Celebrity news keeps many people entertained, whether that be on or off screen. Paparazzi is quick to give viewers the inside scoop on celebrity drama, taking behind the scenes shots of celebrities’ daily lives. However, many of these shots are often considered to be invasive.
The emergence of paparazzi began with Tazio Secchiaroli, who took photos of Rome’s nightlife and caught unflattering pictures of actress Ava Gardner. Since then, paparazzi has emerged as a field of work, taking candid photos of celebrities and sometimes bordering on an invasion of privacy.
Pleasant Valley social studies teacher Erin Klage believes celebrities, although expected to have less privacy, are still deserving of it. . “If you are going to put yourself in the public eye there is something to do with paparazzi and sharing part of your persona. But, at the same time there is a line you need to establish about what you want to keep private. I think you need to decide, this is private and it is nobody’s business because that privacy is something every person deserves,” said Klage.
Junior Allison Schafer agrees that celebrities should have more privacy than the public and paparazzi currently give them. “I think people should give celebrities more privacy than the amount they have been given. Celebrities should understand, and most do, that because they are famous, people want to know a lot about them. There should be more respect though from the paparazzi, especially when it comes to invading on very personal parts of their lives,” Schafer said.
Schafer also mentioned recent pictures of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift at a private party, which were widely shared on social media. “I think the pictures that were taken at the afterparty of Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift were not bad pictures, but it was still an invasion of privacy, especially considering the afterparty was private,” she said.
There are many other instances where people questioned whether paparazzi went too far. Schafer noted, “I think there have been many times where paparazzi have been disrespectful and gone too far, like when Tom Hanks’ wife was shoved or someone crashing into Lindsay Lohan’s car for a picture.”
Klage also recollected instances where paparazzi invaded the space of celebrities kids’. “A lot of it is also with kids if couples have said they don’t want pictures taken of their kids because they didn’t choose to be famous, especially when the couple doesn’t even post pictures of their kid on social media.”
Privacy has been a popular discussion in American politics and in the media, especially in the United States Supreme Court. Some people wonder if the 3rd Amendment, otherwise known as the right to privacy, would reprimand the acts of paparazzi.
Klage believes there is no clear cut answer. “Is that a violation? Well that is a discussion we are having in general, as the Supreme Court has said yes and no.”
As long as privacy rights remain unclear, both celebrities and paparazzi will have unclear boundaries. People continue to debate whether or not celebrities deserve privacy and what pictures paparazzi should and should not be permitted to capture. By creating clear boundaries on what is private or public information, both paparazzi and celebrities can coexist without troubles.
