Justin Bieber vs. Jay-Z: What’s More Offensive?

The latest Justin Bieber flap is over the Canadian megastar’s visit to the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and the museum documented the occasion by posting the message he left in their guestbook on their Facebook:

“Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.”

Now some folks are all up in arms at this ridiculous train of thought. Anne Frank was just 13 years old when she and her family were forced into hiding in a secret annex of the house in 1942. There she occupied her time by writing in the diary that eventually became universally known and a symbol of the experiences of adolescence cut short by Hitler and his henchmen.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=GTpXf5Np3Pw

But maybe Bieber got the idea from the last entry in Anne’s diary before her family was discovered and arrested. Here is the particular part that may have given him the impression that, in a different time and place, Anne would have been chipping into his posh lifestyle like many other star-struck teens:

“I’m guided by the pure Anne within, but outside I’m nothing but a frolicsome little goat who’s broken loose. As I’ve already said, I never utter my real feelings about anything and that’s how I’ve acquired the name of chaser-after-boys, flirt, know-all, reader of love stories.

This incident comes on the heels of the trip to Cuba by power couple, Jay-Z and his wife Beyonce for their wedding anniversary. They were given clearance to make such a trip, and while it is true that it is illegal under many circumstances for U.S. citizens to vacation in Cuba, Peggy Goldman outlines the legal aspects of making such a visit on the Huff Post in her article: Dispelling Four Misconceptions about Travel to Cuba.

After returning from their trip, Jay-Z released a song mocking the uproar about his visit, implying that he got personal clearance from President Obama (not true) and that is what opened the eyes of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs director Phil Lord, the son of a Cuban Refugee. In an open letter to Jay-Z on the Huff Post, Mr. Lord writes that he was willing to give the Carters the benefit of the doubt concerning their trip; that is, up until the release of this contemptuous “Open Letter” song.

In the song, Jay-Z also references his sale of his stake in the New York Nets and brags about making millions off it while insulting an unnamed someone.

“Would’ve brought the Nets to Brooklyn for free/Except I made millions off it, you bleepin’ dweeb”

So the one thing that Justin Bieber and Jay-Z obviously have in common is a preoccupation with themselves and their fortunes. But let’s hope Justin Bieber never starts releasing songs like “Open Letter” in response to his critics.