Softcore Voyeurism

Before I begin, I have to clarify that I understand it takes all kinds of people to make a society and I further understand that I have the option to change the channel, turn the idiot box off, go to another site or not read the article.  I'm not questioning whether choice exists, I'm questioning the choices made.

That being established, I still wonder what the appeal of these entertainment news and celebrity gossip shows have to such a large sector of the (American) population.  Do people want so badly to be famous (or infamous)?  I find it hard to believe that so many people lead such pathetic lives with such trivial interests.

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy watching TV and movies as much as anyone.  I've learned to recognize and appreciate good acting, good writing, good direction, etc.  But am I the only one for whom the interest stops there?  Personally, I don't care whether Britney Spears goes to rehab or gets married once a month.  Tiger Woods' sex life is his own business.  Sports figures and entertainers (redundant) private lives should stay that way.  Leave them alone to lead their lives as they see fit off camera providing they aren't harming someone else in the process.

 And on the subject of doing harm, don't start screaming 1st Amendment but I believe it should be illegal to take or publish photos of not only celebrities but anyone if those photos have the potential to cause harm to the person, their family, their business or their associates if the person has a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as when they are in their home or behind enclosures such as privacy fences on private property.  It would be illegal to climb a tree and look in someone's window or over their privacy fence without a camera; why do these so called photographers and paparazzi get a pass?

As always, money drives this activity.  People find celebrities private lives interesting and are willing to pay to get a glimpse of them.  Therein lies the problem.  The general population has so much spare time, money and energy to devote to such trivial interests that an industry has developed around it.  Entertainment Tonight, Extra, TMZ, to name a few, have tremendous ratings.  Entire television networks exist for the purpose of exploiting this softcore voyeurism.  It reminds me of a quote by Henry Louis Mencken:  "Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public."