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Spare Me the Sanctimony: Maria Shriver and ET “News”
While excoriating the paparazzi for refusing to leave Maria Shriver and her children alone (complete with “news analysis by a PR “expert”) ET “News” last night repeatedly broadcast Ms. Shriver’s vain attempt to humanize herself to her stalker as she requested that “Carl” – camera running – simply leave her children alone.
As ET “News” anchors tut-tutted the intrusion of bottom feeding paparazzi into the private lives of Maria Shriver’s children, they never once lost the straight faces which could only be achieved with a combination of plastic surgery and Thorazine.
ET not only repeatedly broadcast Ms. Shriver’s attempt to appeal to her stalker’s humanity (“that was her big mistake” opined ET’s PR “expert”) it invited audience comment while at the same time pretending to care.
If ET would like to do something about a culture that permits “us” to treat our fellows as if they were caged animals in a zoo – it can stop paying big money for the “exclusive” right to microscopically examine children’s pain for its own financial gain.
So, if you want to “side” with Ms. Shriver’s innocent children, ET, the answer is ludicrously simple.
DON’T BUY THE VIDEOTAPE.
These displays of contempt for our fellows cheapen all of us and tear at the social fabric that unites us in times of celebration and seasons of grief. It’s no wonder the country is so polarized. We’re losing our natural instinct to care for all members of our human tribe, particularly the children.
And what does this have to do with negotiation? After preparation, creating an atmosphere of hope and safety is the most effective means of conducting a bargaining session in which all parties will reap maximum rewards. If we live in a society where everyone is on guard against everyone else – if we “commodify” people and measure their value only in the dollars and cents we can wring out of them, we hobble the efforts of our government, our private institutions and ourselves to find the solutions we need to move confidently into the 21st century.
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ET talking about how horrible paparazzi are? Now that’s funny.
Paparazzi made shows like E.T. and that brings pressures to “legitimate” media outlets. In a media heavy environment producers on all of these shows have to be massaged to a certain extent.
Exclusive interview and photo sessions are part of the currency in an era described as “celebrity obsessed” There’s a sense of if you use the press to advance a career then when any mistake is made then you’re fair game.
Of course the children are off limits or should be. There is a feeling in the entertainment business about Ms. Shriver that “she got what she deserved” because of her strident defense of her husband. An “I told you so” arrow to her heart now when she’s vulnerable.
It does say as much about us as it does about the paparazzi. Me? I blame Rupert Murdoch because it feels so good when I do.
Victoria,
Remarkably and ironically on the mark here. It’s important for us all to be reminded of what we we’re supporting with our click of the Tv controller.
I’d take it a step further. Entertainment programs and such sites thrust this stuff at us because they know we’re watching it. The advertisers know it, and so the vicious cycle continues.. taking advertisers and their companies to task is what needs to happen. Problem is that if ET doesn’t air it a bunch of others will. Again the cycle…the exaltation of the almighty advertising dollar. And unless there is a cultural shift in what the viewing public wants… the cycle continues.