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This movement is concerned with the mass invasion of privacy that has been growing steadily over the last few decades. The attitude of most people is that because someone is in the public eye, they should expect to have their lives put under the public microscope. We profoundly disagree with this. After all, what right do we have to know the intimate details of someone's life? Neither the Consitution of the United States nor The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms contain anything that says any person or corporation can stomp on individual's rights. The tabloids and paparazzi are standing behind the first amendment and certainally they have the right to free speech and the freedom of the press, but the constitution also states that Congress shall make no law infringing on these rights. No where does it say that the freedom of speech and the freedom of the press may invade someone's privacy in the practice of these two rights. However, the paparazzi and tabloids aren't concerned with the rights of others, only with their own profit. Us writing to them asking them to stop isn't going to help and neither are celebrities speaking out against them. The only way to make them listen is if the public bands together and stops buying this stuff. The paparazzi only stalk celebrities because the tabloids pay them a ton for the photos. The tabloids only pay for the photos because the public snaps them up. So the only way to break this cycle is to hit them where it hurts - their wallet. If celebrities ask for people to stop buying tabloids, they're considered whining, but we at CATT are not celebrities. We're just normal people and we have no stake in this. We are doing this because we know it's wrong to prey on others and want to put a stop to it. Recently, the paparazzi have come under fire for their ruthless stalking. We are very against them and their tactics, but we are not only fighting the paparizzi,but also the whole tabloid empire. The public should not care what, where, why ,with who, and how celebrities spend their down time. Everyone of us needs down time. We all have a public life and we all have a private life and no one should have to be on guard 24 hours a day forever, just because they decide to share their talent or what ever they have to offer to the world. It should be made clear at this point that we are not against the legitimate photographers and reporters who cover the entertainment world. We believe that any aspect of a celebrity's life that pertains to his/her job (ie. movie premieres, charity events, rallies, book signings etc.) should be covered by the news. This is part of their public persona and relates directly to how they make money. However, any aspects of their lives that is private (ie. bringing home their baby, eating dinner, comming home after an operation, walking in the park) are none of our business. Yet these are the moments sought after by the paparazzi as they stalk and hunt celebrities. It is repulsive and morally reprehensible that the tabloids exploit other human beings like they do, especially since very little is true: it's unbelivably creul. Celebrities are people who are just like you and me - to quote Shakespeare "If you prick [them] do [they] not bleed?" - and like you and me they need time away from the cameras when they can relax. The other thing we really want to do is change the public's attitude that this invasion of privacy is the price you pay for being famous. Our society has a tendancy to build up heros only to tear them down again. Perhaps this is due to jealousy and envy or maybe it's just our facination with other people's pain. Either way, the tabloids simply feed this attitude and that is what has to stop. It's time the public started to voice their opposition to the tabloid media. After all, we're the only ones with the power to stop it. |
