At about this time last year the MTV show The Hard Times of RJ Berger got a reprieve and was given a second season by the station. There was talk in the media that singer Justin Bieber may have had something to do with it. No, he didn't temporarily work as a TV exec. but he did like the show and tweeted it was "fun". After his tweet, the ratings shot up.
This time Bieber did not jump on Twitter to extol season two and this time not enough of his fans, or of anyone, kept watching it, with the result that on Friday, Aug. 12, 2011, MTV announced the show was canceled. The ratings, they said, simply were not strong enough to warrant a third season.
The show hadn't done well as it headed into the final few episodes of its 12 episode season one when, on July 19, 2010, Bieber tweeted, after meeting people involved with making it, that he "Just met the guys who created that new show on @MTV "The Hard Times of #RJBerger — good dudes. Show's on tonight at 10pm. Funny stuff."
Bieber Likes Berger, Ratings Shoot Up
For those who've been living under a cultural rock and don't think Bieber has influence on the world around him, or more accurately his legions of fans, then think again: the RJ Berger episode he tweeted about wound up jumping nine points in the ratings from the episode of the previous week. The following week Bieber fans who watched must have told others to watch as Hard Times shot up another 5 points.
It was an oddity, the show, about a nerdy high school kid, RJ Berger (played by Paul Iacono) in the fictional town of Pinkerton, Ohio named who happens to have an exceptionally large, like a big, you know...he's well endowed. His fellow students find out when he loses his shorts at a basketball game and his status gets bigger. For some scenes not easy, or permissible, to show with live actors, The Hard Times of RJ Berger used animation.
Did Justin Bieber Watch Hard Times?
Bieber did not say how many episodes he'd seen that first season. Did he watch season two? If he did he hasn't said and with the show's cancellation he hasn't taken to the twitter universe to lament it. Meanwhile the 22-year-old actor Iacono took no longer playing RJ Berger well. After hearing about the cancellation he tweeted to his character: "You were a great guy in more ways than one. On to bigger and better."
Just as Iacono shall find another character to play, Justin Bieber will surely find another favorite TV show to watch and, if he lets his fans know he's watching it, the ratings of that show are also likely to shoot up.
Next time maybe he'll remember to keep doing it beyond season one.
References used in this story:
- Justin Bieber Twitter Page.
- MTV.com Website/Hard Times of RJ Berger.
- TVGuide; Exclusive: MTV Renews The Hard Times of RJ Berger — Thanks to Justin Bieber?; Aug. 2, 2010.
