One day Mel Gibson
and some other celebrities were discussing their fears about
nightmare situations with the paparazzi. Hmm, thought Mel, "What a
great revenge film this would make." The result is Paparazzi,
a Mel Gibson produced flick in which a Hollywood action star goes
after the paparazzi who caused a Princess Di-like crash which nearly
kills him and his family.
My question is why
hasn't this happened already? With the paparazzi's growing boldness
rising to feeding frenzy levels it is only a matter of time before
someone is seriously hurt or killed. Some paparazzi even do all they
can to provoke a reaction from celebrities hoping for big bucks from
"When Celebs Attack" footage and even higher civil case remuneration.
These are Internet
griefers let loose in the real world. The kind of people who
pickup their camera bags and head out the door looking for
celebrities to harass are the same kind of people who love to attack
in chat rooms and sit at their keyboards laughing at the reactions.
Most paparazzi-shot footage exists solely for these abrasive
adrenaline junkies to get their rocks off and is never sold or seen
anywhere. How long is it before Hollywood strikes back with something
more than private security firms and lawsuits?
Given the power
and vast financial resources of these walking targets I am surprised
no cabal has ever been formed to "take out" at least the more
egregious of these vermin. If even the Princess Di incident was not
enough for a crackdown or reformation of the paparazzi-machine then
it will certainly take something other than governmental regulation
to stop the excesses.
These people
should not have first amendment protection. Most of these people have
no credentials and are not officially associated with any news
organization. Anyone can buy a camera and start stalking celebrities
under the banner of "first amendment protection." These are not
journalists. These are not the press. These are opportunistic,
parasitical vermin who put on an off-the-rack Halloween costume
labeled "member of the press" in order to get away with their
outrageous and barbaric conduct. They see the first amendment as an
all-encompassing "get out of jail free" card. Getting called on bad
behavior and screaming "first amendment!" is as bad as and not much
different from claiming the victim is at fault because "it
was just a joke." They are cowards emboldened by the thought
no-one can do anything to them. It should not be allowed and clear
limits should be placed on the behavior. Crossing those lines should
result in civil or criminal repercussions.
As far as I am
concerned, the only act the press is constitutionally given the right
to perform is that of publishing. Consider this earlier draft of the
constitutional guarantee of a free press, "The freedom of speech
and of the press, and the right of the people peaceably to assemble
and consult for their common good, and to apply to the Government for
redress of grievances, shall not be infringed," and ask yourself
if paparazzi actions really fall within it. The assaultive,
privacy-smashing behaviors some wish to claim first amendment
protection for would not be accepted by a member of the general
populace and should not be acceptable from anyone else. Their
in-your-face confrontations would not be accepted against a
non-celebrity and should not be allowed because someone has crossed
some imaginary line called "public figure."
If the government
refuses to set boundaries the task will inevitably fall to someone
else, someone who will have to use the paparazzi's own method of "by
whatever means are available." Then "anything to get the shot" may
take on a whole new meaning.