Smash His Camera

“Ron Galella, King of the Paparazzi”, as TIME Magazine nicknamed him. Mr. Galella is a legend in the world of photojournalism. His famous photographs of Jackie O, Marlon Brando, and Katherine Hepburn, just to name a few, speak volumes to his dedication and commitment to photography.

Balancing the First Amendment and the right of the paparazzi is a tough task. Yes, celebrities have the right to privacy, but the paparazzi also has the right to take the pictures, especially if they’re taking it on public property.

LiveScience.com presents an interesting point concerning the First Amendment. It states, “U.S. Justice Louis Brandeis called it [the right to privacy] ‘the right to be left alone.'” But, celebrities sign up to be in the public eye once they’re movie or tv show is shown nationwide, or decide to run for public office.

The line is drawn, I believe, when children are brought into the public eye. Celebrities chose to make themselves public figures, but their children, however, do not ask for this attention. The WSJ reported under California’s new state law, “a photographer can be sent to prison for trying to take a photo of a celebrity’s son or daughter without permission.” When paparazzi bring children into the public eye, it is against their will and therefore unfair. Realistically, I don’t think there is a line that paparazzi abide by in terms of “going too far” to get a photograph. It would be nice to think that they respect others’ personal space which we are all entitled to, but this is not the case for celebrities. Being a public figure comes with the good and the bad, the privacy and the publicity.

By paparazzi standards, I think Ron’s five rules are extremely accurate. There is no doubt he knows what he is talking about. But, from an ethical viewpoint, is this OK? Is it ethical to forge credentials? To the normal bystander, no, probably not. But in the business of photojournalism, it’s what he has to do to in order to do his job well.

Katherine Hepburn planted those bushes to keep paparazzi out. For Galella to pull the bushes away and take pictures is an invasion of her privacy. She’s an actress who lives in the public eye, whether it be on stage or public appearances. When Ms. Hepburn is home, however, she has a right to be a normal person and be comfortable in a private setting such as her home. The SPJ Code of Ethics states “Pursuit of the news is not a license for arrogance or undue intrusiveness.” One could argue Galella was acting with “undue intrusiveness” while obtaining many of his pictures (like moving the plants) and “arrogance” such as dating Jackie O’s assistant.

In regards to Mr. Novak’s question about feeding an appetite that shouldn’t be fed, someone has to be the paparazzi. In some regard, the paparazzi keeps celebrities or those in the public eye on their toes. Galella seems to have an addiction to his career, so maybe he is feeding an appetite. But, celebrities need people who will keep them in line.

Ron Galella didn’t leave the most positive impact on photojournalism or the paparazzi, but there’s no denying he wasn’t committed to his job. He work extremely hard and climbed his way up the ladder to be able to photograph some of the most famous people in the world. He made a name for himself and is known by many. Though some may not respect what he did, the dedication he showed to get where he is today is respectable.

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