There are self-absorbed celebrities– and then apparently there is teen idol Justin Bieber. He visited the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, a memorial to Annelies “Anne” Marie Frank, one of the Nazi holocaust’s most famous victims. Yes, it’s the young girl who wrote that famous diary, hid for years from the Nazis in a house, only to be captured and die in a concentration camp. Most people visit the museum and are moved. Bieber left this message — no joke — as recounted on the House’s Facebook page.
Yesterday night Justin Bieber visited the Anne Frank House, together with his friends and guards. Fans were waiting outside to see a glimpse of him. He stayed more than an hour in the museum. In our guestbook he wrote: “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a belieber.”
Tonight Bieber will give a concert in Arnhem in the Netherlands.
Based on Bieber’s comment, I suspect he thinks “The Diary of Anne Frank” is about some girl’s regularity problem.
Just contrast his reaction with these reactions to the House on the House’s website:
I visited the Anne Frank House in 2009 and I did not come out the same way I went in. No photography allowed but even though there was not anyone present to make sure, No one took pictures. Awesome sense of reverence and respect. Every one who goes to Amsterdam shoud go visit. At the time I was working on a sermon called “leaving a mark” and this spoke so loud. Anne Frank left her mark in the world like no other teenager. It is said that the only book in the world that has been read more than hers is the bible. Very Inspiring.
AND:
After visiting the Anne Frank house twice, I have to admit that I adore Anne. How tragic that she lost her life so very long ago … how incredible that she influences all of us in today’s world. I, too, adore this site … please keep the updates coming … I will be back to Amsterdam as time permits.
But Bieber’s reaction was in effect, she seemed like a nice girl and if she was alive hopefully she’d be buying my cds, buying my merchandise and screaming in the front row at my concerts.
I suspect that when the ill-fated Frank, who had such a terrifying young life and had such an unthinkably sad and horrific end was hiding or watching unspeakable brutality in a concentration camp one thought did not cross her mind: “Hey, I wish I could get out of here and hear a popular singer!”
Now the Tweets are pouring in. Here’s a cross section:
rob delaney ?@robdelaney 30m
“Hitler did what?? Oh man, I would never do that to my Secret Attic Jews.” – Justin BieberDarth Vader ?@DepressedDarth 27m
Justin Bieber said he hoped Anne Frank would have been a Belieber, I think it’s safe to say she suffered enough.john vause ?@vausecnn 29m
Oh dear “@MichelBrewer: Every reason you might dislike Justin Bieber confirmed as valid, more proof read this story http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/earshot/justin-bieber-at-anne-frank-439291 …CNN International ?@cnni 30m
Justin Bieber: Anne Frank a ‘great girl’ http://dlvr.it/3DbXlbThe Daily Dot ?@dailydot 38m
Justin Bieber hopes girl killed by Nazis would have liked his music: http://dly.do/YUYtvXTerry Moran ?@TerryMoran 39m
Justin Bieber’s message in the Anne Frank House guest book: Most narcissistic thing anyone’s done since…Narcissus?rob delaney ?@robdelaney 40m
.@justinbieber How? Like she’d be an 85 yr old Belieber now? Or if you’d been around in Nazi Germany because you transcend space/time? #wowJustin Bieber is facing a public backlash for writing a self-promoting message in the guestbook of the Anne Frank House – declaring the hope that the Jewish girl “would have been a belieber”.
The Telegraph @Telegraph · FollowJemele Hill ?@jemelehill 46m
Justin Bieber proved what my grandma always said: Youth is wasted on the young. And that common sense ain’t commonAlex Brooker ?@alex_brooker 47m
Justin Bieber really needs to have a word with himself! http://www.scotsman.com/lifestyle/music/news-and-features/justin-bieber-NewNowNext ?@NewNowNext 1h
Justin Bieber visited Anne Frank’s house and did one of the stupidest, and borderline offensive, things possible by Jon d-have-
Jeffrey Goldberg ?@JeffreyGoldberg 1hJustin Bieber also believes that Primo Levi would have really enjoyed “One Less Lonely Girl.”
aaronwherry ?@aaronwherry 1h
If it was probably inevitable that Justin Bieber would unravel, but it’s still kind of amazing to see the speed with which it has happened.James Fallows ?@JamesFallows 1h
At last! MT @LOLGOP: Thanks to Justin Bieber, Canadian travelers may start putting American flags on their backpacks. http://wapo.st/Zq7B8bJustin Bieber pays his respects to Anne Frank. Outcome: rather horrific. (via @jessradio) pic.twitter.com/do0MRpw7a2
ExpandKidrauhl ?@iBieberSlayed 1h
That’s why Justin Bieber is the best idol for us, Beliebers. pic.twitter.com/OGAwsmmEtr
ExpandGladstone ?@WGladstone 1h
Wait, maybe the Anne Frank think makes more sense if you realize Bieber doens’t know what Germany is.Ben Smith ?@BuzzFeedBen 1h
Justin Bieber expressed his confident hope that Anne Frank would have loved him. Good lord…The Media Blog ?@TheMediaTweets 2h
Justin Bieber visits Anne Frank’s House, signs guest book. You just know it’s going to be tasteful and profound: pic.twitter.com/skg9sARjFEOwen Jones ?@OwenJones84 2h
Apologies for the coarse language, but turns out Justin Bieber is a total arse pic.twitter.com/yhtpwWiJOm
UPDATE: Part of Perez Hilton’s post:
Justin Bieber’s behavior over the last few months has been nothing short of questionable, and sadly, last night, he once again proved that he needs a serious reality check – and ASAP…
…We doubt that many of you went through school without being required to read the brave young girl’s diary, which she kept while she and other Jewish people hid in the attic for two years before eventually being caught and killed by Nazis, but apparently, the Biebs either missed it entirely or just couldn’t be bothered to think outside the realm of himself for two minutes, as a spokesperson for the musuem revealed today…..
….We don’t care how “strange” the life he’s living is!
He walked through that entire building, heard of all the horrors those poor people endured, and yet all he can think of to write after it all is that he hoped she would have liked his MUSIC?
Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.