Do celebrities have a right to privacy?
The easiest way to define a celebrity is anyone in the public eye that is easily recognizable. Movie stars, singers, sports stars and even people famous for just being famous are defined as a celebrity. While those in the media will wave the freedom of the press flag, celebrities have four very good reasons to keep their private life private. They are:
- Family privacy
- Security
- Endorsements
- Career
Family privacy
Most celebrities would rate family privacy as the most important one. Children and partners can especially come under stain by the constant harassment of paparazzi. The new breed of paparazzi known as stalkerazzi have become much more confrontational and are willing to go to extremes to get that high paying shot. A simple night out catching up with a relative can turn into a publicity nightmare with accusations of infidelity splashed across the tabloids.
Security
For a lot of celebrities security is paramount and this goes hand in hand with privacy. For those famous enough to be constantly recognized on the street there is a very real risk to themselves and to their family.
The lack of security can have lethal consequences. On the 8 December 1980, stalker Mark David Chapman approached John Lennon and shot him in the back four times. Sadly John Lennon died shortly thereafter. Such tragedy is not limited to the very famous either. Rebecca Schaeffer was an up and coming young actress who was fatally shot by an obsessed fan as she opened her front door. This murder in 1989 paved the way for anti-stalking laws in California. Nevertheless celebrities are at the disadvantage when someone approaches them. Are they a fan, the paparazzi or a stalker?
Endorsements
Celebrities have long been known to promote anything from credit cards to orange juice as long as the price is right. With multimillion dollar deals at stake anything that could tarnish their squeaky clean wholesome family image could spell disaster. Think back over the last few years. There have been countless celebrity scandals involving infidelity, drug abuse and violence all which have had serious repercussions for the marketability of the individuals image.
Career
The gossip magazines delight in showing us photos of celebrities at their very worst. Did they look old, or withdrawn like they were on drugs? Did they put on some extra weight or are they too thin? These real life shots may be amusing to us but they can have very serious consequences for an actors ability to get roles. Their ability to get cast in roles is what keeps the money flowing in, keeping them in the lifestyle they are accustomed to.
Counterargument
So what are the arguments against celebrity privacy? The main arguments are endorsements, inflated salaries and perks. Endorsements trade on the celebrities image and can earn them a significant amount of revenue for little to no work. Inflated salaries are the multimillion dollar movie deals that bank on the fact that people will want to see their favorite star. Perks cover everything from film premiere invitations to getting the best seats in a restaurant.
If a celebrity earned a reasonable wage and did not endorse products then they haven't actively strived for a certain level of celebrity status. The moment they do they are trading on their image to earn more money either through endorsements, inflated salaries or perks. As a result their image which is earning all this money can be scrutinized. If they haven't bought into it then we don't have the right to question or comment on their personal lives. Unfortunately celebrities like this are few and far between.
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