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When one looks in the box, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the cat.

Reactor

Justin Bieber, in a just-released video for his cover of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town,” has co-opted a subgenre that might be very familiar to Tor.com readers: steampunk. Check it out below the cut. It’s like a nightmare but you’re awake!

The co-opting is just one bit of what appears to be a perfectly constructed audience-pandering piece, offering up references to Michael Jackson, N’Sync, the Dresden Dolls, and more, while marketing some movie called Arthur Christmas to us. (We’d add that Justin Bieber is being marketed to us as well, but we’re all perfectly aware of the kid at this point, right?)

Such is the frightening power of the Bieber that all he has to do is scatter a bunch of clocks around and a science fiction/fantasy website writes about him. Even when you don’t want him to, Bieber wins, although such victory seems to bring naught but pain. To quote Tor.com staff writer Ryan Britt upon seeing the video:

“The only way this could be more pandering is if cartoon elves played an elf version of baseball with candy cane bats while Derek Jeter hugged a Christmas tree while drinking a can of Coke Zero.”

Merry Christmas! Beliebe in yourself!


Stubby the Rocket is the mascot of Tor.com and thinks that maybe, just maybe, it’s time to get rid of the whole bangs-rocket look.

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