Buzzgate 2010 – Stop the Insanity!
This week, the internet exploded with some earth shattering news: Rob Pattinson got a hair cut. Now, I appreciate new pictures of Rob as much as the next girl, but come on, it’s just hair. Apparently, Rob getting a hair cut as part of his role of Jacob Jankowski in Water For Elephants is actual news. Seriously, a quick google search turned up 168 stories about Buzzgate 2010. What makes us as fans go crazy over something as mundane as a hair cut? And, on a larger scale, what makes us as fans care so much about such small details of a celebrities life? Some say we are passionate about the actors we love; others would call it obsession. Either way, when you look at it objectively, all we’re doing is feeding into the tabloid frenzy that intrudes into the lives of the people we claim to love so much.
A few months ago I watched a video of Rob and Kristen being followed by a large group of paparazzi after leaving a restaurant and wrote a blog about it. The video really woke me up to what my need for celebrity news and pictures was contributing to, and from that day I stopped reading celebrity magazines and most internet sites. There are a few that are paparazzi free sites, which I support wholeheartedly.
What does this have to do with Buzzgate? Well, the first pictures of Rob and his newly shorn locks were apparently taken over the weekend, when he was just hanging out, doing whatever he does on his time off. Should we feel bad looking at such pictures, knowing that they were taken at a time when Rob wasn’t working? Does the fact that he is a celebrity make him fair game for cameras to track his every move? Honestly, I think not. I understand that celebrities give away a part of their privacy as part of the price of fame. However, I think we as fans have a responsibility to respect the line between their public and private lives.
Now, I did look at said pictures. In fact, I found myself sucked into the website, reading about how *gasp* Kristen had her hand on Rob’s leg during an interview, thus proving they are a couple. I stopped myself before I read any more – really, is it any of my business if they are or aren’t a couple? Now, while I can’t take back looking at the pictures, I can speak out and say that instead of blowing up Twitter when pictures like this surface, I think we as a fandom should band together and ignore them. Whether they are pictures of Ashley out and about in LA, getting her daily Starbucks, or Kellan playing with his dog in the park, I think we should make a concerted effort to let these actors enjoy their private time without their every move being documented. We are a huge fandom and sending a signal that we want to respect the actors by not buying into the tabloid culture might not stop the paps, but it will certainly show the actors that we genuinely do care about them. Besides, there are plenty of opportunities to see pictures of our favorite celebs working, whether it is on Oprah, Ellen, Twi Tour, Calvin Klein ads or other public events, the Twilight actors definitely make themselves available to the press during what to them are “work related” functions.
I hope I don’t come of preachy or condescending with this blog. I just feel very passionately about the vicious cycle we as fans create with our ever growing demand for any and all news related to Twilight actors. Let’s try to break the cycle and let celebrities live their private lives privately. I’m pretty confident in saying it’s one of the best presents we could give them.
Yeah, I’ve had celebrity crushed in my time, but I don’t understand the absolute hysteria & obsessing over every detail of an actor’s life.
In my opinion, acting is a job; a profession. Nothing more. It certainly doesn’t make them gods.
When’d we go back to 2009?
Very valid points you have made above. It might be a little too late now, but if we hadn’t gotten into this feeding frenzy for information in the first place there might have been more opportunity to interact with these actors, aka celebrities, on a more intimate level. As it is they have to be on guard constantly (when in public) or just stay indoors, especially here in the US.
I do look at pictures of actors, because, let’s face it, it’s nice to look. That aside I don’t feel entitled to personal information about their lives just because they have a public career. As actors they already share so much of themselves that I think it would be, as you said above, a great gift to return the favor by allowing them the human right to privacy during their down time. Between magazines, television appearances, promotional tours and premiers, there is enough out there to keep us entertained without being invasive.
So glad you wrote this piece bb!
xoxo
Jules
I think the entire issue with Rob’s hair is not that it’s Rob’s hair, but because it’s his defining characteristic when he plays Edward. It’s like, “Oh noes! If Rob cuts his hair he’s not Edward anymore! Fangirls perish everywhere! *cue epic swoonage*
I used to frequent Perez and TMZ every day, and it took realizing just how intrusive the paps were to step back and avoid it. Now the only time I ever look at either is when someone links me to their site for something and Twitter shortens the link and I’m conned into visiting (DAMN YOU TWITTER) but I purposely avoid all things pap related. I feel bad for Rob and Kristin, for anyone in the paps line of sight. Those guys are scary! Absolutely horrifyingly scary, I can’t imagine being hounded by them! So kudos for you for this blog!
This is all so incredibly true. I’m guilty of it myself as in; I read Perez and E! but I draw the line at obsessig over someone’s haircut or worse, whether or not Rob and Kristen are together. If they were and they wanted us to know about it, they would have come out. What is it to us if they are? Will it make our lives better or worse?
Does Rob’s haircut really change your life? Did it make you sad to see his locks go? Because IT WILL GROW BACK YOU KNOW!!
They are both so incredibly shy and private, can we please just give that back to them and leave them alone?
Ok, that is all.
xoxo