Following Paris Hilton

Picture of Luca Aquilanti

In this article I would like to explain the changes in the connection between what, in my opinion, are two faces of the same coin: the paparazzi and the celebrities. The intention is try to explain how the relation between these two elements has changed in the last years. I believe the reason of this is what I call the “big brother’s effect”.

First of all, we must analyze the evolution of the term paparazzi. To do it, let’s check in the precious and free Wikipedia encyclopaedia, on the web.

“Paparazzi is a plural term (paparazzo being the singular form) for photographers who take candid photographs of celebrities, usually by relentlessly shadowing them in their public and private activities. The term paparazzi is often used in a derogatory manner. Originally, it referred to Italian celebrity photographers who learned that a picture of a movie star throwing a punch was more valuable than pictures of stars smiling (celebrity tantrums are a common entertainment story in the mass media). It is this antagonistic interaction that is the hallmark of a true paparazzo; however, the term is often used more broadly to describe all photographers who take pictures of people of note.

Use of the term derives from “Paparazzo”, the name of a freelance news photographer character in the Federico Fellini – directed film La Dolce Vita. In the film, Paparazzo discovers he can earn sixty times his usual fee for photographs where he has incited confrontation with celebrities.

Once we cleared the original meaning of the term “Paparazzi”, we can look at the other face of the coin, the celebrities. Let’s analyze their natural habitat: the TV set.

Entertainment TV channels are starting showing more and more programs and docs with celebrities (real celebrities and wannabees, of course). I personally call this phenomenon the “big brother’s effect”.

Is the famous Dutch company responsible for all this? Well, they started the format five years ago. Surely they are the ones who discovered the pleasure of the TV- Voyeurism.

Interestingly, here is Wikipedia definition of Voyeurism: Voyeurism is a practice in which an individual derives sexual pleasure from observing other people. Such people may be engaged in sexual acts, or be or in underwear or dressed in whatever other way the “voyeur” finds appealing. The word derives from French verb voir (to see) with the -eur suffix that translates as -er in English. A literal translation would then be “seer” or “observer”, with pejorative connotations).

After the first years of testing the TV programs’ creators understood that a celebrity could be more interesting that a perfect stranger. The ideas was to use format such as “The big brother” not only for normal people but also for V.I.P..

Suddenly celebrities start to compete join the flatmates in the big brother’s houses and the likes. Many are struggling to be sent to desert islands. I call this period in time “the maturity of the big brother” when the Celebes discover the power of reality TV.

Nowadays, walls disappear as cameras start being anywhere, carried by professionals or brave amateurs inspired by the ancient Fellini’s Paparazzi.

Celebrities want always be in the magic box, also when they act to be angry, and the modern paparazzi become secret agents following the celebrities all the day from the cup of coffee in the morning until the fool night in a club.

Paris Hilton is maybe the most representative example of this phenomenon, we known everything about her: favourite clubs, names of the boyfriends, names of the girlfriends, way to dress, etc…

But who is Paris Hilton? Why is she so important for the global TV audience? What did she do to be so famous? I would like to bet that nobody in ten years will know about the beautiful Paris because the Big Brother’s effect is not so long. Once you got 2 new flatmates in the BB-House you suddenly forget the names of the old ones.

Single use celebrities with expiry date. Is Paris Hilton going to be one of those?

A new rich and famous gal will come along and soon you will forget sweet Paris. Will you?

Between the paparazzi and the celebrities, who has got the real power?

What happens if the pap decides who to cover who to not? Will he/she be in power to launch new upcoming celebrities?

This is probably still premature, it hasn’t reached the extent, yet.

But maybe, give it ten days and we’ll see who has got more power.

For the moment, let them keep watching Paris, let them chase her. Let’s enjoy our daily dose of bb on the TV.