EDITORIAL: Celebrity Sexts, Lies, and Videotapes

 

^{The past eighteen months have been a learning experience for young Hollywood. The cycles of cease-and-desist orders that have pummeled entertainment/gossip blogs and sites have been enormous, and frankly, quite disturbing. Photographs include a badly beaten and bruised Rihanna (and back again with her in curious poses and barely dressed), Vanessa Hudgens, Cassie, Adrienne Bailon, Ashley Greene, two of the Kardashian sisters, Paris Hilton, Jesse McCartney. The public has been saturated with the idea that teens and young adults (none of the above were above the age of 25 when the photos were taken) are just objects and therefore the public is indifferent about the spectacle these young people make of themselves.}

^{The onslaught of naked photos, sextapes, and denial reveal something that shouldn't, but often does, surprise people. Young Hollywood is more insecure about themselves, their bodies, and their relationships, than normal teens and young adults. What non-celebrity young adults have that their counterparts don't is a private safety net that provides a learning ground for them to make mistakes. While our generation is still facing a crisis of self-esteem and an increasingly hostile environment, they continue to deal with crisis away from the public eye, and therefore can make - and learn - from their mistakes.} 

^{Celebrities, with their handlers, yes-men, and need to please, do not have this. They take a naked photograph of themselves, or engage in sexually explicit actions on tape, for loved ones, hoping it will boost their self-esteem, but it only leads to the "evidence" coming back to haunt them, either in terms of blackmail or embarrassment. And either one usually leads to loss of work and a plummet in self-esteem and confidence.} 

^{So the question becomes - does the public garner so much self-esteem and happiness from the mistake of others? Or is it pure entertainment and a means of publicity?}

^{In truth, the answer is simple - too many of us are obsessed with lives we don't have. We garner self-esteem by putting down others and laughing at their mistakes, though if the same circumstances happened to us, we'd hope for privacy and understanding. The media enables the addiction to celebrity sex, lies, and videotapes, but ultimately we are responsible. As for celebrities - this is what they have, with little hope of a normal life. Some do it for publicity, the others are too insecure to think of the consequences. In the end, the vicious cycle that is publicity trumps all.}

Katriane Laurent is a professional writer and GeekWeek contributor. More of work can be seen at Lost at E Minor and her personal culture blog UrbanLandfill.