Justin Bieber (Photo: Wikipedia)

I’d heard of Justin Bieber before, but I’m not exactly part of his demographic. Thus, I wasn’t terribly interested in his act. Having checked out some of his performance footage, I will freely admit that Bieber has talent and some females would find him either “cute” or “attractive” (depending upon the age of the female). There’s no need to begrudge the boy his chance to take advantage of newfound stardom; at the rate he’s going, Usher will come to him for a cash loan someday soon.

Child stars typically burn out or disappear

I won’t be a sourpuss and say that horrible things should happen to Justin Bieber to yank him permanently out of the spotlight. I’m not mean-spirited, when you get to know me. But I will say that the amount of attention this young man is receiving is beyond sense. Hopefully he has good people in his corner to guide him – or he will be permanently warped by the weight of admiration.

Justin Bieber is all over Twitter

People can’t stop tweeting about Justin Bieber. He was a school principal in Covina, California for a day, because he has that much pull. He’s popular with the “American Idol” target audience. Reports indicate that he believes his own hype, too. None of this would accurately explain why Justin Bieber is dominating Twitter to his current degree. E! Online was mystified, until they discovered that Justin Bieber is on SNL on April 10. In my mind, SNL musical acts usually stink, so we’ll see if Bieber follows the trend or busts out.

Will the Twitter quizzes reveal why people are crazy?

Thanks to E! Online, here are just a few of the Justin Bieber quizzes on Twitter:

• “How Much Do You Have in Common With Justin Bieber” – Were you discovered by Usher? Have you ever worked as an usher?
• “Who Is Better for You, Justin Bieber, Nick Jonas or Robert Pattinson” – Better in what way? I would actually have to go with Justin Bieber here, because I find the others to be absolutely noxious.
• “Justin Bieber Wants to Go All The Way, What Do You Do” – I am not the target demographic here, but hypothetically, I imagine my reaction would include tossing him out a window.
• “What Happens If You Are at a Justin Bieber Meet and Greet” – I would try to sell him on the value of becoming an affiliate for Personal Money Store, where online loans are available 24/7.
• “What Would Happen If Justin Bieber’s Mom Marries Your Dad” – He’d be the stepbrother I never wanted.
• #urwack – You’re wack? This whole thing is wack!

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There is a whole lot of money to be made in the music industry, and young Justin Bieber just might be in line to get a piece of it. Famous R&B singer, actor and recording artist Usher discovered the 15-year-old singer, and Usher’s phenomenal popularity will likely be enough to drive this teen to the top in no time.

Album release on the way

Justin Bieber’s career has taken off quickly, and it’s no wonder considering Usher has been quoted saying “He’s definitely a priority for me and Island Def Jam.”

The vocalist and musician already has a single, “One Time,” which you can listen to on Justin Bieber’s MySpace page. Island Def Jam plans to release his album, to be titled “My Way,” later this year.

Moneymaking machine

Usher’s popularity guarantees that he’ll never need a payday loan. In fact, he should probably be handing out personal loans and debt relief to the rest of us. Usher’s second album, “My Way,” went multi-platinum. The single from that album, “You Make Me Wanna,” hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts.

His popularity has only gone up since then. According to Wikipedia:

Usher won a Grammy for ‘Best Male R&B Vocal Performance’ for “U Remind Me”. The next year, he won the same award for “U Don’t Have to Call,” making Usher the only artist aside from Luther Vandross and Stevie Wonder to win this award consecutively.

Following footsteps

Justin Bieber’s budding career very closely mirrors Usher’s beginnings. Bieber took second place in a local singing competition when he was 13. Videos of his performance were posted on YouTube, and former So So Def marketing executive Scooter Braun discovered them. Braun is now Bieber’s agent.

Usher competed on Star Search when he was 13. That’s how an A&R representative discovered him and set up an audition for him with L.A. Reid, co-founder of LaFace. Usher released his first album when he was 16, about the same age Bieber is as he anticipates his record release this year.

A little help from his friends

Sean “Diddy” Combs produced Usher’s first album, which sold more than 500,000 copies. The album, “Usher,” made the top 25 on Billboard.

With Usher’s help, Justin Bieber is destined to be another instant success.

For the time being, Doublemint gum won't be using advertisements featuring Chris Brown.

R&B artist Chris Brown may end up needing payday loans someday if what the tabloids are speculating about is true. After Brown’s tumultuous night, which landed him in jail, some are saying that his domestic assault charges could end his career.

Personally, I think that’s a bit sensationalistic. Stars have weathered worse things. However, at least for now, it appears it will cost Brown quite a bit, including his reputation, possibly his relationship and quite a bit of cash. I’m not just talking about the $50,000 he paid to bail himself out of jail.

Alleged abuse

So, the incident went like this. Brown’s girlfriend, R&B star Rihanna, called police about 12:30 a.m. Sunday.  She said she had been attacked, and a police report says she had visible cuts and bruises on her face. She told the police Brown was her attacker. Sunday evening, just before the Grammy’s, Brown was arrested. Both Brown and Rihanna had been scheduled to perform at the Grammy’s.

Domestic assault is always a tragedy, no matter who is involved. But when public figures, who act as role models for many, are involved, it’s even more complicated.

The cost of criminal charges

Brown was held briefly in jail before he bailed himself out for $50,000. But that is only the tip of the iceberg as far as what this will cost him financially. Wrigley’s gum has already pulled TV ads featuring Brown. The Doublemint gum ad that includes a song by Brown and video of the R&B star dancing will not be aired again while the investigation is ongoing. The commercial aired Sunday night during the Grammy’s.

Just to add more to the tab, Brown’s rented silver Lambourghini has been impounded. In the midst of fame and fortune, Brown certainly won’t need payday loans to get the car out of the impound yard, but it’s tough to say where things will go for the star from here. Brown has also been involved in the “Got Milk?” campaign, but his involvement was scheduled to end this week. However, Milk did issue a statement saying the company was taking the allegations against Brown “very seriously.”

Rihanna doing well

Reports confirm that Rihanna was hospitalized after the incident. Her publicist would not say whether Rihanna remains in the hospital, but said the diva was doing well. E! News reported Monday night that Rihanna was still in the hospital. Rihanna and Brown have been together for more than a year. If Brown is convicted in the assault, he could face three to four years in prison.

More celebrity gossip

Another R&B singer, Usher, also proved to be a no-show at the Grammy’s. Reports also came out Sunday saying that Usher’s wife, Tameka Raymond, was in the hospital because of complications from plastic surgery. Luckily, Raymond is in stable condition.

It brings up an interesting point, though. People who are considering plastic surgery must remember that any type of surgery is dangerous, and if something unexpectedly goes wrong, they could find themselves needing payday loans to cover the cost of complications.