I wrote it a while ago now that I read it I find it really incoherent anyway it's published.

here it is:


Paparazzi or Privacy? Celebrity or Career?

By Mihad Ali

Special to BV Mag

EDITORIAL – The topic of celebrity raises many different opinions.

Some feel these individuals gave up their right to privacy when they entered the entertainment industry. There is the argument that if you are in this business your whole being and everything in your world is fair game. Does that really hold any weight?

Essentially celebrities are products; they need publicity to stay on the top shelf, right? Without our appetite they diminish until they are not on the shelf at all and are considered has-beens. They need paparazzi stalking them or else they are no more. This business is a two-way street and we cannot take photos only when you please.

Others say that they are entitled to privacy as they, like us, are human beings. When they are not on a set, they are not working, thus we have no right to hound them. Are they right? They have occupations like many other folk but theirs’ just happens to be under the spotlights. They are citizens and they have rights.

These days almost everyone has access to a camera. So, if something happens in public and it is photographed should celebrities complain? What about when they are in restaurants trying to enjoy the experience with others?

How dangerous is the online feature, Gawker Stalker on www.gawker.com regarding providing celebrity whereabouts? Is it just an innocent map detailing where they are? How frightening is it to know that the whole world can know where you are at all times? How frightening is it to know that people can now follow you anywhere you go? Does the name Rebecca Schaeffer ring an alarm in anyone’s minds? Many people in the public eye have been stalked and killed. Schaeffer’s death is one of many that Hollywood remembers.

Who is to blame for the constant hounding of celebrities? Paparazzi, us or both?

“If the general public stops buying our pictures we’d be out of a job,” admits Darryn Lyons, founder of Big Pictures. So, say we stop buying gossip magazines, they cease printing and shut down due to no demand. What would be wrong with that? Then again how hard is that for us? Apparently very, as much of our consciousness is in that environment. Why? Is it because we are a very materialistic society?

The website for Big Pictures: www.bigpicturesnew.com has an ad for another website www.mrpaparazzi.com that encourages the public to send in photos and celebrity information in exchange for money. Are we going too far? Is this an incentive, a get rich quick scheme of sorts, for us or is this valid ethical way of making a buck?

Is celebrity-dom overriding careers? When we look on the screens, listen to albums and the like are we are not seeing the career anymore, do we see the individual who is splashed on magazines along with the details of their lives?

Do we really hate ourselves that much that we resort to spending millions of dollars a year on pure rubbish, or do we like ourselves to an extent but we’d rather look at other people’s lives and read and gossip about them because for some reason or another we find our lives uninteresting?

How can they live with themselves? Did you ever notice that these gossip magazines with the so-called perfect image on the cover as well as the images inside affect people’s mental health? Are these magazines cash cows for these people at the moment? If the demand wanes, will it be over? Will we go back to focusing a lot of our attention on other people? Why have we stopped talking?

Famous is a magazine that is all about the lives of well-known individuals. An Australia commercial for Famous magazine (http://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/famous/) stars none other than Mischa Barton. Does she have the right to complain when attacked? Was she just starring in the commercial or was she carrying the message that stalking, gossiping etcetera is valid by being in the commercial?

Another issue in the media with celebrities is this non sense about “reality” television.

We have Dancing with the Stars; Skating with the Stars, Celebrity Big Brother, Celebrity Fit Club, Celebrity Duets, Celebrity Boxing and it just keeps going. What in the world is so interesting and entertaining that we spend a lot of our time obsessing over these…….people.

They are persons just like you and I. Do we not understand that idea or do we not care?

What is with celebrities these days trying to expand their brand? Once they become a “success” with one avenue they are apparently qualified in other areas: “Designing” clothes even though some have admitted they do not design, “Making” perfume even though some are allergic, starring in a few movies thus you are now a notable actor, the list again goes on and on.

Don’t we have anything better to do? Sure we may eat healthily and exercise but aren’t we feeding out minds with garbage, mostly useless information that takes up space in our brains for no reason?

Reading a recent article in which the writer spent six days watching “every reality show.” Glancing through the piece makes me sick to know that we (sometimes I) spend any amount of time viewing any of this.

Is the supply already there for this kind of television? Are they just catering to demand? Are they shoving it down our throats with marketing and advertising tactics or are we giving them a reason to make it so they just have to minimally advertise it and it becomes a “hit?”

Just because there is a sea of cameras in your face and the men behind them are calling your name does not mean you are successful and that you can parlay that into a career without work.

Can this actually be tagged as celebrity journalism as is now? Look up the word journalist and see whether it includes not verifying facts, sources, publishing pure rubbish among other things.

people used to gossip about other people in their town, it wasn't fair then either, now we have celebs to bitch about to make ourselves feel better. It's tough, and I guess fledgeling celebs embrace it all at first and then realise later how they cannot live a normal life any more

lets have lunch at southland next week!

ZombieKitten said:

haha hi Charlotte! What day?

missmad said:

not monday, do you have a preference?

ZombieKitten said:

tuesday

other than coherent what did u think of the article
[Edited 3/9/07 15:47pm]