Pete: I have much sympathy with your position and I certainly agree the paparazzi and the publishers of their ill-gotten pictures are scumbags but it begs the question of what responsibility do we, the public, have in a free society in the publishing of these pictures? Do we absolve ourselves of all responsibility for the outrageous sums of money paid to the paparazzi for such pictures? I think not.
As in similar outrageous sums of monies paid for questionable value occupations, to wit: sports stars, movie stars, TV stars, etc., these monies would not be available in such amounts if not for the public's demand, and willingness to pay, for them-albeit through sometimes secondary routes like tennis shoes or ducats. The same people who complain then go out and pay to see these pictures, stars, movies, etc., thus allowing these huge sums of monies to be paid to the very objects of our scorn.
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The bottom line IMO is we, the people, have the ultimate responsibility in controlling what we see. Otherwise we are asking someone else, like the government, to assume our responsibilities of protecting us from ourselves. Can anyone say 'slippery slope'? I think this has more to do with our individual character weaknesses rather than the actions of people who are being paid to provide their service, product, etc. WE have ultimate control of the money whereupon all this demand emanates-if we stop paying then they stop paying and the market dries up and goes away, or at least drifts into insignificance.
This isn't meant as a flame - just a different perspective.
halfscot |
