Eerie, excellent, foreshadowing, painful, and somber. My favorite writing of yours tends to lean toward heartbreak and melancholia and this, though part review, really gets to the heart of the tragedy of the child-star dying in slow-motion in front of us and the continued violence of minstrelsy. You are singular.
I’m also really loving your return to this subject matter, child stars, hollywood dreams and perversions, Black men and their cycles of violence and victimhood. Such a powerful through-line.
Incredible. You are quickly becoming one of my favorite topical writers. I only fear that you are giving Bieber too much credit with these comparisons 😅
Brilliant and piercing as always. Reminds me that Bieber started out on YouTube as a drumming wind-up toy, like a miniature Buddy Rich, devoid of swing and experience, yet strangely desperate.
Yeah, hate to see a lil Pisces in a recursive own-demons death spiral. I think he’s been chosen as the next blood sacrifice to the pop gods. Hope I’m wrong and he has the good sense to fuck off with his money and just be a dad somewhere chill
Magnificent analysis, very accurate - he looks like he's wearing a diaper in that shot, apropos for a child star. LOL I literally used our ancestor Paul Mooney's everybody/nobody wanna be a nigga quote in my last writing, it's giving twin. Also have you read the "One label under blackmail" article by investigative journalist Whitney Webb?
Damn, this hits hard. And helps explain why I've always found his presence in the music industry insulting, unimportant, and derivative all at the same time.
Amazing insights— thanks. Just stumbled across your essay and then was transported. I feel like I learned a lot with my morning coffee, a lot to make me cynical and sad, but also a lot to make me want to learn more.
Eerie, excellent, foreshadowing, painful, and somber. My favorite writing of yours tends to lean toward heartbreak and melancholia and this, though part review, really gets to the heart of the tragedy of the child-star dying in slow-motion in front of us and the continued violence of minstrelsy. You are singular.
I’m also really loving your return to this subject matter, child stars, hollywood dreams and perversions, Black men and their cycles of violence and victimhood. Such a powerful through-line.
<3 So grateful for your ability to close read and understand the intention behind it all
Incredible. You are quickly becoming one of my favorite topical writers. I only fear that you are giving Bieber too much credit with these comparisons 😅
Brilliant and piercing as always. Reminds me that Bieber started out on YouTube as a drumming wind-up toy, like a miniature Buddy Rich, devoid of swing and experience, yet strangely desperate.
Thank you. Yes, he seemed like a lonely kid turning to the internet but now look
whewwwwwww this was a difficult and incredible read. holy fuck.
your ability to put your thoughts to the digital page is a gift. powerful. this has given me a lot to think about. thank you.
Exactly what needed to be said, what I needed to read, and what has been completely absent in the clamor for more Blackface music. Thank you. 🙏🏾
This is so beautifully written, so poetic, that Bieber's image just floated alongside it, nodding.
Then, I snapped to. Basically, Bieber has .been abused, manipulated, molded and he has seen the abyss. You said it.
Those last lines are a serious mic drop. Brava maestra
This is why I come to substack. Loved reading this
Yeah, hate to see a lil Pisces in a recursive own-demons death spiral. I think he’s been chosen as the next blood sacrifice to the pop gods. Hope I’m wrong and he has the good sense to fuck off with his money and just be a dad somewhere chill
Magnificent analysis, very accurate - he looks like he's wearing a diaper in that shot, apropos for a child star. LOL I literally used our ancestor Paul Mooney's everybody/nobody wanna be a nigga quote in my last writing, it's giving twin. Also have you read the "One label under blackmail" article by investigative journalist Whitney Webb?
https://unlimitedhangout.com/2025/04/investigative-series/one-label-under-blackmail-the-early-intersections-of-diddy-and-the-epstein-network/
gosh this is a brilliant brilliant brilliant piece of work thank you for this. muuuuch to think about
Damn, this hits hard. And helps explain why I've always found his presence in the music industry insulting, unimportant, and derivative all at the same time.
You write so beautifully wow❤️
Thank you 💜
Fuck great piece
Holy shit this is some good writing.
Amazing insights— thanks. Just stumbled across your essay and then was transported. I feel like I learned a lot with my morning coffee, a lot to make me cynical and sad, but also a lot to make me want to learn more.