Week 13 entry: JUST PART OF THE JOB?

“Paparazzo to give Mel B wide berth”

 Former Spice Girl and current X Factor judge, Melanie Brown has today (November 1st) been granted an interim violence order (AVO) against Sydney paparazzo, Jamie Fawcett. The AVO, which Fawcett has agreed to under the condition he ‘is still able to do his job,’ states the photographer is to not come within 5 metres of Brown and he is not to ‘loiter’ within 50 metres of her, or make any attempt to contact her. Brown’s application for the AVO followed alleged threats made by Fawcett against Brown’s husband, Stephen Belafonte, last week. The issue has been adjourned until November 22.

Original article: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/paparazzo-to-give-mel-b-wide-berth/story-e6frg6nf-1226508339725

What Media Mayhem says:

Melanie Brown, entering court

While this article is obviously bringing attention to the recent paparazzi mishap involving celebrity, Melanie Brown,  this is certainly not an isolated incident. Only last month the Royal Family announced their intent to sue French tabloid magazine, Closer, under the grounds of 'breach of privacy,' after the tabloid published topless photos of Duchess Kate Middleton holidaying with her husband (CBC Online, 2012). This 'Mel B' case is yet another example of the lengths paparazzi are willing to go, to get their scoop. However, whilst every individual is entitled to their privacy, celebrities are not just 'any individual.' Whether their fame is chosen or bestowed upon them, they are in the public eye and are their every move is documented. This idea raises the question, is paparazzi just part of the job description when you are of celebrity status? With the advances that have been made in technology, and the evolution of social media making celebrity news instantaneous, it would be naive of celebrities to think they are able to escape the realm of the paparazzi. They can't get away with anything. So the question then becomes, knowing full well their lives are on camera, do people in the public eye have a responsibility to act in the way they want to be perceived? Celebrity gossip will never go out of fashion so inevitability, paparazzi will always be with a job and in turn, this problem will never be fully resolved. However, some middle ground needs to be made. There are steps both the paparazzi and celebrities should take so they can exist harmoniously. Those in the public eye should perhaps consider being a bit more generous with their time, so that less invasive methods are required to 'get the scoop.' On the contrary, the paparazzi need to allow celebrities their private time because after all, they're only human. Or there's the whole other extreme, just take a leaf out of Kim Kardashian's book and tweet your every move, then the world will always knows what you're up to!

References: 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/story/2012/09/14/william-kate-topless-photos.html

Image:

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/scary-spice-mel-b-at-waverley-court-over-paparazzo-jamie-fawcett-avo/story-fndo317g-1226508122725