PAPARAZZI A NECESSARY “EVIL” OR JUST PLAIN WRONG ?

The big debate There is great controversy whether the tactics used by paparazzi is ethical or not. This lucrative business has gone overboard in many occasions at the expense of their subject.

The flip-side to the coin The flip-side to that coin is that celebrities should expect it because they are in the public spotlight. Lady Gaga for one uses them as a tool to promote her artistry. Film stars like George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie frequently get mobbed at festivals and elsewhere, but the practice does have a dangerous edge to it. Is all promotion good?

How about a flashback? Let’s go back to 2007 when George Clooney slammed a paparazzi chase that nearly caused him to crash his motorcycle. That was a close call. Or how about 10 years beforehand, when Princess Diana was killed fleeing paparazzi that clearly broke the speed limit to get pictures of her in 1997. Many critics argue till this day, that princess Diana would still be alive if the paparazzi hadn’t chased her. As Clooney quoted saying: “It’s high-speed chases and they’re competing with each other. They’re not trying to catch me doing something stupid, they’re trying to create me doing something stupid. You don’t get to break all these laws and then say, I’m just doing my job.”

What is a paparazzi? Paparazzi (or paparazzo in the singular form) is italian for “buzzing mosquitos”. The paparazzi, much like mosquitos, hover around celebrities, constantly snapping picture after picture in the hopes of catching that one picture that will earn them the most money. In some cases, they can be helpful to a celebrity by taking pictures the celebrity may want taken. Several examples of this can be the pictures taken at movie premieres, humanitarian functions, and awards shows.

It is unfortunate that the very definition of ‘paparazzi’ has such a bad reputation when there are respectful photographers out there who are doing a great job in a dignified manner. Safety and moral ethics should play a part when people take pictures of others and making money shouldn’t involve invading the privacy of others.

Tabloids have totally come to depend on over-explicit articles and pictures just to guarantee sales. This displays a craving for sensationalism in today’s society.

At last the Law!  The only solution that will prevent the paparazzi from invading the privacy of celebrities, stalking celebrities and distorting the image of celebrities is to enforce a law worldwide that prevents the paparazzi from doing these things Readers of magazines and viewers of television networks that display the work of the paparazzi, should wish for paparazzi to stop invading the privacy of celebrities, stop stalking them and distorting their image. A law should be implemented to protect celebrities from the abuse of the paparazzi. New legislation which will limit the paparazzi's ability to photograph stars' children has become law in the state of California. It lays out penalties for taking photos and video of a child without parental consent and in a harassing manner.