Privacy is a fundamental human right regardless of an individual's social stature that everyone is entitled to’ therefore, respecting the private lives of celebrities is not only a matter of ethical responsibility, rather basic human decency. Every moment of every day for celebrities, that basic human right is violated by individuals such as paparazzi, journalists, or news reporters making celebrities feel as if they are an animal exhibit at the zoo.

While exploring the topic of celebrity privacy, a question arises. If celebrities seek fame, are they voluntarily entering an agreement with society that relinquishes their right to privacy? In my opinion, no. While it is true that fame often provokes individuals to forfeit this right, societal agreements should not have the option to be waived. While I do believe this ideology, others say otherwise. Adrian, a student publisher of The Learning Network believes that “these people are born (or married) into a life of obscene luxury, through no merit of their own. They must expect a downside to that. If they don’t like it, there are precedents – abdicate! I think they should be hounded out of this system until we have true democracy where everyone is respected on their merits. The monarchy is the perpetrator of a class system that denies millions of people their basic right to dignity. It is poetic justice that the pictures were published in France.” While this is true,it is not as simple as it may seem considering everything you do is being photographed essentially leaving a trace or digital footprint thus making refusing popularity near impossible. Furthemore, the interest in celebrity life makes the matter no better. Stated by Roselyn Lara, a well rounded publisher states “ Yes, while the gossip about these people’s lives might be interesting, we still have to remember that these are actual people who need to have their privacy respected more. Keep in mind that you would not want half the world speaking amongst each other about your private life, especially when it comes to talking about a sensitive subject in your life, even if you were being well paid for it.” This idea shows that the interestingly persuasive lives of celebrities appeals to a negative narrative that condones the continuous violation of privacy. This glamorized violation of basic human need causes an effect that people see and conform to regardless of whether or not it contradicts their beliefs which creates an environment where privacy violations are not only encouraged, but sanctioned and the actions of paparazzi are idolized. Not only does this encouraging environment create an issue, but it also creates a perpetual cycle of exploitation within the entertainment industry.

the debate over privacy and its correlation with social status highlights the tension between social stature and basic human rights. While many may argue that fame neglects privacy, this idea fails to mention the negative environment sanctioned by this ideology. In all, making privacy a universally respected etiquette, we foster a culture that values basic human decency and ethical responsibility.

       Works Consulted 

Doyne, Shannon. “Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?” Should the Private Lives of Famous People be off Limits, The New York Times, 17 September 2012, archive.nytimes.com/learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/17/should-the-private-lives-of-famous-people-be-off-limits/. Accessed 21 April 2024.

Lara, Roselyn. “Celebrities Should Have More Privacy.” Celebrities Should Have More Privacy, TheMedievalTimes, 2 November 2023, rhsmedievaltimes.com/post/celebrities-should-have-more-privacy. Accessed 21 April 2024.