FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Music

Local Skywriter Wants New York City To Know Justin Bieber Likes Smiles

It seems "JUSTIN BIEBER IS A SMILEOPHILE."

Photo by Twitter user @chiplover_09

Residents of Manhattan's East Village looked up in air this afternoon to see planes writing a note in smoke. "Justin Bieber Is A Smileophile," it read in white skywriting over balmy blue air. It's not unusual for planes and blimps to be used for advertising in the city; it's an easy way of reaching hundreds of thousands in one fell swoop (ask local rapper Troy Ave, who claims he "flew a fukin plane" over rap station Hot 97's Summer Jam concert last weekend advertising the release of his new album). It is not unusual to like smiles either. In the pre-internet world they were the basic measure of approval rewarding a job well done, although they're slowly being phased out as likes and faves make social cachet easier to track and quantify.

It is, however, unusual to send up a plane to let everyone know you like smiles. A simple tweet would've sufficed. Biophysicist Kylie Jenner questioned the environmental footprint of skywriting in a recent dispatch, asking what the "white stuff" coming out of the planes even is. "Is something being exterminated here?" Jenner wondered. "Is that something me?" She also asked whether the white stuff in the planes had any connection to the skyrocketing death of Honey Bee's. Does Justin Bieber like Honey Bee's? Makes you think.

The Bieb's been on a charm offensive this year, appearing on Ellen to apologize for some of the rocky legal proceedings of the the last few years and letting a panel of comics and celebrities publicly roast him on Comedy Central. Aligning with smiles seems like a good move. What else does Justin Bieber like? Is he a fan of renowned rap duo Smilez and Southstar? Sesame Street gameshow host Guy Smiley? Miley Cyrus's "Smiler" fandom? Watch the skies to find out. Read Dr. Jenner's dissertation below.

Craig Jenkins can't stay in your backpack forever. Follow him on Twitter.