Paparazzi: And Our Obsession with Celebrity
Warning: mysql_fetch_assoc(): supplied argument is not a valid MySQL result resource in /home/ofceleb/public_html/wp-content/plugins/max-banner-ads-pro/max-banner-ads-lib/include/max-banner-ads.cls.php on line 433
Stalk the wild star, do battle with the hot-tempered leading man, and be there when the cops bust the naked starlet.
It's all part of the job.
Welcome to the world of the paparazzi, where celebrities and accused murderers, royals and rock stars, know them all too well. They'll go to any length to get a photograph; deception, bribery, and downright lying are some of the milder ploys.
Peter Howe turns a serious eye on the origins, the ethics, the stalkers and stalkees, and our insatiable appetite for celebrity that keeps these photographers in such demand. More than two hundred tabloid-worthy photographs accompany interviews with the top practitioners of this dark trade, as well as with magazine editors, photo agency owners, and the subject themselves. Together they treat us to the "real" stories behind some of the world's most famous faces.
Customer Review: Fascinating look at the photographers who hound celebritites
Peter Howe has done a terrific job at explaining who the paparazzi are, what compels them (think $$$) and why we're compelled to look at their work (think celebrity driven culture). His commentary is insightful and his interviews with the paparazzi are lively and revealing. Howe, an experienced photo editor, has chosen a wonderful collection of pictures. My own favorite: a National Enquirer shot of a bleary eyed Harrison Ford during a bar binge with partying fans.
Customer Review: THE MOST HATED YET THE HIGHEST PAID
For most of us, just the name "paparazzi" brings forth thoughts of stalkers, intruders, low lifes who seek to profit from photographs of the famous, particularly in private moments. According to author Peter Howe, that's not too far off. He speaks to paparazzi as follows: You will be "despised by your subjects, your peers, and the public, the ultimate consumers of your work. You will run afoul of security guards and publicists, lawyers and the police. You will be punched, spat upon, and have any number of objects thrown at you. And you will earn a great deal of money."
Mr Howe also asks why if everyone hates their work, are paparazzi the highest paid photo journalists in the world? He posits a simple answer - because we are a celebrity obsessed society and crave every news tidbit and photo of celebrities. Further, he notes that while we condemn paparazzi we stand in line to buy copies of People Magazine or The National Enquirer (think of the magazine copies sold containing beach photos of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie).
Whether we can't wait for a glimpse of the latest intimate photo or detest paparazzi so much that we wouldn't add a penny to their wallets, Mr. Howe has created an interesting study of their work. He's a former picture editor for the New York Times Magazine and director of photography for Life. In 173 folio size pages Mr. Howe treats his subject objectively and with amazing thoroughness.
We learn of the paparazzi's early days (it was much easier in the 1950s when young Italians first discovered they could brings in some extra lira by selling photos of vacationing celebs to newspapers and magazines.) Money has always been the paparazzi's prime interest - they pursue those whose photos will fetch the highest price, and they'll do anything to accomplish this. Perhaps the most far-out example of their no-holds-barred attiude is photographer Phil Ramey who hired a submarine to get shots of Princess Diana on a Caribbean island.
Most paparazzi are male and, frankly, not a particularly likable lot as they don't seem to care what anyone thinks of them and are extremely driven. We're reminded that paparazzo Ron Galella wore a football helmet to try to catch snaps of Marlon Brando after an early encounter with the actor put Galella in the hospital minus five teeth. For the paparazzi life isn't all hiding in bushes as Ben Affleck led one on a 120 mph chase.
The other side of the coin is that A-List celebrities need to have their photos in print or they'll soon be C-Listers. Perhaps Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick have the best idea of all - they allow the paparazzi limited access which significantly diminishes intrusiveness.
Whatever the case, it seems that paparazzi are here to stay (not at all discouraged by the 15 packets of ketchup Brad Pitt frosted a cheeseburger with before tossing it at a photographer). In addition to interviews with many of the featured photographers "Paparazzi" holds over 200 photos, from Frank Sinatra to Charlize Theron.
