The Cult of Paparazzi
I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the paparazzi. Given that I am not remotely close to needing to worry about strangers taking photos of me when I leave the house, this may seem odd, but as someone often tuned in to the culture of celebrity, it’s actually a topic I’ve been fascinated with for many years.
What got me started musing about it recently was the article about Chris Pine in this past December’s GQ. There are a lot of things to admire about Pine’s unique and unflinchingly realistic attitude toward fame, what stood out to me most is his practically militant attitude regarding the paparazzi. The article quotes John Cho’s astonishment at an outburst Pine had over the paparazzi intruding on a lunch the two had with Star Trek costar Zachary Quinto:
“I have never seen anybody react to that stuff so poorly. There was a guy with a camera, and Chris couldn’t concentrate. He was up in the window giving the guy the finger, trying to mess up his shots. I believe the word maggot was tossed around. I was really taken aback.”
Extreme though it may seem and despite Cho’s clear amazement at Pine’s behavior, my initial and prevailing thought regarding this incident was, good for him.
It’s easy, though, to say the paparazzi is bad, to engage in so much finger-wagging at these individuals who choose to make their living infringing upon the lives of others. And don’t get me wrong: I’m not saying it’s good, or even excusable. I think it’s vile. But the trouble here is that the paparazzi isn’t really the problem. It’s simply symptomatic of a bigger issue regarding modern celebrity culture.
When did we, as a society, decide that celebrities aren’t permitted personal lives? Is this a relatively recent event, or does it literally hearken all the way back to the kings and queens of the Middle Ages who couldn’t so much as copulate in peace? Are celebrities the modern day equivalent of royalty, and if so, is this lust for gossip so tightly woven within the fabric of our culture that we’ll never conceivably be rid of it?
Admittedly, I have no solution, despite my fascination on the subject. In fact, I think human nature precludes one. We always want to see more of the people we like, and celebrity culture taps into that desire. Can you eliminate paparazzi without eliminating the onslaught of sanctioned promotion? Unfortunately, I honestly don’t think so.
It would be really cool, though, if the people in Hollywood grew some balls and the way Chris Pine reacted to the paparazzi was the norm instead of the exception.
