The paparazzi and celebrities

[Texasgal]

Last night while flipping through the channels for some late night TV, I stopped on VH1. The show was called something like "celebrities caught on tape"

So, the premise of the whole show was about celebs and camera men and how much a magazine will pay for a picture or tape of celebs doing stupid shit.In some cases the pic or tape can sell for 20,000 dollars! Anyway, it showed just how ruthless the paparazzi can be, but it also showed celebs fighting back by punching the camera people or taking the camera ala' Jack Nicholson.

They showed all kinds of celebs getting pissy with the camera men, like Sean Penn and Madonna back in the 80's, They ( Sean and Madonna) attacked the camera man and broke his nose.... Sean had to serve a month in jail and pay restitution to the paparazzi.

I'll admit that I love trash mags, I read all that crap...people, star, Us.... I know... mindless crap, but it's fun!

So, here's my point. Do famous people "owe" the public a picture or something bizarre caught on tape?

[Shell Beau]

1. It's tricky. I think they do in a sense, but these photographers

go way over the line. I know if I were a celebrity I'd hate it!! But we do pay their salary! It is a catch 22.

[MercutioATC]

2. I read a story last week about a photographer who cornered a celeb

in an elevator with her young daughter (on the way out of the pediatrician's office) and began screaming obscenities at her in an attempt to get a reaction.

People like that should be jailed.

[Texasgal]

3. Yeah...

Like the whole Princess Diana deal... she dies rying to out run them.

That was also the deal with Jack Nicolson, who attacked a camera man after snapping a picture of his son. Can't say I blame him.

[Shell Beau]

4. Have you seen the movie Paparazzi? (I know I know Mel Gibson)

But I don't think it is too far off the actual reality of what celebs go through!!!

[Texasgal]

5. No...I have never

even heard of that! Sounds interesting.

[Shell Beau]

6. It has a bunch of unknowns in it, but Mel Gibson

directed it or whatever it is he does. It doesn't seem to be too far off base though!

[Kenneth ken]

7. no

I don't think famous people "owe" the public entrance into their private lives. Pretty much all people do things that others would consider bizarre. Maybe not on a regular basis, but maybe so.

I've never sought any, but it used to be, at least, that more often than not a famous person would be very willing to send a fan an autographed photo if the fan simply sent a note or letter asking for one.

As far as I'm concerned, that should be the extent of what a famous person "owes" the public.

Stage Actors and athletes do their jobs in public. So do window washers and construction workers. Should photographers stalk construction workers just so everyone can see what they do when they aren't putting up buildings?

Film actors and writers do thier jobs in private, and make the results of their work public. By the time the work becomes public, it has been edited and made as close to perfect as possible.

The problem with papparazzi and the people who pay to support them is that they either can not or will not make the distinction between a person's job and that person's life.

Having said all that, some people love being "celebrities" and will do any outrageous thing they think of to garner attention. I simply can't fathom that mindset, so I have nothing to say about them.

I do have sympathy for people whose career choice has made them renowned, but who would like to be able to have their private life kept separate from their professional life.