Tag Archives: Celebrities

When does it go too far?

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By MATIAS WODNER

We are in a point in time where the distinction between too far and not far enough is dangerous.

As a news reporter, it’s tough to walk the line of right and wrong. One too many details and your morals and ethics will be questioned. Leave out too much and suddenly your journalistic integrity is being questioned. I’ve struggled at times with this when cutting details out of stories, not only to make the story shorter, but also to not cross the invisible, ethical line.

This type of dilemma applies to all types of media.

For instance, the most recent noticeable issue with going too far comes by way of television host Jimmy Kimmel. The late-night talk show host parodied a recent interview that hip-hop artist Kanye West gave the BBC, using a little kid to portray West drinking a milkshake and giving ludicrous answers.

Mr. West didn’t take the parody so lightly, responding to Kimmel on Twitter. He angrily tweeted that the interview he did was “the first piece of honest media in years.”

“You don’t have scumbags hopping over fences trying to take pictures of your daughter,” also directed at Kimmel. “You can’t put yourself in my shoes.”

Kanye hasn’t exactly given himself the benefit of the doubt as he’s been the epitome of controversy over the last few years. Even a couple of months ago, West was at the center of it all when he assaulted a paparazzi.

As biased as I may be as a Kanye West fan, sometimes the media just go over the border. It’s happened numerous times with West and it’s probably happening at the moment. He’s constantly swarmed by media members taking his picture or shooting video from point-blank range, asking questions about his personal life. Do those people think about what it would be like if they were in his position?

They probably don’t and Kimmel probably didn’t either when he flat out made fun of him. Kimmel doesn’t care because that’s who he is as a person. I wonder if journalists care about the lines they cross.

I know it goes into consideration for me. Whether it does for others is of interest to me.

Celebrity spotlight can be bright

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By ALEXANDRA SILVER

Many saw Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odem as a great television couple. They were entertaining and had a clear adoration for one another, but this quickly changed.

About a month ago, Lamar Odem was pulled over and arrested for driving under the influence. In a matter of days, magazine headlines read “cheating scandals” and “divorce” making many fans worry that this celeb couple was falling apart.

The rumors continued to spread viciously after Lamar was accused of being a drug dealer, intouchkhloedivorcecovercheater, and horrible husband. Of course these are simply rumors, said Khloe. Despite this, Lamar recently tweeted that he is going through a dark time and that Khloe and her family have been there to support him along the way.

Lamar’s father also took to social media and then accused Khloe of being a “phony” who does not have Lamar’s best interest in mind. Once again, Lamar took to twitter and wrote, “Won’t continue 2 speak on this but I have got 2 let this out real quick. I have let this man and many others get away with a lot of sh*t. He wasn’t there 2 raise me,” Lamar vented. “He was absent ALL of my life due to his own demons. My mother and grandmother raised me. Queens raised me (FoxNews.com).”

It is clear that social media is making Lamar’s situation much more difficult than it should be. Despite his celebrity status he is human, will naturally make mistakes, and needs support from his loved ones and fans.

We can only hope that he will be on the road to recovery soon and that he will mend the relationships that have been strained by these series of unfortunate events.

With fame, comes loss of privacy

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By REBECCA COHEN

Innocently walking down the streets of New York, actress Nicole Kidman was knocked to the ground by a paparazzo on wheels last week, according to the Associated Press. The actress was reportedly shaken but is now ‘OK.’

However, Nicole Kidman isn’t as innocent as she seems in this situation by walking down a public street in New York City, the ultimate site to be spotted. Although she was not deserving of the danger that occurred, she could not have rightly thought that such a scene would not ensue.

Theoretically, Kidman signed up for this kind of attention in 1983, the year she starred in her first film. Upon signing that first contract, she signed away a chunk of her privacy rights to the media, because fame comes only after giving up a certain level of privacy.

After all, would an actress really be a celebrity if she were solely known for her on-screen performance?

If America doesn’t know who they’re dating, what diet they’re on, and what brand they are wearing, they are just an actor – not a celebrity.

Perhaps that is the very thing that makes reality television so interesting.

Do you know what Jonathan Groff has been up to lately? That’s because he is an actor, not a celebrity. He is a Tony award nominee and has starred on Broadway and hit TV show “Glee.”

Although he is arguably more talented than, say Jennifer Anniston, for the time being, he refuses to hand over his confidentiality. America doesn’t know him and therefore, he lives freely to walk down the streets of New York without fear of stampede.

Groff would not be the star of a news story but Anniston is all over the place. We know her every move, because she’s a celebrity and not just an actress.

Whether she’s Nicole Kidman or Jenifer Anniston, these starlets knew what they were signing up for upon signing away their right to privacy and simultaneously gaining a ticket to fame.

When singer goes wild, so do media

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By DANIELLE COHEN

Miley Cyrus’s striking new style drew public and news media attention when she cut off her long dirty-blonde hair and died it platinum blonde. It not only damaged her physical image, but it began the negative spiral of her reputation.

Miley’s performance on the MTV video music awards, startled viewers after she stripped down into a flesh-toned latex bra and matching underwear and “twerked” onstage. Across Twitter and social media networks there was a buzz of shock about Miley with people posting pictures of celebrity faces in response to this provocative performance.

After putting on quite the show at the video music awards, Miley’s new song “Wrecking Ball” came out with a bang. Not only was she in sheer clothing that fully exposed her, she actually got naked and began to swing on a wrecking ball. To top it off, she began intimately licking a sledgehammer.

Not only is Miley’s reputation as the innocent Hannah Montana Disney star destroyed, this morning Miley announced she was separating from her fiancé and Hunger Games star Liam Hemsworth after he was seen out with Eiza González.

Miley’s behavior has placed her name all over social media. There were more than 4.5 million tweets about Miley during her performance at the  Music Video Awards, which is approximately 300,000 tweets per minute. Afterwards, her “wrecking ball” video created a record-breaking viewer count on Vevo.

Ever since her rebellious performance at the video music awards, people have been sharing their thoughts and opinions about her on TV, websites, in newspapers and almost everywhere else.  There are even parodies making fun of her behavior.

Students at a Michigan college reportedly had to remove a giant pendulum sculpture from campus after naked students were seen swinging on it imitating Miley in her “wrecking ball” video. Many pictures and videos have been released recently showing male and female students copying Miley’s actions. The dean of this school claimed it was a safety hazard for students.

There is such a strong reaction to Miley’s behavior that students actually rebelled and put their safety at risk. Miley’s behavior has caused controversy and a social media uproar. This is newsworthy and journalists should be and are documenting what is taking place because her behavior. It is not a serious matter in many people’s opinions, but it something that put students at risk. People are talking about her and people want to know more about what she is doing.

For more on this, see http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/naked-college-students-mimic-miley-cyrus-wrecking-ball-video-article-1.1459601.