The Stalking of Celebrities
Stalking remains Hollywood's recurrent celebrity nightmare.1 Never before have we been able to know as much about a star as we do about a close pal. Thanks to publications and TV shows that cater to the public appetite for celebrity news, there's little privacy for stars. We learn the minor details of their lives--from an early schooling, to first kiss, last divorce, drug problems, hopes and fears.2 Celebrities on their own property are not safe from high-powered lenses, I will discuss what celebrity stalking is, why we should have harsher laws against stalking, and what the difference is between photojournalism and the paparazzi. I will prove that stalking celebrities just because there rich or famous is
…show more content…
Victims lose a sense of control in their lives and are plagued by self-blame, fear and a lack of self-esteem. Their privacy is destroyed, and they are constantly looking over their shoulders. They will always live in fear of them being a victim of a stalker. For a person to be accused of stalking the guidelines required that said circumstances occur on more than one occasion, with at least one including a threat of bodily harm to the victim or member of his or her family. The law decreed that this threat could come via spoken words or actions.14 The most extensive study on the stalking phenomenon was done by Dietz. Using 5,000 letters supplied by de Becker, he spent six years on the problem. He found that fans who write letters filled with threats are least likely to attempt physical contact. It is fans who write of romance and intimacy who are most likely to do so. “Many celebrities wait until there's been an over threat. They don't realize that, for them, love letters from adult strangers are the greatest risk.”15 Dietz, who theorizes that 95% of the letters were written by the mentally ill, says fans turn violent not because they hate the star but because they can't fulfill romantic delusions.16 Still, one proposed state
Obsessions cause havoc and can potentially ruin a person’s life, yet society normalizes and capitalizes on their effects. Obsessive thoughts and behaviors are becoming increasingly more common in today’s society. They can have many detrimental effects due to the lack of control it causes in a person. With the popularity of romantic comedies and love songs, borderline stalking behaviors are viewed as normal acts of love. The Great Gatsby, a novel written by F. Scott Fitzgerald, features a man hopelessly obsessed with a past girlfriend. Additionally, There’s Something About Mary is a movie about a man demonstrating stalker-like behavior toward a woman that he has been obsessed with since his childhood. Due to deficits in their own life and self-esteem,
In the article “The Impact Celebrities Have on Our LIves”, Deborah King suggests that, because of the Internet and media today, celebrities do not have private lives anymore (para 10-11), and I agree with her. What surprises me about this is that I have never thought about it in this way. I will see what celebrities are doing in magazines and on television and never give it a second thought because it is so common. Often times I see photos of celebrities in magazines, but they are not only of when the celebrities are at social events. I have seen dozens of celebrities photographed while shopping with their families at the grocery store, walking in a park, and even of when they are taking out the trash. This illustrates that even something as
A celebrity is not a person known for his/her talent or achievement, but an individual recognized for his/her reputation created by the media. The phase of stardom is slippery, and media may choose to represent celebrities varying from exaggerated admiration to mockery. The three texts chosen, movie "Sunset Boulevard", feature article "Over the Hilton" and television show "Celebrity Uncensored Six" are texts presenting different perception of celebrities than their usual images - either corrupted by the encircling media, overloads oneself with self-indulgence, or just mocks celebrity in a broad spectrum. Such media items empower and impresses the audience by perceiving celebrities as people who pay the price of privacy to gain well
Stalking has been a label for a long-term pattern of persistent pursuit and intrusive behavior directed by one person toward another (Logan & Cole, 2007). It is a term that has been around since
Before delving into the main points, the definition of stalking must be outlined. According to Patricia Tjaden and Nancy Thoennes, in their study of the National Violence Against Women Survey, “Stalking generally refers to harassing or threatening behavior that an individual engages in repeatedly, such as following a person, appearing at a per son 's home or place of business, making harassing phone calls, leaving written messages or objects, or vandalizing a person 's property. These actions may or
Stalking is a national epidemic. Across the country millions of Americans are stalked each year. They are followed without relief everywhere they go–to work, to school, to the shopping mall, to the doctor’s office, to their home—until they no longer feel safe anywhere.
The question of paparazzi threatening privacy and First Amendment rights is often to situational to argue in a conventional manner, but certainly there are many facets of the issue which can be addressed in a quite straightforward manner. Celebrities who feel they have the right to privacy in public places often muddy the waters of this issue. Oddly enough, those celebrities who have chosen to speak out against what they feel are violations of their privacy most always begin their campaigns with a large press conference. In other words, they gather together those people they wish to not only suppress but also berate in hopes that these people will use their positions and skills to
The following article is both interesting and informative when it comes to the final paper product as it deals specifically with laws against stalking; the following research examines and evaluates the anti-stalking laws in place around the United States along with their effectiveness. Richard A. Lingg compares the other set of the anti-stalking statutes around the country with that of California, one of the first states to enact stalking laws and make it a punishable offense in the 90’s, in doing so he spilt the laws into two groups; one where other states have adopted California’s law with no modifications and the other is roughly based on the original law but has a broader range. The original California law and the states that adopted it
I suppose that I should inform you as to the legal definition of stalking before I go any further with this paper. There really is no one definition, each
Stalking is a terrifying and potentially lethal crime that seems to be on the rise in recent years. While the act itself can be displayed in a variety of ways with many different motivations, the effects on the victims always result in some sort of fear, anxiety, and paranoia among others, along with crippling the victim financially. The media portrayal of stalking can lead to misconceptions about the crime and minizations of the behavior by the general public can lead to a secondary victimization and cause the crime to go unreported. Although anti-stalking laws exist they vary from state to state and may not always provide the adequate of protection, even a person convicted of stalking will only serve a year or less in prison if no other charges
Stalking is high rising crime and one that causes severe victimization in a variety of ways, along with the different avenues in which people can harass and stalk there are also many ways to help combat it such as the anti-stalking laws. However, due to the unclear nature of the crime they are difficult to enforce along with the re-victimization of many individual due to an assortment of factors shows that this area needs to be stricter and more concise to help victims.
Have you ever wondered what influences us to behave the way we do? Look a certain way? Or even looked for an explanation to what causes us to apply a certain perspective regarding personal and controversial issues? One of the answers to these questions may revolve around the influence we absorb from celebrities. A definitive term for celebrity is an iconic figure to a category or group who has achieved success in one or multiple aspects of their lives. As a result, these individuals have drawn in publicity and fame. Over the years with the advances in media and other forms of communication, celebrities have become topics of discussion worldwide, rather if it’s at school, with colleagues or at the dinner table, it is fair to say that
Celebrities are everywhere in the news, the latest gossip appears in the weekly magazines without fail. Whether they be an actor, athlete, dancer, designer, model, singer or just rich; there is someone out there who is watching that person like a hawk, not letting a single breath go unnoticed. Such is the life of the rich and famous, under the incessant gaze of journalists and the paparazzi. Lives that many people take a great interest in and admire to the point where others would liken this great interest and admiration to a cult-like worship of celebrities. This is a brief description of what I think to be celebrity culture.
Celebrities have a right to have their own privacy, and the paparazzi had better not be allowed to restrict their lives. Furthermore, photographers and journalists must not be permitted to make news that can influence celebrities' success adversely. The rights of celebrities for privacy have always been abused, so they need to defend their rights, despite their profession. Though they are public figures, this does not mean that the publish of every detail of their private lives is justifiable. It is legitimate to take pictures when they are at the stage or on the red carpet, yet most cases they must be left alone. However, the media always inclines to release both sensational and negative news to public. The latest pattern is the Chris Brown and Rihanna domestic abuse scandal ("Chris Brown and Rihanna: A Dangerous Relationship" 1). This really influenced Chris
The downside of fame is the interference of the media in one’s life. Stories concerning celebrities are likely to attract customers, just for entertainment purposes. Celebrities’ life is publicized, criticized and mocked at. Reporting celebrities downfall seems to be particularly appealing to the public, and it seems that hardly a day passes without the news reporting a celebrity’s’ downfall. Some people are obsessed with famous people, their life styles, and have desire for more information. Media’s negative role destroys the famous people’s lives. Famous people deserve privacy and respect. This essay will discuss the unfair treatment received by famous people from the media.