Morgan Freeman’s Dramatic Reading Of Justin Bieber’s ‘Love Yourself’ Goes Viral

What do you get when you combine Morgan Freeman and Justin Bieber? Some may argue “pure gold,” but is that really the case?

A video where Freeman performs a dramatic reading of Justin’s song “Love Yourself” is currently going viral across social media sites. Freeman, who has often been praised for his deep, enchanting voice, is definitely the opposite of Beiber in almost every way.

https://youtu.be/NRKZh-2j4PY

In addition to Morgan’s pensive reading of the song’s lyrics, the producers interposed dramatic shots of him throughout the performance in order to give it extra flare. Today argued that the video is the most incredible when Freeman begins the chorus.

“The best part, of course, comes with the song’s […] lyric: ‘My mama… didn’t like you,’ Freeman said, looking up at the camera and pausing for effect. ‘And she likes everyone.'”

People Magazine also praised the video, saying that the combination of Freeman’s voice and Bieber’s lyrics was essentially perfect. The video ends with the production crew laughing and telling Freeman that it was great.

But was it, really?

Morgan Freeman participated in the classic trend that has been popular for a couple of decades now. Many artists and actors have preceded him, often yielding laughs from their audiences and providing excellent entertainment for their viewers.

Did Morgan measure up to the standard set by his forerunners?

Some would argue yes. Freeman did, after all, treat the song seriously and gave it some degree of consideration. Besides, it is almost undeniable that his voice is incredible. At least, don’t try to deny it on social media sites unless you’re prepared for a fight.

Morgan Freeman's dramatic reading of Justin Bieber's "Love Yourself" is actually magical: https://t.co/Lr3iWp3yp0 pic.twitter.com/1CWO9jGsPV

— E! News (@enews) March 4, 2016

However, to say that it is hilarious may be a stretch. Whether it was the song choice, or Freeman himself, the video lacks the humor and intensity so common in these sorts of readings.

The song, in general, is not as entertaining, and the lyrics are not as odd as they really should be for these readings to work. Some say that Morgan’s reading pulls at the heartstrings, but is that really the case? Surely, the producers could have picked a better song than “Love Yourself,” which lacks the pizzazz and funk of typical Bieber songs.

Morgan Freeman is often praised for his iconic voice, which is sometimes referred to as “godly.” The Inquisitr reported recently that it has even been called the “voice of God.” His voice in the video is still as enchanting, but in some ways it detracts from the humor that could have been fostered. Often, dramatic readings are only funny if you act either extremely emotional or sardonic.

Overall, Freeman is neither. Instead he seems so nonchalant and distant that the video is stripped of much of its potential.

In many ways, Morgan Freeman’s reading pales in comparison to James Earl Jones’ performance of Justin’s “Baby, Baby, Baby”.

Here, Jones, best known for his vocal performance as Darth Vader, reads Bieber’s song with emotion and feeling. The nature of the lyrics also adds to the humor.

Jude Law (Sherlock Holmes, Spy) even tried his hand at dramatic reading on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, back when Fallon was new to the talk show world.

While Law’s British accent definitely adds both class and humor to Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face,” this video sets the standard pretty high for folks like Freeman. The attitude and emotion present in both this and Jones’s video make us wonder: where is Freeman reading?

More recently, Vanity Fair released a video featuring 29 celebrities dramatically reading “Sorry” by Justin Bieber.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1q1Be8wH6c

In the video, actors and actresses including John Krasinksi (The Office), Octavia Spencer (The Help), and Ellen Page (Juno) recite the song with humor and power, and sometimes even deep emotion and pain.

This forces us to ask ourselves two questions. First of all, what is it about Justin Bieber songs that make them so easy to laugh at? And secondly, after seeing other dramatic readings, is Morgan Freeman’s video really that funny?

[Photo by Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP]