Brown, Bieber, Gaga and the Cultural Decline

By James Hirsen

Chris Brown, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, and a host of other young celebrities have been making headlines lately, but not necessarily for the reasons one might hope. A segment of the celebrity youth has been setting an example that is anything but stellar for millions of impressionable followers who look up to them.

Brown, who has had a number of platinum-plus chart topping hits, is possibly most famous for pleading guilty to the charge of felony assault of singer and ex-girlfriend Rihanna. He ultimately received a sentence of five years' probation and six months community service. Meanwhile Bieber, who is a top money earner in the pop music field and second most popular celebrity on Twitter, has been on the covers of tabloids that are filled with detailed descriptions of his reprehensible behavior. In another high profile illustration, Lady Gaga recently engaged in a performance at the annual South by Southwest film and music festival in Austin, Texas, which seems to have hit a new low, even for Gaga. [more...]