Was Justin Bieber feigning knowing a music icon or is he showing what's wrong with today's youth of not knowing who are the great artists who preceded them?
The "word war" was the result of Bette Middler, singer of "Wind Beneath My Wings" and other hits of the 1980s and 1990s, reacting to the tweet of Justin Bieber's father who was proud of the size of his son's genitals exposed by a paparazzi photo.
She felt it was a wrong response to the privacy invasion. That led Middler to tweet: "The biggest dick in this situation is the dad who abandoned his son." That tweet touched a chord on the 21-year-old Canadian singer who has looked up to his father, Jeremy, despite his being raised by his mother singlehandedly.
According to a Billboard cover story, Jeremy Bieber was just 18 and immature when he got 17-year-old Pattie Mallette, a born-again Christian, pregnant in 1993. The two never married and when Justin was 4, Jeremy left them and went to British Columbia, but returned on Fathers' Day.
Justin clarified that contrary to public perception that Jeremy is a "deadbeat dad," he insists that his father has been part of his life despite the separation of his parents. Justin says he spent weekends and Wednesdays with Jeremy.
When Billboard asked his reaction about Middler's tweet, Bieber was quoted as saying, "This Britt Meddler, I don't even know who that is, honestly, I want to immediately say 'Who is this lady?', but then I'm just fueling this negativity."
He stresses that his privacy was violated by the paparazzi, but defended Jeremy's tweet, explaining, "My dad made light of it, but I don't think that's sick and twisted. It was funny. Dads are going to be dads."
Middler, in turn, shot back with this tweet: "@justinbieber Britt Meddler! I don't know who that is either! But damn that bitch!"