Fame And The Media

[barry1010]

How do some very famous people manage to keep their private life private whilst others seem to be regularly 'papped' and splashed all over the papers doing the most banal things, such as putting the bins out or shopping?

[ToraToraTora]

You have to want to and doing that means not doing banal things that they can snap you doing.

[bookbinder]

I think that it's all a question of how much these famous people want to be famous. Some of them love seeing cameras being pointed at them, some don't. The ones who don't carefully organise their private and their public lives to ensure that they get the privacy that they want, and the publicity they want.

[andy-hughes]

The pap market is driven by demand - by magazine and newspaper buyers.

If people want to see one famous person more than another putting out their bins or going to Tesco, then that's what the paps will shoot because that is what they can sell.

I think it does depend what sort of 'fame' you have - if you are simply famous for being famous, then you are more likely to be an object of curiosity, such as the bin run pictures.

If you are famous because you have produced something worthwhile, a musician, or an actress for example, then you are less likely to be papped.

There is alos the element of who you are assoicated with - back in the day, Koo Stark, then a girlfriend of Prince Andrew, was followed on her motor scooter when she left her home to go to an appointment. When she arrived, the pap tried forcibly to remove her crash helmet so he could snap her without anyone not knowing who she was.

There is also an element of where you go, and how likely it is for the paps to know you are there - if you are going to fall out of the Met Bar at three a.m.,, you will get papped, but if you go to freinds' houses and do it discreetly, you can get there and back unoticed.

David Bowie used to walk around London and New York unmolsted with the simple tricks of walking quickly, not making eye contact, and carrying a Greek newspaper.

If you want to be anonymous, it's easy, but sadly, the prurient interest of the public is the price some people have to pay for being successful at what they do.

[Arksided]

Freddie Mercury owned a Jag (i'm sure other cars too) but stated he used to love driving around London in his mini because nobody noticed him.

[barry1010]

Lots of hugely famous people travel on public transport, do their own shopping and put the bins out.  Go out for meals, take the kids to school ...

Maybe those that are papped want to be and let the paps know where and when they can be papped.

[andy-hughes]

barry - You can't avoid the 'bins' pap, since you have to put your bins out, and they are outside your house, so the paps know where you are!

I don't imagine anyone actually wants to be photographed taking their bins out.

[barry1010]

Ha ha - just seen this  https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/7733388/celebs-put-bins-out-underwear/

[Arksided]

Well I don't see any of that around here, they know how to keep warm. 😉

[Peter Pedant]

I think it is easier if we accept that when SOME people complain they are being papped andit is awful

when it is NOT awful and it is what they want

Think Princess Di and pointing out a headline to the Archbishop of C - this is what they do to me

( " she is a devious liar")

The Honour of Chistopher Jeffries is going the rounds, and that was about Leveson I - Leveson II was abandoned as it was suddenly realised that we needed a free press. can someone identify the  intervening event ?

X occurred and they said o god we can't muzzle the press

[andy-hughes]

barry - // Ha ha - just seen this  https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/7733388/celebs-put-bins-out-underwear/ //

A set of very obviously set-up shots doesn't really address the question though does it?

Why isn't Rita Chakrabarti or Tess Daly photographed putting their bins out?

Maybe the answer is, you have to be famous-for-being-famous, which is the obvious connection in your collection.

Maybe anyone else is simply not that interesting to the vast audience that seems to want to look at these images.