Teen Paparazzo

I watched this interesting video on the teen paparazzo

http://veevr.com/videos/F6GYmLXt

The word paparazzi is an Italian translation of the word mosquito and this seems to hold true as pap’s constantly harass celebrities in an effort to sustain an income. It would be interesting to place the resulting photographs among the Del Lowethal diagram and gauge how ethical they are. Some celebrities give permission and rely on the paparazzi to make them more famous than they are. However once a celebrity has gained notoriety the paparazzi seem to become a burden. In the film it was interesting to note that when the documentary team wanted to film the paparazzo’s many refused, one used the excuse that she hadn’t put on any makeup. The celebrities have no choice when they are photographed and an image where the celebrity is without makeup not looking their best is likely to generate more money than an image of them looking immaculate.

The 14 year old Austin was becoming narcissistic and aspiring to be a celebrity and at one point became estranged from the documentary team – not answering their calls and not meeting at agreed times, it was like the celebrity disease had grabbed him and wouldn’t let go. The film speaks of a para-social relationship – a fake relationship that we have with celebrities, we feel as though we know them because they exist in our homes via TV and movies, we see the celebrities as the characters they portray.

Towards the end of the film we meet Austin one year later and he seems matured in his approach to photography and has new ambitions. He makes a distinction between being a paparazzo and ‘a person who photographs celebrities’ – he wants to gain notoriety for having done something worthwhile and not be famous for being famous or famous for being a paparazzo.

At the end Adrian and Austin sit down and discuss the fact that they have both exploited each other. Adrian has used Austin but at the same time Austin has used Adrian. They both decide on a mutual friendship and suggest that this is only possible away from the cameras.

It was a really interesting film and gave differing perspectives on the paparazzi. Celebrities seemed less intimidated by the youngster and more willing to have their picture taken when it was him photographing. The film also provided an insight into the whole aura around becoming a celebrity as it saw Austin’s transformation from an everyday teenager into someone possessed by the lure of fame.