Celebrities get all the attention

Newspapers are being less recognized as internet use continues. It’s a real shame that Americans have to listen to such nonsense like celebrity gossip. Whenever I go into a store, I see tabloids with insane celebrity stories that may or may not be true. No one exactly knows for sure if this gossip is believable. And when reporters write articles that could be factual on a subject, it could ruin the celebrities’ images or even their lives. Then again, they could be just flaunting themselves to grab the attention of the press and keep readers interested. The press will in turn gobble up that information and use it. More newspapers, magazines, and television shows are trying to make more money if they can report findings on a celebrity, which may be good for both the press and the famed stars. But overall, it is distracting Americans from real news and what is happening in the world. I will focus of one particular scene shows how it relates to today's celebrity issues.

At the press conference scene before a musical number in the award winning film Chicago, newspaper reporter Mary Sunshine says that the newspaper she works for does not have enough juicy news stories recently. Apparently in the 1920's, readers became drawn away from the current events and newspapers were not thrilling to see unless there was some sort of exciting headline. That was one major reason why Sunshine was there to report anything she could learn from Roxie Hart, since she was now an icon towards the press after she killed her secret boyfriend. Sunshine asks Hart if she has any advice to young female readers on avoiding liquor and jazz music- the life of a flapper girl- and Billy Flynn covers for her by making a statement that Hart never meant to go into those things. It immediately goes into a musical number in which Hart dreams up during the conference. She imagines herself onstage as a puppet and Flynn is a ventriloquist making her move and sing. In the background, there is a whole crowd of reporters who are used as stringed marionettes, controlled by Flynn who is also seen from the ceiling of the stage. Here, Hart feels that Flynn is only using her as a puppet in order to control what the press does. By the end of the song, Sunshine finishes writing her news story entitled "They Both Reached for the Gun" as a way to prove Hart innocent. As a result, Hart gets her publicity and the public recognizes her as a celebrity. The screenwriter Bill Condon and the choreographers have depicted this scene very well as the scene goes back and forth between the actual conference and the ventriloquist/puppet performance. In fact, they related it to how the press clamors up to get answers as Flynn and Hart deceived their way out of crime, like someone would do to get someone’s attention, especially if the person is famous.

This goes for today's celebrities as well, with or without control of the press by a lawyer, talent agent, or manager. Look at Paris Hilton. Hilton got her fortune and fame from her parents, who own the Hilton hotel chain. In late spring 2007, Hilton was sentenced to forty five days in jail for violating her probation after reckless drunk driving (Cohen, 1). On June 6, another article was published by Lorena Mongelli of the New York Post that was about Hilton crying while she was doing time at a women's jail in California (1). Her defense lawyer and a therapist had visited her to help make her feel better, but reported that it was hard for her to get used to these new conditions (Mongelli, 1). On the other hand, forty five days in prison seems short for a person to spend for a DUI or DWI. Hilton had been partying for quite a while, and if she was not a celebrity, she would have faced worse. In Maryland, if she had been living here, the maximum penalty for a first offense for a DUI is a year in prison, a $1,000 fine, and the license to be revoked at a hearing (Maryland Drunk Driving DUI and DWI Laws, 1). Yet the first time she did this, she received probation. And a violation of probation, an action she committed, would have been worse than her current state. She was actually quite lucky that she was released in forty five days.

Still, celebrities like Hilton or Roxie Hart could be treated nicely if they are seen as sincere by the press. Amy Winehouse has shown abnormal behavior in the past that placed her in rehab after many cancelled concerts. It even inspired her to write a song about it that she recorded on her award winning album “Back to Black”. In April, however, she was arrested for assault in London when she physically struck someone at a bar (Satter, 1). Furthermore, the press can have a major impact on a court decision. According to Howard Altman, the coverage of news has declined while stories on celebrities have increased in newspapers since 1980 (3). More papers are now turning to celebrities and how they are viewed today. Some readers may even be members of the court or jury. Thus, it distracts readers from the truth. Altman states, "Researchers argue that as the media dishes out an increasingly rich diet of celebrity hype, less and less attention is paid to informing citizens about government and the world around them... Many trace the new emphasis on celebrities to the mass consolidation... which began in the 1990's when newspapers faced layoffs and drops in circulation and profits" (2). After a while, readers get bored of the news and hope for excitement. No wonder Mary Sunshine said in the conference scene, "My paper is dry."

On the other hand, some celebrities just want to be left alone, which is usually the case. Long after Princess Diana’s death in 1997, researchers found that her death was only an accident, according to a survey (Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls and Research, 1). Still, nine photographers, who were at the scene of the accident in Paris, were charged with manslaughter then cleared of charges (Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls and Research, 1). This was because the court believed the accident was caused by a drunk driver. I still believe that it was the press who were partially responsible for her death because they were just standing around her taking her picture instead of calling for help. She was only trying to get away from them since she was afraid of confrontation after she and her husband Prince Charles got a divorce. In other news, I found an article about four members of the paparazzi that were chasing Britney Spears’ car. What happened was that several cars were following Spears’ Mercedes as if they were stalking her. They were later arrested for reckless driving after the officers interviewed and released her (Associated Press, 1).

Readers tend to get bored of the news that they can gobble up anything in juicy detail about celebrities or something more fascinating. Whatever is written, anyone can believe it or give their opinions. It sometimes tends to scream "propaganda" in some areas, but it all depends on how it is spoken or written. In Chicago, it shows the idea perfectly that the press has a major role in society today, and many viewers and readers can get carried away from their surroundings and actual news. I ran back to the beginning of the press conference scene several times, repeating a section where I saw the most intriguing thing. There was a picture that was shot before the camera came down on Flynn and Hart as they were exiting the law office building. It showed a beautiful Rennaisance like painting of a female angel with a single word written above her head. The word was "FAME". How carried away we can be when we believe something that may be false if the story is not looked at from all sides.

sources I used:
Altman, Howard. "Celebrity Culture." CQ Researcher 15.11 (2005): 245-268. CQ Researcher Online. CQ Press. CCBC Essex library, Baltimore, MD. 24 April 2008 .

Associated Press. "4 paparazzi chasing Britney Spears' car arrested for reckless driving." International Herald Tribune. 17 Jan. 2008. 30 April 2008 .

Chicago. Screenplay by Bill Condon. Based on the original musical by John Kander, Fred Ebb, and Bob Fosse. Dir. Rob Marshall. Perf. Renee Zellweger, Richard Gere, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. DVD. Miramax, 2002.

"Diana's Death an Accident for Most Britons." (16 April, 2008) Angus Reid Global Monitor: Polls and Research. April 24, 2008 from .

"Paris Hilton sentenced to 45 days in jail." San Francisco Chronicle 4 May 2007. 30 April 2008 .

Satter, Raphael G. (25 April 2008) "Report: Amy Winehouse Arrested for Assault." Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved April 30, 2008 from .

Summary of Maryland Drunk Driving- DUI and DWI Laws. Web page. Maryland Drunk Driving- DUI and DWI- and Criminal Defense Lawyer Leonard R. Stamm. 30 April 2008. .