Young Writers Society

Bieber fans go on Grammy-fueled Wikipedia rampage
By Helen A.S. Popkin

The quintessential Wikipedia editor is a 25-year-old guy, a graduate student and typically overrepresented in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Except for maybe in the last 24 hours. Apoplectic over bassist and vocalist Esperanza Spalding's dark horse win for Best New Artist Grammy, beating out Justin Bieber, True Beliebers took to Wikipedia to vent their rage over this shocking injustice.

While there’s no quick way to prove that the more than 90 edits made on Spalding’s Wikipedia entry in the hours following her win were largely the work of adolescent girls, much of the handiwork is in the now-notorious style of today’s refined young ladies of the Internet.

"JUSTIN BIEBER DESERVED IT GO DIE IN A HOLE. WHO THE HECK ARE YOU ANYWAY?" is just one of the un-annotated "facts"added since to Spalding’s entry last night. "SHE IS F****** REATARD," is another of the whimsical turns of phrase (with spelling to match!), added, and since edited from the post. And according to one helpful editor, Spalding’s middle name was, ever so briefly, "Quesadilla."

To be fair, not all of the offending Wikipedia edits dripped with hormones and poorly-blended eye shadow. Trolls were quick to bait Beliebers with anti-Bieber jabs; several tinged with the homophobia typical of the Internet and often attributed to males. "HaHa Justin Bieber, you're just a little boy with no Grammy for Best New Artist.irehjbpojeh[ker" represents a more polite example of Bieber-losing Schadenfreude added and then edited.