Privacy matters with matters of the heart

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Posted By Andra Holbrooks on Feb 21, 2011

Being a celebrity means having little, if any, kind of personal life.

Depending on which entertainment show, magazine or tabloid is most popular at the moment, one specific piece of information always seems to have viewers and readers everywhere tuned in – divorce.

Think about it.

Ratings sky rocketed when TLC’s reality TV stars, Jon and Kate Gosselin of Kate Plus 8, finalized their divorce two years ago. Every detail up until the signing date was covered. Supposedly, break-ups qualify as news.

No one is safe in the public eye.

Depending on if one person is seeking attention or not, divorce can be an extremely personal matter, and major news sources see it as a growth opportunity to rack up more readers and viewers.

Take Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston for instance.

They said “I do” in Malibu on July 29, 2000. Soon, their marriage was on the rocks. Some sketchy photos were submitted to magazines, and only six years later Angelina Jolie became Pitt’s new wife.

Every magazine stand by check-out counters was covered with cheesy headlines like “Brangelina” and “Jen vs. Angie.”

Even young celebrities have their breakups displayed for the entire world to see and hear. No wonder so many of them are going through tough times; their whole lives are constantly being watched. Show some sympathy, people.

Yes, Taylor Swift has written many bashing songs about her exes, but that’s her way of expressing her hurt — not pictures of her and Jake Gyllenhaal posted all over People and OK! Magazine.

It is inevitable. Stars will never be out of the spotlight because of who they are. Paparazzi will continue to snap photos of every little detail in their relationships. Tabloids will always turn those photos into a story to make a dollar, and the most upsetting part of it is some of the public will believe everything they see, hear and read.

Where does the line need to be drawn?

Granted, these stars have chosen to live very public lifestyles (it comes with the job), but is it really readers’ and viewers’ business to find their miseries “entertaining?”

As part of the public eye, it’s heartbreaking to know these people (who are just like us, but have more fame to their name) are experiencing a kind of hurt most of us can’t fathom. Breakups are one thing, but to end a marriage is another.

If the temptation to catch up on the latest break ups and make ups is too much, take the time to be in their shoes. As humans, we are all going to mess up and make fools of ourselves.