EOTO #3 : The Trouble With Paparazzi

  

                                                              Photo: An Other Magazine 

 When you think of the paparazzi you generally instantly think of antsy mobs of people following the Kardashians or shouting at people on the read carpet. Though those things do happen, who really known when the paparazzi originated or what their original purpose. It seems as though they have always been there. For starters the word Paparazzi comes from an Italian origin of the word Paparazzo. The first ever paparazzi photographer was Tazio Secchiaroli, he was a photographer in Rome in the 50’s. 

    At this time magazines wanted to get photos of celebrities living their everyday lives. Before this celebrities just walked around and lived their lives without having to be photographed in the same way that they are now. So once magazines put this out Photographers started going out an following celebrities in order to get shots of them for any Magazine who would buy them. Ever since then, the paparazzi and celebrities have had a complicated relationship. Many celebrities often complain about the presence of the paparazzi because they say that it prevents them from living their normal lives. However celebrities also tip of the paparazzi when they want to be seen or need the publicity. 

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    However though the paparazzi is a normal practice and it helps feed a lot of new for pop culture magazine’s and TV shows there have always been questions as to its legality. For example the way some paparazzi have aggressively followed celebrities and even trespassed to get the perfect shot. Because of this many celebrities have taken legal action. For instance filing harassment charges against them for the at times excessive following or the mistreatment of some celebrities children. However, being a paparazzi photographer is actually legal there are just certain regulations they have to follow. For example, they are not trespass in order to get the shot, take photos in public rest use or in secured areas, and finally at a crime scene. If these rules are violates they could possible be arrested. They also are not allowed to do anything that would require them to get any photos that would require them to put away one in danger. 

                                                                Photo: The Independent 

    This was the result of the death of Princes Diana who died after trying to evade the paparazzi. Her car flipped and she sustained injuries that would later lead to hear death in the operating room. Ever since that tragic accident in 1997 the paparazzi have had a bad reputation in the eyes of many. Some people think that that was just an unfortunate accident that shouldn’t speak for the field in its entirety. Were as others feel that it should have been the last trap of many. All of this raises a bigger question as to weather or not the paparatzi do more harm than good. Should we as the people have a right to know what celebrities do in their off time since we are what keeps them in the lie light? Or should they get to go home the same way we do at night and be just like a normal person?