By SHARMILA NAIR
alltherage@thestar.com.my

OKAY, so how many of you saw Justin Bieber’s arrest coming? Well, like most of you out there, I did as well. There was only one way the whole Bieber fiasco, that many fans and haters have tolerated for over a year, could come to a halt – with an arrest, which finally happened last week after the 19-year-old singer was busted for driving under the influence and resisting arrest.

Seriously, Justin needs to start listening to all the good advice thrown at his way.

The incident, which happened in Miami, Florida, United States occurred after Bieber and his buddy were caught drag racing, with the singer behind a rented Lamborghini Galardo, on a residential street and his father Jeremy on the lookout.

Yes, not only was Bieber Sr at the scene of the crime, he had also allegedly facilitated his son’s bad behaviour by blocking off the street so that the Never Say Never singer could race.

Nominate him for the father of the year award, anyone?

While some may argue that Jeremy was trying to protect his son, as well other residents in the neighbourhood, this kind of tolerance may exactly be the reason why Bieber found himself bawling in a jail cell.

Why would any sensible parent tolerate their superstar child’s atrocious behaviour? Bieber had it coming. Punching random folk. Check. Vandalising city property. Check. Spitting on random people. Check. Vandalising neighbour’s property. Check. Drugs found at home. Check.

All that happened in less than a six-month span and yet, Bieber was still out partying. Unless of course, the rules are different for a young singer who has sold over 15 million albums worldwide and has a net worth of US$160mil (RM512mil).

Suddenly, Miley Cyrus’ behaviour doesn’t seem so bad now, does it? She is provocative and extremely sexual but nevertheless none of her actions have put anyone’s life in danger.

As much as the world loves to hate Bieber, there are some people who want to see him get out of this rut, and that we all believe could only happen if the people around him stop being his enablers. That is not an easy task given that there are influential folks who say that Bieber should be left alone instead of reprimanded for his actions.

At the Grammy Awards red carpet on Sunday (yesterday, Malaysian time), country star Willie Nelson said this about Bieber’s shenanigans: “He’ll be all right, Let him grow up and then we’ll talk about him.” Just so you know, Nelson has been arrested several times for drug possesion.

Well, Bieber’s parents could listen to Nelson and just dismiss this as a rebellious phase in their son’s life or they could take a page out of Mitchell Winehouse’s life to understand how it feels like to lose a talented child due to a reckless lifestyle. Mitchell’s daughter, Amy, was a multiple Grammy award winner who sold millions of records and died at the age of 27 in 2011, after years of abusing drugs and then alcohol.

Unlike Winehouse, Bieber still has a chance to get back on track and turn his life around. Like our favourite troublemaker Lindsay Lohan did. Her mother Dina was at the centre of the young star’s disastrous lifestyle and yet instead of stepping up to her disciplinarian role, she was seen hanging out at clubs with the star who had been sent to jail six times even before she turned 27.

With Dina’s questionable parental role, it wasn’t surprising that Lohan’s career took a plunge.

It was only after Dina was removed from Lohan’s life equation that the actress, showed signs of improving not only her personal life but her career as well. Now, Lohan didn’t get better all by herself. She had someone who was genuinely invested in the girl’s well-being and that person is none other than media mogul Oprah Winfrey.

Yes, everyone was shocked that Winfrey even knew Lohan existed. But who wouldn’t after seeing the starlet’s ever-changing mugshot on every website, television show and magazine?

It took only one person to put her in her place and and look at where Lilo is now. Okay, she is not exactly in the next Oscar-worthy movie but more important, she’s not in jail.

And that’s exactly what Bieber needs in his life right now. Someone to tell him to pull his pants up and not behave like a spoilt brat who thinks that the world owes him a living. Bieber needs people to cut off the hangers-on who stop him from focusing on what he is passionate about – music. He needs parents don’t give in to all of his whims and fancies. In other words, he needs Oprah frigging Winfrey.

Sharm says: Is there anything that Oprah cannot do? I don’t think so.