Ahhh, the wisdom of Lady Gaga. She has the right idea in her song “Paparazzi” – singing about stalker-ish tendencies and likening them to that of the paparazzi.
Case in point, check out these lyrics: “Got my flash on/It’s true/Need that picture of you/It’s so magical”. This is exactly what the paparazzi are amazingly talented at! These photogs know all the celebrity hangouts and have no shame snapping pictures of them during their LEAST finest moments. (Britney Spears anyone?) And, being part of a culture that has become so obsessed with the lives of celebs, we LOVE to see all these pictures. Who’d blame the paparazzi for being all over celebs when they know their pictures are highly coveted by the public?
However, from the point of view of the celebs, the paparazzi must be genuinely annoying to deal with. Imagine having a camera shoved in your face every minute of the day. Peace and quiet? Privacy? Forget about it!
Luckily, for Nicole Richie, she was granted a temporary restraining order against two of these ‘stalker-like’ photogs, Eduardo Arrivabene and Ivon Miguel. Richie claimed that the two caused her “severe emotional distress” and even “chased Richie and her children in pursuit of shots” of Richie’s home. Earlier this month, Arrivabene caused a car accident with Richie in Beverly Hills. I’m guessing this was one of the factors that led to the restraining orders. With newly arrived son, Sparrow, and daughter Harlow, Richie needs all the extra protection she can get!
It’s crossed my mind, though – How effective will the restraining orders against Arrivabene and Miguel actually be? The ruling states that the two men must stay 100 yards away from Richie and her two daughters. 100 yards is approximately 300 feet. 300 feet is the size of a football field, right? That’s a pretty massive distance! But, who’ll be there to monitor that they’re actually 100 yards away anyway? These photogs are sneaky, smart and well-connected men. Although they won’t be hanging outside Richie’s house anytime soon, I’m sure they’ll find other ways to capture her on the streets of LA.
I do wonder why the restraining orders were only targeted towards Arrivabene and Migule. I find it hard to believe to think that other photogs are exceedingly more polite and respectful. They’re all out for the same prize after all– candid photos of the public’s favorite celebrities.
The paparazzi is definitely annoying for celebs, no doubt about it. But, isn’t dealing with them a price you’re guaranteed to pay when you’re in the public eye? I hope Richie’s case sets a new type of precedence for how the paparazzi deal with celebrities, but we’ll just have to wait and see.
The craziness of the photogs will only dissipate when the public becomes less fascinated with celebrity living. But, with the rise of Perez Hilton and TMZ, coupled with our increased dependency on US Weekly, do we really think that’ll happen anytime soon? Probably not.
Posted by Melanie on November 5, 2009 at 4:03 pm.
