Star Sightings and Paparazzi Encounters (Sheridan Pierce - Supplemental Post #1)

Over Thanksgiving break I was having lunch at Fred Segal in West Hollywood and I noticed a swarm of paparazzi outside the restaurant.  I looked around to see if there was anyone famous enough to merit this kind of attention.  I was on the patio, and aside from a bizarre business meeting about foreign watches, there was really nothing going on.  Suddenly, I saw staffers escort a father and his young daughter outside of the restaurant and the manager was lecturing them about respecting celebrities’ privacy.  After that moment, I knew I had to find out who was inside.  I had finished my meal and decided to ask the waiter who all the fuss was about.  He told me that he wasn’t sure.  “Oh, right,” I thought.  As I was getting up to leave he came back and told me that it was “Spiderman” who was inside.  Of course, he meant Andrew Garfield, but I really prefer the image of Spiderman having lunch at Fred Segal much more entertaining.  The waiter also told me that a lot of celebrities frequent the restaurant, like Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton.  Suddenly the meal was a little less appealing.  But nonetheless, the waiter was not phases by the paparazzi at all.  In fact, he seemed to be used to their presence.

This event made me consider the role paparazzi play in stars’ lives.  Many celebrities openly complain about their intrusiveness, but it’s important to note the exposure they gain because of these photographers.  Because of them, stars’ pictures appear in publications like The National Enquirer, People, US Weekly, and TMZ.  In fact, their personal lives can, at times, become more pervasive to the audience than their professional lives, which take the back-burner.  It is easy to blame the paparazzi, but honestly, where would a lot of stars be without them?  The best example I can give to this point would be from the film To Rome with Love, in which Alberto Benigni’s character, Leopoldo, finds himself thrust into stardom—for no apparent reason.  He despises the paparazzi waiting outside of his home everyday and feels “cursed” by the misfortune of being famous.  However, one day the attention ceases, and the photographers move on to someone else.  Once the spotlight is off of him, Leopoldo yearns for the “fame” that he once had, hoping that strangers on the street will recognize him and ask for his autograph.  I think this sends a powerful message about celebrity, stardom, and the effects it has on one’s life.

Benigni in To Rome with Love