CELEBRITIES AND THE PAPARAZZI!!

By Noka


Watching E! and going through some entertainment gossip websites,I can’t help but wonder about the paparazzi and the “important” role they play in the lives of celebrities. In the Longman dictionary(yea yea I’m smart like that) paparazzi is defined as “ photographers who follow famous people in order to take photographs to sell to newspapers”…that’s their job!



Personally, I’m all for celebrity news, gossip, pictures...e.t.c but I think it gets soo disturbing when the paparazzi just won’t leave them alone&are constantly all up in their faces and their private life…I get that it’s a sacrifice they’ve made& they are the ones that put themselves out there and all in the first place…but when does it become crossing that 'line' that separates their “famous lifestyle” from their personal life??

I remember when Britney Spears was pregnant with her first child, her trash bin was raided and they found her pregnancy test kit (eww!) and that was how her pregnancy was confirmed. It was even going to be sold on eBay!...Katie Holmes and her daughter surie who is just 6 years old are followed everywhere by the paparazzi even to the playground! (a joke was even made when she started school that a new celebrity baby was needed to follow around!)…Michael Jackson (R.I.P) had to wear masks for his children any time he stepped out of the house because he didn’t want them exposed to the media (call him paranoid..But he had a point!)…Robert Pattinson, Lindsay Lohan….The list is endless but you get the point right??

Sometimes, we the “audience” of their lives need to cut them some slack&give a thought as to what they go through…Every little(and I mean EVERY!)Detail of their life is put out there for grabs...Gosh! Personally,it gets me ticked when my personal life becomes a 'topic'...Yea,I get that this doesn’t excuse the celebs from acting stupid at times (Britney, Lindsay...)But give them a break, after all they are human beings too(it’s not like they are 'angels' sent from above)…Even if you want a celebrity to be your role model, you have to realize that they’ll do some messed up stuff sometimes coz they are human and believe it or not they aren’t perfect…sometimes I hear people criticize them and be like 'they should know people are watching them so they should be on their best behaviour always'(ALWAYS??)…Have you lived your life perfectly so far, without making any mistakes???there! I thought so.

Our celebrities in Nigeria also go through some hassle I guess but it’s minimal so I don't really have a problem with the Naija press(Errrmm..we dont have papparazzis ...oh, I guess their followers on twitter..Lol)..I get that their privacy is sometimes infringed on and they are gossips about them but I really don't think they can complain much …Apart from rumours in gossip columns most times and a few twitter 'hitches', they seem fine!.

Don’t get me wrong though, it`s not like I’m totally blasting the paparazzi…I mean if there is no paparazzi the entertainment, fashion, sports world would be boring right??(plus how will I get my daily scoops on Kanye and my other boos...*wink wink*) But I’m just wondering where the line should be drawn and of the opinion that these celebrities should be given a little privacy (these doesn't include the attention loving ones that do reality shows of course!!) because it’s like they live their lives with the rest of the world…If that’s the price of fame then I’ll pass !(I’ll take the money without the fame..:D!). What are your thoughts??