Paparazzi? Oh no! Not again!

Did you see that recent post in People magazine about One Direction? And how about the one on Justin Bieber? Did you see the picture that went along with it. Those fan girls must have been drooling over them thanks to the paparazzi.  All the colour pictures you see in the magazines, online, or through social media was taken by some kind of paparazzi.  And even though some of those pictures are considered 'beautiful,' 'amazing' or 'worth a thousand words', some of the snapshots are an invasion of privacy, disrespectful, and unappealing in the eyes of a celebrity.

I got you!

I disagree with the way celebrities are treated by the paparazzi.  Say it was you.  I'm sure you've said to your friend before, "That picture of me is so embarrassing. Delete it."  Imagine if that picture was plastered on the front cover of a well-known magazine.  I'm pretty sure you wouldn't like it.  Celebrities are people too.  They have their fair share of unappealing pictures.  The paparazzi invade their privacy, and capture them at their worst moments.  Celebrities aren't given the freedom to go out and have fun or eat like an animal or wear their comfiest yet ugliest clothes in public.  They are expected to act, eat, dress, and be presentable at all times just in case a paparazzi photographer comes by at one of their worst moments.  Celebrities feel trapped and have to worry about an extra load because of them, and it isn't just.

Sometimes the paparazzi go too far. Being a paparazzi photographer is an art, not a way to upset people or make money.  However, probably 9 of 10 photographs taken achieve those goals, and abuse the art. The photographers go too far, when they upset the person being photographed.  Think about the inconvenience the photographer causes when he/she traps one inside their house, or in a car, wanting to get the best shot to make the most money, but not allowing the person to do what he/she wants to do. Or how about the idea of an embarrassing photo being plastered against the front page of a magazine?  Celebrities are people too.  You know those media consent forms students get when we go on field trips? I think celebrities should be given those too, just so they can approve the content that is being published. Celebrities need to being given their rights as a human being.  And when they are violated, then things have gone out of hand.

Social media is a huge asset when it comes to the paparazzi's advantage. They can use it as a way to get their message, and photos, to a wide variety of people.  It is also done extremely quickly.  Lately, how often do you see a person with a book, or magazine in their hands.  It's usually a phone or an electronic device.  Social media reaches a lot of people in comparison to the average printed material.  As well, it becomes easier for the paparazzi to share their message, and make more money. As it is, the income of a paparazzi photographer is all based on the selling of their good photos.  On top of all of this, once the photo is uploaded onto the internet, it is permanently there, and cannot be removed.  So even if the celebrity absolutely hates the picture, there's no way of eliminating people from seeing it.  The use of social media may work to their advantage, but it isn't right to publicize unauthorized content.  The person in the photograph, might not like that their photo is permanently on the internet.  Sites like Facebook, own the pictures that are posted, and can sell them for advertisements, and other uses.  It is unfair for the celebrity to be unruly publicized to such a great extent because of one unappealing photo being posted on social media.

Several years back, Britney Spears was accused of being a "bad mother" when paparazzi caught he driving a car with her infant son in her lap instead of in a car seat. This is an example of a paparazzi scandal because later on,  Spears explained that she was trying to escape a horrifying  frightening encounter with the paparazzi, and she just grabbed her son in a rush.  Unfortunately, in the end, Spears ended up facing bad publicity by trying to escape some.  I don't agree with the way she was treated though.  The paparazzi should have given her the time enough to strap her son into his car-seat instead of chasing her and trapping her into a situation where she had to place her infant on her lap.  They should have recognized that a young boy, and the life of a human being are in danger when they press very far to get their photo.  However, I'm not saying what Spears did was right either.  She should have at least pulled over later on, and put her son into his car-seat for his safety, instead of blaming the paparazzi for her mistakes. She should be a better mother, and put her child's safety above avoiding the paparazzi.

Thinking about the paparazzi makes me think about myself.  Imagine if I was in the celebrity's shoes.  Or even, if someone was noisy enough to read my text messages on my phone.  Not that there is much to hide, just saying, for those reading this, but it's an invasion of privacy.  What if there was something I was telling someone in confidence, and I didn't want everyone to know? What if I was planning you a surprise party? I guess, it wouldn't be much of a surprise now, would it? Invasion of privacy is something we all wouldn't want.  We all have stuff to hide, and moments where the whole world doesn't need to see or know about it.  I would first off, be mad at the person who invaded my privacy intentionally, and then I wouldn't trust you. Because, hello! If you need to read about it from my texts, then I obviously didn't tell you for a reason! 

I wouldn't like it if someone invaded my privacy, so what makes it right for a paparazzi photographer to invade a celebrity's?