The Princess and the Paps

I’d like to propose an equation:

Mental illness + star power and money + crude curiosity / greed = a cyclical disaster resulting in a downward spiral of those on all sides

This equation explains the tumultuous situation surrounding the infamous Britney Spears.

An article by David Samuels in The Atlantic chronicles the rise of an industry that helped contribute to the dramatic and notorious fall of Spears. According to the article, it all started when Bonnie Fuller took over Us Weekly and began the trademark photo-feature “Stars-They’re Just Like US” which featured celebrities engaging in regular day-to-day activities. She tapped into a market that was interested in knowing that stars enjoy coffee and have to pump gas and, believe it or not, have to eat--just like us normal people. Needless to say, she hit the jackpot and spawned an industry that considers an exclusive picture of a celebrity pregnancy worth 5 or 6 figures.

As a result, little cults of “paps” have popped up and begun literally stalking stars for an opportunity to get a shot of--well, anything. These men, recruited from pizza delivery chains and valet parking services, are armed with telephoto lenses and digital cameras and responsible for hunting down celebrities no matter the cost. We, the public, just look on as car crashes and physical altercations take place as a consequence of the reckless behavior of these paparazzi. The so-called photographers will do anything, including a practice known as “door-stepping”, which involves waiting outside the entrance to a celebrity’s home for 12 or 14 hours, just hoping for a shot of anything at all.

And what do we do? We buy into it. The industry only survives because we, the public, suck up every piece of trash they dish out to us. These masters of mindless destruction are counting on us to soak up these ridiculous photos and the nonsensical captions attached. We help to perpetuate the cycle and are thus aiding in the destruction of human lives like that of Britney Spears. While we complain and grimace at the behaviors of both the star and the paps, we continue to fuel the fire. So why would they stop?

So I pose the question: who is the villain? The mentally ill Spears who thrives on the attention, sometimes going so far as to help stage photos (a practice also enjoyed by stars like Paris Hilton-go figure)? The insensitive paparazzi who risk the lives of others for a shot of her picking her nose or showing her private parts? Or the readers who continue to buy the product?