When you want to avoid certain items in the news they seem to jump out even more.
Modern news is particularly notorious at creating firestorms of publicity. Whenever a story is big and the editors think it might get them attention they duly create some more leads on it. It also helps when the story gives them further cause to do so.
The case of everyone's favourite pop prat Justin Bieber can, at first glance, be filed under one favourite story - the stalking of gossip celebs as they implode. This was its worst when Britney Spears had an almost complete breakdown and everyone followed her with cameras, if not quite to the extent to the episode of South Park where she's actively hunted by paps to help the harvest.
His attention is amplified by his fanbase, who regularly pollute Twitter with vapid meaningless nonsense. All pop music fanbases have segments that act like cult worship, but the sheer numbers means other fanbases.
Until last Sunday, Bieber was enjoying a fairly straight forward tour on these shores. His fans were going home from arenas up and down the land happy, reviews were reasonable and it was all going incident free as he prepared for his birthday. Then, as the news and Twitter have been at pains to discuss, it all imploded from there.
In case you don't know what happened next, he then got turned away from a posh London nightclub for trying to bring in his 14 year old friends, turned up somewhere between 45 minutes and 2 hours late to his first show at the O2 Arena, fainted on stage during the 3rd night, got accused of faking fainting on stage and then got caught swearing at paps outside his hotel while dressed like an idiot.
He was due to appear on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway on Saturday but pulled out, choosing instead to mope round Harrod's about how he's never gonna return to our country. This has been predictably met with Twitter reaction, albeit more of the good riddance variety.
Sadly for them their hopes of a Bieber no-show have gone unheeded as it appears he will return to our country. He also denied rumours he skipped out on the TV appearance but at this rate it's all unknown how much of this is true and false, as it always is in matters like this.
Far from being content to have a nightmare jaunt on our shores he's continued apace in Europe, preferring to spend time in Amsterdam than actually preparing for two concerts in Lisbon, and then duly cancelling one due to 'unforseen circumstances' - those circumstancs presumably being no one bought any tickets.
It does feel like we've heard this song before, a bit like with Bieber's music. There are stroppy sides to pop stars and to teenagers, of which Bieber fits in both categories.
It's unverified if he was being a diva but it would make sense given that pop stars are known for sulking when their outrageous demands aren't met, and teenagers are also privy to doing that same thing.
Pop stars are always in that situation of being love-or-hate figures that seem to struggle with success. They may well have money to burn and the adoration of millions but it can be a solitary lifestyle, not least the shallow nature of people who want you for the celebrity rather than the real person.
Obviously we all think pop stardom is a pretty sweet life, then duly watch the whole artifice collapse. Michael Jackson, an idol to billions, was the case in point as he changed beyond all recognition from being a teen star into a drug-induced plastic shell. It's cliche that pop stars go from fresh-faced cherub to posturing drug-addicted arses that the gossip pages attempt to stalk to the grave. But of course, if you sell 35 million records, you're bound to get attention.
Being famous is a strange case and it can fuck with your head. Certainly, being loaded skews your viewpoint on the world - hence trying to bring underage kids into nightclubs. It also doesn't help when there's a horde of paparazzi photographers, agents, minders, helpers and fans all following your every move like a real life TV show, and making sure that the show continuously moves on the road.
Bieber's annoying fanbase are also not helpful by constantly demanding more from their idol. This in turns means he gives them more, and in turn means more is wanted, leading to stalking for more information.
It's a long from the mystique of when idols like Jagger and Bowie were secretly (and not-so-secretly) on the drug wagon. It also means all melodramatic instances are playing out in public, leading to public meltdowns like last week.
Of course it could all be an act to drive publicity. I've never met Justin Bieber and for all the posturing and terrible music he's probably a reasonable chap underneath, even if some of his antics are the kind of acts a dick might get up to.
But the fact is the Bieber industry is supermassive. He's worth £35million, he and his label employs many people to ensure he puts on a live show his fans can scream themselves into disorientation at and he's one of the biggest names in pop. He's basically the key cog, sort of like Coca-Cola are in the fizzy pop business.
Being the big name also attracts attention. It's why there were 1430586 articles on him in the wake of his late show at the O2 arena, all examining his mindest, interview his fans, asking questions of his company, speculating on why he's done so. Anyone apathetic to the whole situation or not keen on his dull musical stylings is obviously not going to be as arsed to discuss a topic that seems to range from being exhausted to having an avalance of press.
With that sort of pressure its probably a wonder he hasn't gone on a bender like this sooner. Where he goes from here, bar fighting paps in bars at 3am, is anyone's guess.
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