There are certain pitfalls to having more than 30 million followers on Twitter and another 4.5 million on Instagram. Namely, it's very easy to accidentally offend someone with what was supposed to be a lighthearted message.
That's what happened to pop sensation Justin Bieber recently, when he posted two Photoshopped images of boxer Manny Pacquiao getting knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez.
The first, which you can see above, is a parody of the Disney movie Lion King. The movie's main character, Simba, is checking to see if Pacquiao is O.K. Along with the photo Bieber provided a caption: "Dad wake up."
The other image is of Michael Jackson and Paqcuiao, both leaning in a similar fashion. Jackson was doing a dance move, Pacquiao was leaning on the ropes of the boxing ring. Bieber wrote, "Pacquiao doing the lean with MJ .. Classic moment."
Several members of the Philippines Congress were outraged to see Bieber's photos, and seven legislators even filed a resolution which demanded an apology for the "distasteful comments." They also released a statement, which read in part:
"Mr. Bieber should have known that the Hon. Pacquiao has reached his stature as such as a result of sheer hard work, determination and firm belief in God, and despite such stature best exemplifies humility and grace even in defeat."
The 18-year-old pop star has aligned himself with Pacquiao's rival, Floyd Mayweather, and he's made no secret of his allegiance. When fans wrote to Bieber to express their disapointment with his photos, he responded with the following message: "If they were Beliebers I know they wouldn't leave my side over [a] boxing opinion I have."
