PREACH IT! Kids' Choice Award appearance reveals the real Justin Bieber

The comments are flying thick and fast over Justin Bieber’s appearance at the Kids’ Choice Awards this weekend. 

People are shocked, just shocked, at Bieber’s dismissive attitude toward reporters and his refusal to get slimed, which is the whole purpose of showing up at the Nickelodeon spectacle.

But anybody who has followed Bieber’s two-minute career  has to know the kid we’re dealing with.

Yes, he’s talented; he can sing and strum a guitar and keep his hair in place at the same time. He can sling the charm on talk shows, teaching Chelsea Handler how to wink and whatnot. He even has what he calls a "swagger coach" to keep his style situation in check.

But at 16, Bieber also is developing quite the ego.

He ordered everybody around ...

... when he visited Northview High School in Covina. (Yes, he was “Principal for a Day.” But that’s pretend, honey.) He ignores his mother when she tries to make him look decent in front of reporters. He sprays bottled water at girls. He loves to retell that story about how Usher and Justin Timberlake got into a bidding war over him.

The whole cocky attitude was cute for about 30 seconds. But after the Kids' Choice Awards, it’s starting to look a little tired.

Maybe somebody needs a curfew.

-- Leslie Gornstein

Photos: Justin Bieber at Nickelodeon's 2010 Kids' Choice Awards on March 27, left, and visiting the Sirius XM Studio in New York on March 11. Credits: Jason Merritt / Getty Images, left; Andrew H. Walker / Getty Images, right.

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip: 

Lindsay Lohan, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry play at Perez Hilton's birthday party

Justin Bieber talks slime and surprises at the Kids' Choice Awards

Justin Bieber's manager arrested over mall fracas -- and tweets

PREACH IT! Justin Bieber's 16th birthday party is, like, to die for! And it so totally screams for a poll!

Adam Lambert, Justin Bieber in VMan [pictures and video]

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