Justin Bieber Doesn't Wanna Take Your Selfie

It must be tough to be Justin Bieber. And though that sentence sounds disingenuous and sarcastic, I actually mean it. The kid is not only living in a world where his every move is documented and judged, the very people who build him up and propel his career — the fans, his beloved Beliebers — can be insanely overwhelming at times, especially when they're literally mobbing him and shoving cameras in his face, all achingly desperate for that one selfie. And this is not to badmouth fans in any way. I appreciate fan culture and so know what it's like to meet your idol and want a photo more than anything. But as someone who has also watched more than her fair share of "celebs swarmed by fans" video compilations on YouTube, things can get crazy intense for the celebrity. Which is exactly why Justin Bieber just laid down the law about taking selfies with fans. And, speaking as a fan, I totally get it.

The Biebs, who is currently in Australia, recently shared a video on Snapchat gently asking fans to respect him while taking pictures with him.

"The way that you ask or approach me when you want a photo with me is going to determine if I take the photo or not," Bieber said. "If I'm walking somewhere or arriving somewhere and you guys are asking to take a photo... if I don't respond, if I continue walking, the likelihood is I don't want to talk a photo at that moment."

"Now, if you just start screaming louder, that's not gonna make me want to take a photo more. I want to enjoy the moment just as you're enjoying the moment," he continued. "But I can't enjoy it if I'm not feeling like there is any respect given to me at that moment. If you're asking kindly, usually, the chances are. I'll take a photo. But perhaps I don't or I'm not in the mood to take a photo at the moment, please just respect me and treat me the way you'd like to be treated."

In fact, Bieber would actually prefer that fans talk to him and actually engage him in conversation instead of trying to take a picture.

"Honestly I'd rather stand there and talk to you for five minutes and not take any photos… just have that moment without the chaos," he also said according to Billboard. "It’s like, why did you travel to see me in the first place, was it really to see me or was it to get that moment of you seeing me so you could tell people about it?"

It's weird. You don't typically think of a celeb being used by fans, but I can totally see where JB is coming from. It must be frustrating as all hell to comply to fan's wishes only to feel that some are just using him just for social media cred. Of course, this doesn't apply to the genuine Beliebers, but you know there are always randoms who hop in on a photo just because they want those "LOL RAN INTO JUSTIN BIEBER" Instagram likes.

But speaking to his conversation viewpoint, from a fan's perspective, it's much more rewarding to have an actual conversation with the person you idolize as opposed to just posing next to him for a two second picture. In that case, you're not even interacting — you're basically just standing side by side for one glorious moment until he moves on to the next fan. And trust me, I get the appeal of a photo — Who doesn't want physical evidence that you met the love of your life and future husband?! — but actually speaking to the celeb in question and getting a chance to have a calm-yet-totally-forever-imprinted-in-your-brain conversation not only makes you stand out from the crowd, it gives you the opportunity to have an actual ~moment~ with your idol. And, really, is there a selfie in the world that could be better than that?

Point taken, Justin Bieber.

Image: HilariousGifs