Glee scriptwriters really trying to suggest that a football playing jock, dating the hottest cheerleader in the school would proudly declare his love for Justin Bieber?

Well… bizarrely it is possible! Because whilst girls definitely made this young starlet great, it seems that a lot of boys dig Justin Bieber too! Just one caveat – in order to be a boy and like Justin Bieber it seems like you have to be quite young!

Of the 4,000+ people who ranked our topic Top7 Stars who Made it Before Their 18th Birthday it was a straight fight out between the Biebster and the king of pop – Michael Jackson. Unsurprisingly, the girls were overcome by Bieber fever, and voted him their number 1. The boys stayed true to their musical principles, and gave MJ the number 1 spot.

But more surprisingly, the boys still voted in large numbers for Beiber, even when the girls weren’t looking! Males also like the YouTube star, voting him into their number 3 position.

Now, it’s pretty well known that teenage girls go weak at the knees for this young star – but what is it about the Biebster that makes him popular with boys as well as girls?

Well, in this dog’s humble opinion it’s the “wannabe” factor. Much like Sam from Glee, the boys who like Justin Bieber do so because they want to be like him. They probably enjoy his music a bit, but what really gets them is his image. It’s no coincidence that Bieber’s ratings were highest amongst boys between 13 and 17. They are exactly the ones who look to him as an image role model.  Amongst boys over 25 (who can’t really model themselves on a young kid anymore) Bieber didn’t even make the Top7!

So this is the difference between an ïmage star” like Bieber, and a “music star” like Michael Jackson. Guys don’t mind Bieber’s music, but what really gets them is his image. What’s the bet that these guys also where hoody tops and sport long, messed up hairstyles? With Michael Jackson on the other hand, they probably love his music, but I don’t think we’ll see too many wearing a white glove or tight sequined suit!”

Call it what you like – Justin Bieber is a star, with both boys and girls. But is it really fair to call him a music star when his popularity stems from his image rather than his music?

Why do boys dig the Biebster? It’s all about image. Baby.