Will Celebrities and Society Just Have To Accept It?

[Goliath]

Why are people always defending those who leak it, and blaming the victims?

Because people love gossip and scandal. Duh.

LOL, and that's supposed to be the excuse for it? Geez...

Yes, actually. That is the excuse for it. Just like, "Because I want it" is all the excuse people need to pirate music and movies.

Is it right? No. Can we stop it? No. Does anyone care? Nobody but you, it seems.

Since we can't stop it, the only way to ensure it doesn't happen is to not make such recordings, as I said.

You don't seem to understand just how totally futile your position is. You sound like a prohibitionist in the 20s, trying to persuade people not to drink. You're pissing into the wind.

Do you also denounce people for advising other people to lock their doors and take out homeowner's insurance, on the grounds that this is just blaming the victims of burglary?

After all--it sure would we be nice if we could rely on moral suasion to stop people from breaking into our homes and stealing our stuff. Maybe the police could hire you to give talks at schools and prisons.

I can see the burglar now, pausing at the window, prybar in hand: "Damn, man--JarodRussell was right: what am I doing? It is so wrong to break into people's houses and steal their stuff!" And I can see the fences turning other burglars and their loot away: "Sorry, man: JarodRussell has raised my consciousness. I understand now that it's wrong to receive stolen goods!"

It'll be utopia. They'll put up statues to you everywhere: JarodRussell: He Showed Society the Error of Its Ways. History will sing your praises.

Except, of course, it will never happen. But hey--keep on dreaming that dream.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

It's a stupid rule. They don't pose for the world, they pose for their friends which then turn out to be fucktards.
How about "If you don't want the world to read your diary, don't write one"?

that's true too. Especially if you're a famous person.

So famous persons have no right to privacy.

Of course they have a right to privacy! But since when did everyone in the world start caring about respecting other people's rights? And most especially if there is a) money to be made (a common theme with celebrity leaks of this sort of material); or b) vengeance to be had (a common theme with both celebrity and ordinary citizen leaks of this sort of material).

That's why, if you notice, I commented that the rule applies to everyone - not just celebrities. Because yes - people SHOULD have the right to privacy. Whether they are celebrities or common citizens. But that doesn't necessarily mean they will GET it. Because when the exercise of your rights relies on other people always doing the right thing....well, sometimes you will be disappointed.

There is a big difference in life between what SHOULD BE and what IS a fair bit of the time, unfortunately. Sort of falls under that 'Life isn't fair" rule.

No one starts out in a relationship expecting for it to end in a very ugly fashion - physical violence, cruelty, long and bitter court fights over everything from children to yachts to cocker spaniels to his beanbag chair that she always hated anyway.

But when people get hurt, they can get very irrational. And when people get irrational, they can do terrible things. Like post nude photos of you on the internet. Or (if you are a celebrity) sell them to a tabloid. Or give them to a divorce attorney to fuel a bitter custody battle.

You don't PLAN for any of these things...and yet they happen all the time. Between otherwise decent people even.

That's why I say - don't pose for any photos that you don't want everyone you know to see. Because you never know how or why these photos will see the light of day.

Not saying that's how the world SHOULD work. But sadly, it's how it DOES work.

 

[Kegg]

You are defending the leakers. Otherwise you would not say "If you find that immoral or disgusting, go right ahead.", you would say "I find that immoral or disgusting, too."

I was refraining from giving an opinion because my moral judgement was besides the point.

People act like they have a right to invade and interfer with the lives of (famous) people. They don't.

They may not, but they do. That is, they do leak pictures and videos. This is something that is a real concern for any celebrity.

Telling them not to do it or that it's immoral or disgusting isn't going to stop them from doing it. Not being able to find the pictures on account of them not existing on the other hand...

There's no perfect solution, obviously, as there's also serreptituous cameras etc., but it's better than nothing.

 

[JarodRussell]

They may not, but they do.

There is a big difference in life between what SHOULD BE and what IS a fair bit of the time, unfortunately. Sort of falls under that 'Life isn't fair" rule.

Not saying that's how the world SHOULD work. But sadly, it's how it DOES work.

I guess these kind of statements were also made when women complained they weren't allowed to vote.


I don't see why a person should limit their lives because of retarded fuckups. If someone for instance steals and leaks naked photos, then the fucktard should get into jail. And the media should be obliged not to show any of these. But they do, all the time, feeding the cycle. And people like you and me should finally learn not to care because it is none of our business and because none of us would want the same happening to ourselves.

Saying "It is like it is, live with it." will never change this horrible situation.

 

[Kegg]

I guess these kind of statements were also made when women complained they weren't allowed to vote.

Well if you want to say would I have said (circa 1890) regardless of whether or not women have the right to vote, they currently are unable to vote?

Yeah that sounds pretty factual.

But it was possible through the persistent efforts of the suffragette movement that voting rights were expanded to include women.

I don't see why a person should limit their lives because of retarded fuckups. If someone for instance steals and leaks naked photos, then the fucktard should get into jail.

An interesting question is if we know the identity of anyone who has leaked one of the recent spate of videos over the last decade, and if not, would investigations actually identify this person.

And people like you and me should finally learn not to care because it is none of our business and because none of us would want the same happening to ourselves.

This thread is the first time I've heard of, well, all the photos the OP refers to. It's not something I'm that interested in, really, I just enjoy arguing over things.

 

[Thestral]

Except, of course, it will never happen. But hey--keep on dreaming that dream.

Can we try and change society and people even if it will never happen? The only way to achieve utopia is to keep working for the only unattainable. Just gotta watch out for being jaded and bitter.

Also, comparing the leaking of nekkid pictures to being raped?

 

[Distorted Humor]

Why are people always defending those who leak it, and blaming the victims?

It's like the ridiculous "Well if you dress like this, no wonder you got raped" argument.

Erin Adrews you can make that argument as she did not consent to have photos taken.

however most of these are in the same vien as "I slept with her, and instead of being a gentleman and not claiming it, I tell all my friends that "I slept with Jane doe"...you are not a great person, but lets not compare this to rape in cases where they willingly posed for nude photos.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Why are people always defending those who leak it, and blaming the victims?

It's like the ridiculous "Well if you dress like this, no wonder you got raped" argument.

Who is defending the leakers? I don't see anyone defending the leakers.

It's a sad state of affairs, but, it's true, if you are a celebrity, gossip about you--naked pictures about you, is a commodity. Has been for a long time.

If you want to blame anyone, blame those who buy the magazines or the nerds who cobble up their favorite nudity pics of some celebrity.

Celebrities have an absolute right to privacy, same as the rest. Doesn't mean their won't be people who try and take advantage of a situation.

 

[Amaris]

Except, of course, it will never happen. But hey--keep on dreaming that dream.

Can we try and change society and people even if it will never happen? The only way to achieve utopia is to keep working for the only unattainable. Just gotta watch out for being jaded and bitter.

It's always worth trying to better oneself. In fact, we need people who are trying to make themselves more enlightened. That way, when something happens, we've got a house to crash in while the situation blows over.

Also, comparing the leaking of nekkid pictures to being raped?

Yeah, I'm guessing we've already kicked the cat and have proceeded to wear a frying pan at this point.

 

[Broccoli]

Thing is, as a celebrity (or politician, or any other public figure) one needs to keep his or her actions in check. The reason for this is, for better or worse, it can affect their careers as public perception of them can change as a result of private life issues becoming public.

Take, for example, Charlie Sheen. His personal issues, though it gave him a brief raise in popularity, cost him a solid gig on a popular television show. Remember Tom Cruise jumping on Oprah's couch and surrounding events a few years back? It caused a noticeable drop in his marketability for a while.

Sure, it is their life and shady people are going to do shady things. But if I was in their place, before broadcasting myself naked over the internet, I'd have to ask myself, "Is this going to come back to haunt me someday?" Quite honestly, this should apply to everyone, especially those trying to find jobs. Not to go off-topic, but many employment companies will do Facebook or Google searches of potential employees. If they find a picture of them doing something stupid, it can cost the applicant the job.

Also, comparing the leaking of nekkid pictures to being raped?

Yeah, I'm guessing we've already kicked the cat and have proceeded to wear a frying pan at this point. [/QUOTE]

You know who else has nude pictures? Hitler!


Now, we're wearing the frying pan.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Why are people always defending those who leak it, and blaming the victims?

It's like the ridiculous "Well if you dress like this, no wonder you got raped" argument.

Who is defending the leakers? I don't see anyone defending the leakers.

It's a sad state of affairs, but, it's true, if you are a celebrity, gossip about you--naked pictures about you, is a commodity. Has been for a long time.

If you want to blame anyone, blame those who buy the magazines or the nerds who cobble up their favorite nudity pics of some celebrity.

Celebrities have an absolute right to privacy, same as the rest. Doesn't mean their won't be people who try and take advantage of a situation.

Celebrities actually don't have an absolute right to privacy, at least as far as US courts have ruled. If you are a "public figure" you are not entitled to the same privacy rights as everyone else. If you willingly became a public figure--such as by acting in major motion pictures--courts are not very receptive to attempts to quash publication. You signed up for this kind of life, basically.

It is illegal to break into someone's email, twitter account, etc. and take personal information from it. But it is not illegal to, for instance, take a naked photo your girlfriend sent you and post it on the Internet or email it to a tabloid.

 

[JarodRussell]

Why are people always defending those who leak it, and blaming the victims?

It's like the ridiculous "Well if you dress like this, no wonder you got raped" argument.

Who is defending the leakers? I don't see anyone defending the leakers.

It's a sad state of affairs, but, it's true, if you are a celebrity, gossip about you--naked pictures about you, is a commodity. Has been for a long time.

If you want to blame anyone, blame those who buy the magazines or the nerds who cobble up their favorite nudity pics of some celebrity.

Celebrities have an absolute right to privacy, same as the rest. Doesn't mean their won't be people who try and take advantage of a situation.

Celebrities actually don't have an absolute right to privacy, at least as far as US courts have ruled. If you are a "public figure" you are not entitled to the same privacy rights as everyone else. If you willingly became a public figure--such as by acting in major motion pictures--courts are not very receptive to attempts to quash publication. You signed up for this kind of life, basically.

It is illegal to break into someone's email, twitter account, etc. and take personal information from it. But it is not illegal to, for instance, take a naked photo your girlfriend sent you and post it on the Internet or email it to a tabloid.

This was the worst ruling ever. Just because my WORK is public, my PRIVATE LIFE suddenly becomes public, too? What the fuck were they smoking?

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Who is defending the leakers? I don't see anyone defending the leakers.

It's a sad state of affairs, but, it's true, if you are a celebrity, gossip about you--naked pictures about you, is a commodity. Has been for a long time.

If you want to blame anyone, blame those who buy the magazines or the nerds who cobble up their favorite nudity pics of some celebrity.

Celebrities have an absolute right to privacy, same as the rest. Doesn't mean their won't be people who try and take advantage of a situation.

Celebrities actually don't have an absolute right to privacy, at least as far as US courts have ruled. If you are a "public figure" you are not entitled to the same privacy rights as everyone else. If you willingly became a public figure--such as by acting in major motion pictures--courts are not very receptive to attempts to quash publication. You signed up for this kind of life, basically.

It is illegal to break into someone's email, twitter account, etc. and take personal information from it. But it is not illegal to, for instance, take a naked photo your girlfriend sent you and post it on the Internet or email it to a tabloid.

This was the worst ruling ever. Just because my WORK is public, my PRIVATE LIFE suddenly becomes public, too? What the fuck were they smoking?

It's a prior restraint issue. Tabloid journalism is still protected, and courts are reluctant to say "you cannot investigate people's private lives." It is a restraint on free speech. Ideally, journalists would use their First Amendment rights to investigate things that actually matter, like the misdeeds of politicians and other civil servants. Publishing scandal rags full of garbage with questionable veracity is the price we pay for a free press.

I think genuine invasions of privacy should be prosecuted, but let's not confuse those instances with the much more common scenario: someone gave an article of a personal nature (a photo, a video, etc.) to someone who wasn't all that trustworthy.

 

[Professor Zoom]

Why are people always defending those who leak it, and blaming the victims?

It's like the ridiculous "Well if you dress like this, no wonder you got raped" argument.

Who is defending the leakers? I don't see anyone defending the leakers.

It's a sad state of affairs, but, it's true, if you are a celebrity, gossip about you--naked pictures about you, is a commodity. Has been for a long time.

If you want to blame anyone, blame those who buy the magazines or the nerds who cobble up their favorite nudity pics of some celebrity.

Celebrities have an absolute right to privacy, same as the rest. Doesn't mean their won't be people who try and take advantage of a situation.

Celebrities actually don't have an absolute right to privacy, at least as far as US courts have ruled. If you are a "public figure" you are not entitled to the same privacy rights as everyone else. If you willingly became a public figure--such as by acting in major motion pictures--courts are not very receptive to attempts to quash publication. You signed up for this kind of life, basically.

It is illegal to break into someone's email, twitter account, etc. and take personal information from it. But it is not illegal to, for instance, take a naked photo your girlfriend sent you and post it on the Internet or email it to a tabloid.

True. I guess what I was getting at, philosophically, they have a right to privacy. Or more specifically, we should respect their privacy as we would want others to respect ours.

 

[Thestral]

^ While true about the price we pay for a free pass, I do agree that it's an awful ruling and the tabloid press is pretty much a cesspool of scum-suckers.

You know who else has nude pictures? Hitler!

Ze brain soap, it does nothing!

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Who is defending the leakers? I don't see anyone defending the leakers.

It's a sad state of affairs, but, it's true, if you are a celebrity, gossip about you--naked pictures about you, is a commodity. Has been for a long time.

If you want to blame anyone, blame those who buy the magazines or the nerds who cobble up their favorite nudity pics of some celebrity.

Celebrities have an absolute right to privacy, same as the rest. Doesn't mean their won't be people who try and take advantage of a situation.

Celebrities actually don't have an absolute right to privacy, at least as far as US courts have ruled. If you are a "public figure" you are not entitled to the same privacy rights as everyone else. If you willingly became a public figure--such as by acting in major motion pictures--courts are not very receptive to attempts to quash publication. You signed up for this kind of life, basically.

It is illegal to break into someone's email, twitter account, etc. and take personal information from it. But it is not illegal to, for instance, take a naked photo your girlfriend sent you and post it on the Internet or email it to a tabloid.

True. I guess what I was getting at, philosophically, they have a right to privacy. Or more specifically, we should respect their privacy as we would want others to respect ours.

We should, but what is sleazy is not necessarily what is illegal. If we really want to put a stop to this, as a society, the only realistic solution is to publicly shame those who engage in this sort of behavior. When you see a photo of a naked celebrity that they didn't intend to get out, don't think "Gosh, what a whore she is," think "Takes a real asshole to publicize something so obviously private!"

 

[23skidoo]

I don't think there's nearly as much stigma as there used to be. In all fairness, it's also a lot easier for this kind of stuff to get out. You take a few pictures, think you're giving them to your boyfriend, and before you know it they're all over the Internet.

My only problem with naked celebrities is that a lot of them look like shit without their clothes on.

Except for Kat Dennings.

Seriously, though, I agree with you. Unless you are in politics or have established yourself as a moral figure in some way, there's not as much stigma because as you say it's no longer a novelty.

And this is a good thing because we're now seeing a real rise in fakes. And convincing ones, since the software is getting better. There is a lot of debate over whether those alleged Blake Lively pics are real (I don't think they are because her face is covered and the one showing her face could easily be a lookalike or shopped). The Renee Olstead pics? I've seen them and I'm of the opinion the real Renee is only in a couple of the less-raunchy ones. Taking these with a grain of salt has to become the norm otherwise all we need is someone with a skill at Photoshop and and suddenly a politician's career could be deep-sixed. But if the novelty has worn off to the point where people goes "who cares", the malicious posting of such material (as opposed to someone wanting to get their jollies and spread the love, ahem) will do less damage.

One thing that celebrities have to accept, however, is that there is no longer any sympathy for them. Just like most people no longer hold sympathy for those people who STILL fall for confidence spam schemes, or who click on .exe files sent to them by unknown people. It's 2011; 99.9999% of people know how to use a telephone, and 99.9999% of people should know that if you post a nekkid picture of yourself to Facebook, and people know who you are, it will go elsewhere.

The only prevention is simply not do it. Keep the cameras turned off in the bedroom. Keep your bra on doing chats. If you don't, then there should be no surprises what will happen next. Especially if you happen to be something of a sex symbol. We're not likely to see any leaked online nude pics or a sex tape of Michael Moore, but if Christina Hendricks (name chosen at random; not wishful thinking; honest ) ever has a moment of weakness during an iChat or decides to visit a nude beach somewhere or decides to video some intimate moments with that lucky SOB she married - there should be no surprises what will dominate the web not long after.

Alex