Unfortunately, it often takes death in order for people to realize that something is bad. And sometimes...it takes a pop superstar - or at least someone famous - or with connections or clout - to get something done that is good.
Justin Bieber is the most Googled person on Earth. The 18-year old recording artist and entertainer, who began his career just five years ago as an Internet sensation, after his music videos went viral, is calling for legislation that would create paparazzi laws.
A freelance photographer died on January 1st, 2013, when he tried to take a picture of a person he thought was Bieber; a photo that reportedly would have been worth only between one-hundred and five-hundred dollars.
Chris Guerra was killed on New Year's Day when he attempted to shoot pictures of Bieber's white Ferrari in Los Angeles. Bieber was not even in the car. It was driven by a friend who was stopped by a California Highway Patrol officer for speeding on Interstate 405. The vehicle exited on to Sepulveda Boulevard and Guerra had followed it.
Authorities in southern California say the 29-year old Guerra had been standing on a narrow divider on Sepulveda. A CHP officer reportedly told Guerra numerous times that it was not safe for him to be there and advised him to return to his vehicle. After the policeman gave Bieber's friend a traffic ticket, Guerra ran across the busy boulevard and he was struck by a Toyota Highlander SUV. Guerra was taken to UCLA Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. The driver of the SUV was a 69-year old woman who had two small grandchildren in the back seat. Officials do not believe her to be at fault for the accident and reportedly she will not be cited.
In a statement on January 2nd, Bieber said, "While I was not present nor directly involved with this tragic accident, my thoughts and prayers are with the family of the victim." Bieber's manager, Scooter Braun stated that "Hopefully this tragedy will finally inspire meaningful legislation and whatever other necessary steps to protect the lives and safety of celebrities, police officers, innocent public bystanders and the photographers themselves."
There is no question that the obsession with the paparazzi to stalk celebrities and to take that one picture - that million dollar photograph - is out of control. Enough is enough. A photographer has now died. Will it take, God forbid, a superstar performer to be killed before a law is written and passed that would prevent the paparazzi from harassing celebrities? The paparazzi have gone too far with their irresponsible behavior.
True...when you're an actor, a singer or any famous performer, it's part of the job to be available, to fans and photographers alike, for pictures. Everyone wants to touch you or just to be with you. But U.S. celebrities are Americans. They deserve the same freedom that the rest of us enjoy as citizens of this great country. Their fame should not cost them their privacy. They should be allowed to have secrets. They should be allowed to have a private life away from the cameras and away from the spotlights.
Is there really such an insatiable appetite by the American public to see a celebrity taking out the garbage at his or her home? Do we really care that much?
Has the glamour and mystique of Hollywood been replaced? It seems today that the paparazzi would rather get a picture of a star wearing shorts and a t-shirt as he or she is grocery shopping than taking a photograph of that celebrity all dressed up to go to a red carpet event.
Dealing with the media - including the paparazzi - is part of being a celebrity. It comes with the territory. And to some degree, celebrities should expect a modicum of intrusion in their private lives, but only to a certain extent. If the paparazzi were less interfering, less meddlesome, and less troublesome...the stars just may be more gracious, more generous and more understanding for the photographers' needs...and therefore, the celebrities would make themselves more available, which I believe most of them do anyway.
But respect a star's space... and hopefully nobody else will get hurt...and nobody else will die. As the saying goes, "Curiosity killed the cat." And in this case...it did.
A law is indeed necessary to protect our stars and celebrities of all types. And perhaps it'll take someone like Justin Bieber...to make it happen.
And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
Copyright 2013 Gary B. Duglin and TheControversy.net. All Rights Reserved.
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