A viral clip of Justin Bieber confronting paparazzi last week has the internet in shambles. On June 13, Bieber was spotted leaving the Soho House social club in Malibu, California, where he was approached by paparazzi. The interaction becomes heated, and at one point, Bieber says to the photogs, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business, is it?” But, what does “clocking to you that I’m standing on business” even mean?
In the 11-minute video of the interaction, Bieber tells the paparazzi off for approaching his car, and states that he won’t answer any questions. Bieber then says the line that’s been going viral on the internet.
The statement, “It’s not clocking to you that I’m standing on business,” is a combination of two AAVE (African American Vernacular English) phrases — “clocking,” which means registering or noticing, and “standing on business,” which basically means taking ownership of your responsibilities. Bieber misuses these phrases to mean that he is taking the confrontation seriously, standing up for himself, and is not backing down.
Despite his sincerity about the situation, the internet has turned his phrasing into a meme, mocking him for his misuse of AAVE. Many of the posts accompany Bieber’s quote with photos referencing TV shows, movies, or other celebrities.
While the internet is enjoying poking fun at the situation, Bieber’s recent confrontation with the paparazzi may speak to how the difficulties of fame can affect someone in the spotlight, like him. On June 16, Bieber posted a cryptic message on Instagram that may have been a response to the situation. It read, “People keep telling me to heal. Don’t you think if I could have fixed myself I would have already? I know I’m broken. I know I have anger issues. I tried to do the work my whole life to be like the people who told me I needed to be fixed like them. And it just keeps making me more tired and more angry. The harder I try to grow the more focused on myself I am. Jesus is the only person who keeps me wanting to make my life about others. Because honestly I’m exhausted with thinking about myself lately, aren’t you?”
This post is just one in a series of Bieber’s recent Instagram posts that allude to possible issues with his anger and mental state. Several of his posts since June 15 — many of them photos of his wife, Hailey Bieber, and their son, Jack Blues Bieber — are captioned with a cryptic middle finger emoji. In another post, Bieber shared a text conversation with an unknown person concerning the end of their friendship. These posts, along with his confrontation with paparazzi, have fans concerned for Bieber’s well-being. So while the “standing on business” memes are funny, remember there’s a real person at the heart of the story.