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Has Bieber Fever struck again? Just when ratings for MTV's new scripted comedy The Hard Times of RJ Berger most needed a boost, Justin Bieber may have helped bring in a crowd.

To wit, MTV has renewed Hard Times for a second season, TVGuide.com has learned exclusively. The decision comes after a recent upswing in viewership that coincides with the 16-year-old pop superstar endorsing it as "funny stuff." Twelve new episodes will premiere sometime next year.

Here's how our friend with the famously flippable locks lent a hand: On July 19, Bieber tweeted "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." That night, ratings shot up 9 percent from the week prior. The following episode gathered even more steam, jumping 14 percent from the episode before Bieber's tweet.

All told, the show has grown 31 percent in the last four weeks among MTV's target 12-to-34-year-old audience. Hard Times centers on the high school trials of a nerdy teen who achieves some notoriety when his classmates discover he's, er, well-endowed.

David Katzenberg, who co-created and executive produces Hard Times with Seth Grahame-Smith, said he knew Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun, and sent the singer some DVDs of the show to get his opinion. The supportive tweet came shortly after.

"The show gets a big teen male audience," Katzenberg said, adding that Bieber's tweet couldn't have come at a better time. "Hard Times is a word-of-mouth show and kids are not in school right now where they would be talking about it. That's a problem for us, but Bieber's fans are insanely loyal and I think it's rubbing off on our show."

Katzenberg personally helped to combat ratings erosion by getting his famous friends who enjoy the show — including girlfriend Nicky Hilton and her sister Paris — to use their social networking for good. Other celebrities who have tweeted their love include Holly Madison, Travis Barker (who appeared as himself in an episode), Ryan Seacrest, Rob Dyrdek, and Lil Jon.

A new episode of MTV's Hard Times airs Monday at 10/9c.

MTV

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Shoot with @mtv cooking up some goodness. 

This is gonna be cool.

Wonder what Justin and MTV has in store?

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Justin Bieber was spotted in the audience at "American Idol" a few weeks back when his mentor Usher performed on the show. But Bieber himself will get the opportunity to perform on the "Idol" stage during Wednesday's (April 21) "Idol Gives Back" special. And the singer said he could have easily been one of the contestants on the stage if everything had worked differently.

"For sure! You know ... we used to watch [the show]. Me and my mom used to watch it when I was little and we were like, 'I could get on there, you know,' " he told MTV News. "When I turned 16, I might have went and tried out, but this was faster," he said of being discovered on YouTube.

Bieber also said that he stopped by the show to help out with charitable organizations and actually did not give advice to any of the "Idol" hopefuls. "It was great. I was just there. I didn't really work with any of the contestants," he said. "I was there supporting Usher when he performed."

"Idol" producers handpicked Bieber as one of the many artists to grace the "Idol Gives Back" stage. "I looked at that night as a good night for him to be on, because he's absolutely phenomenal," executive producer Cécile Frot-Coutaz explained. "And he's young and he's a real inspiration for [the] young generation, so it was a really good fit for him to be in that special episode."

MTV

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'Bieber fever, man, call the doctor,' says Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice.

As Justin Bieber's My World 2.0 tops the Billboard albums chart, it's starting to feel like the whole world has a case of Bieber fever. And in addition to the legions of screaming teen girls who love the 16-year-old, young celebrities appear to be succumbing to Bieber's charms too.

"The Last Airbender" star Nicola Peltz gushed to MTV News about the pop star at the Kids' Choice Awards, where Bieber performed over the weekend. "I'm feeling the fever!" she said. Former "American Idol" contestant Allison Iraheta is also feeling hot for the teen star these days. "I have Bieber fever!" she shared. "Who doesn't?"

Selena Gomez, who once told us she feels like a "big sister" to Bieber, added that her loyalty runs very deep. But does she have the fever? "Of course! I do, absolutely, yes!"

Nickelodeon star Victoria Justice, whose new show "Victorious" premiered after the KCAs, added her name to the infected list. "Oh, man! Bieber fever, man, call the doctor. I got it bad!" she quipped.

Meanwhile, actress Jasmine Villegas, Bieber's love interest in the "Baby" music video, seemed to have a much milder case. "Of course, he's, like, a really cool friend of mine," she said. "But he's definitely super talented."

There have been some reported cases among male Bieber fans too. Boys Like Girls lead singer Martin Johnson said, "I think he's the man." And Bieber's "Eenie Meenie" collaborator, Sean Kingston, is happy that so many people have the fever these days. "That's my little bro," he said. "I'm gonna support him and be excited for him."

Bieber said he appreciates all the support his fans and other celebrities have shown him since being catapulted to superstar status. "It feels great," he said at the KCAs. I'm just happy to be here, happy to have so many supportive fans."

MTV

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The Diary of Justin Bieber

I guess Canada and the rest of the world doesn't have to wait any longer to watch this. :)

Watch the full 4 part video of 'The Diary of Justin Bieber" here.

Read more »

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In response to screams of support at Saturday's show, Bieber says he's 'happy to have so many fans.'

The highly contagious Bieber fever — known to infect mostly teenage girls, and a few celebrities (minus Miley Cyrus) — was in full force in Los Angeles over the weekend. Some of Bieber's biggest fans were screaming their undying devotion to the star at the UCLA Pauley Pavilion, where he performed for the Kids' Choice Awards.

"It feels great. I'm just happy to be here, happy to have so many supportive fans," Bieber told MTV News on the orange carpet, just moments before he hit the stage to sing his hit "Baby."

"Tonight, I'm performing, and I don't know, I'm just gonna show everybody a great time," he said. "We just recently started performing with a band, so that was big stuff. ... We're adding a lot of new elements. It's going to be fun."

Among the A-listers who may be coming down with a little bit of the fever is Snoop Dogg, who called the 16-year-old "kind of cool," despite the fact that Snoop's Malice in Wonderland and Bieber's My World 2.0 both dropped last week.

"I met him at 'We Are the World.' It was amazing," Bieber said of Snoop. "He was a really cool guy. We just basically [talked about] like [how] his daughter's a fan and stuff."

MTV

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Here are 30 things we learned about Justin Bieber in the 30-minute "Diary of Justin Bieber" special on MTV. It chronicles his time in France, including a possible broken arm from some pushy French fans.

• Bieber loves French girls (but not because of their boobs).
  
• Bieber is on a mission to thank all his fans who have made his incredible ride a reality.
  
• Being only 16 years old, Bieb has to take time to do school every day.
  
• His subjects are algebra, history, and biology, but he takes time to learn about places he travels to, like studying the Arc de Triomphe while in Paris.
  
• J-Bieb likes to smell pizza. Like physically sniff a slice.
  
• The spry little fella can hurdle a street pylon.
  
• He doesn't watch anything but R-rated movies.
  
• Bieb can make a half-court basketball shot.
  
• Kenny the security guard wakes Justin up in the morning.
  
• Bieber sleeps in a white shirt and white shorts.
  
• That awesome hair of his just gets blow-dried and then magically falls forward like that.
  
• When jumping on a bed, Bieber actually looks like he is only 12 years of age.
  
• Bieber actually knows some French. WE suspect it's because he's from Canada.
  
• But he reveals that it's also because it's his grandparents' first language, which is perhaps an extension of the being-from-Canada thing, but cool nonetheless.
  
• Justin has a team of guys working around him who beat on him like a little brother.
  
• Bieb can hold his own though, especially since he kicks his marketing manager Mike in the crotch (by accident).
  
• Bieber's mom Pattie looks like he's 25 and a French radio host calls her a MILF.
  
• Bieber can be a little punk just like any other teenager.  When he jokes that his tutor should get back in her cage and his mom tells him to apologize and he won't.
  
• Justin took the time to sing for the crowd outside his gig who couldn't get in.
  
• Bieb doesn't respond well to Europe's lack of air conditioning, but he soldiers on signing autographs in a crowded mall anyway.
  
• There are so many crying girls, which befuddles both us and the Bieb.
  
• If you push Justin Bieber around, he'll stop signing autographs. But he will perform anyway because that's how he rolls.
  
• He prays before he performs.
  
• The sea of camera phones and video cameras during a live concert are this generation's lighters.
  
• Bieber makes up for kicking his marketing manager Mike in the crotch by letting him come onstage and play the guitar. That seems like a good trade-off.
  
• Bieb's got some basketball moves, especially for a little guy.
  
• Bieb's best friend is Ryan from back home in Canada. Ryan is a little further on the road to puberty than Justin.
  
• According to the security guys, Bieb says his fans are his "spinach."
  
• Bieb denies ever saying that.
  
• He finishes by saying, "Not too long ago I was just posting videos on YouTube for my family and friends. This has been an incredible experience, an incredible journey. It's weird to think that this is only the beginning."

Check out this video of the bonus footage from Bieber's "Diary" session:

zap2it.com

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On Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET, fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at what it's like to be Justin Bieber in MTV's special, "The Diary of Justin Bieber." In this preview of the special, which was filmed last month while the singer was in France promoting his album My World 2.0 — which comes out tomorrow — he speaks to a reporter from his hotel room about how he finds inspiration for his love songs at such a young age (he turned 16 earlier this month).

"It's weird when people say, 'You're only 15,' because I know I am only 15, but at the same time I think at any age you can experience love. Whether you're 80 or 5 you're always gonna ... I don't know. There's a difference between love and being in love because you can love someone but not necessarily be in love. So I think I've loved girls, but I don't know — I haven't been in love before.

Bieber allows that he first found love at an even earlier age. "I was 13," he says, before mentioning Ludacris, who collaborated with him on the song "Baby." "Luda says [in the song] he was 13 [when he first found love]."

In another scene, Bieber is at an indoor basketball court goofing around, dribbling the ball. Before he leaves he decides to try his hand at sinking a basket from half court.

"Last shot of the day, this is how we do it," he says. And, almost flawlessly, he sinks the ball. "Boom! I'm out. Yes! That's how a real basketball player plays!"

MTV News will be rolling out previews from "The Diary of Justin Bieber" all week — don't miss the full show, airing on MTV Sunday at 7:30 p.m. ET!

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Excitement is already building for the release of Justin Bieber's new album My World 2.0(which hits store shelves and digital outlets on Tuesday, March 23). His singles continue to burn up the charts ("Baby" currently sits at number 12 on the current Billboard Hot 100) and he has a giant tour coming up soon. It has been a remarkable rise for Bieber, who has been in the public's consciousness for less than a year but has become in that brief time span.

He didn't do it alone, of course. Bieber's trip to the top has been mostly because of his intense work ethic (the dude is everywhere, all the time) and because of his commitment to social networking. His devotion to his own fans has turned him into a star, and he has racked up some impressive statistics. Here is Justin Bieber by the numbers.

Number of views on YouTube for "One Time," his first video: 52,963,291

Number of songs from My World that charted in the Billlboard Hot 100: 7, making him the only artist in history to have every song from his album chart.

Number of fans on Facebook: 2,229,065

Number of Twitter followers: 1,443,405

Average number of tweets per day, according to Tweet Stats: 7.4
Number of copies of My World sold: Over one million (the album was recently certified Platinum by the RIAA)

Number of official music videos: 3 (One Less Lonely Girl, One Time, Baby)

Number of times he's been shouted out by Lil Wayne: At least two

Chart position during My World's opening week: 6

Number of albums that will be between My World 2.0 and the top position on the Billboardchart: 0

(mtv)

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Justin Bieber is currently one of the hottest young artists in the world. The 15 year old has impressed teenage girls the world over and label boss Usher with his soulful voice.

And on his recent trip to the UK MTV grabbed a chat....

MTV: So Justin what can we expect from the album My World?

My World is actually going to be a lot of fun, it was so much fun recording, I think it shows that I was having fun recording it and I think you guys will have fun listening to it. It’s got a kinda r ‘n’ b/pop feel.

Tell us how you got signed and a little about your relationship with Usher?

So, basically I was twelve years old and I was posting videos online just for my friends and family and other people started watching it and I started getting a lot of hits and views

Then a manager contacted me and ended up flying us down to Atlanta where I met Usher and was then flown out to LA and Memphis to meet with Justin Timberlake. We ended up signing with Usher at Island Def Jam.

He’s a great guy just as I met him I actually sang him my own song You Got It Bad. I was a little nervous but it was a lot of fun.

It must have been amazing at twelve, what did you think did you think your whole world was going to change or was it just a bit of a dream?

Well at the time I really didn’t know what was going on, I was kind of like ‘pinch me I’m dreaming!’ It was definitely a big change but I’m having a lot of fun.

Usher starred in the for video One Time…

He didn’t star in it I starred in it! He made a co-appearance, in my video. He wouldn’t star in my video, that wouldn’t make sense right?

What kind of advice has he given you?

Usher gave me a lot of advice and I think the best advice he’s given me is basically just to stay humble through this whole experience.

Now is it true there was a bidding war between Usher and Justin Timberlake?

Well I don’t really know about it all I know is that they were going back and forth. So, basically I think Justin and Usher both wanted to sign me it was kind of like a bidding war, it was kind of like they were in a ring and Usher knocked him out so…

Have you seen J.T. since you decided to go with Usher?

I haven’t seen Justin Timberlake since the whole deal went down but I think he’d have no hard feelings. He seems like a really nice guy, he seems cool.

What’s the craziest fan experience you’ve had?

I had one of here just a few days ago and we were driving and these little girls they were running in front of the vehicles. They nearly got hurt- we were driving and they were still running in front of the vehicle. So that was probably one of the craziest.

Tell us about the accident you had on stage where you were supporting Taylor Swift in the UK, you broke your foot didn’t you?

Yes! I actually broke my foot on stage performing with Taylor Swift I was opening up for her which was a lot of fun- although it definitely wasn’t fun when I broke my foot. I was running down stage and there was a little dip in the stage and I rolled my ankle and broke it and I finished the song but yeah, it was still a great night.

Would you like to work with Taylor in the future maybe have a duet with her or something?

I would love to work with Taylor in the future she’s a great writer, song writer, musician, singer so she’s an all round great person, so I think it would be great.

- mtv.co.uk

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