and the Culture of Celebrities vs. Paparazzi

1
and the Culture of Celebrities vs. Paparazzi
Princess Diana

• Living Private Life in the
• Public Eye

2
Diana Spencer

• Royal ancestry, but was considered first common
  English person to marry into the royal family in
  generations

Families had been friends for many
years, became romantically involved after
Charles invited to spend weekend with Spencer
family at their country estate.
Seen as ideal candidate for Princess of Wales
3
Fairy Tale Wedding

• The couple was a media sensation from the
  beginning

750 million watched world wide
July 29, 1981 was a national holiday in the UK
http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid-71462208
60076907322qdianaweddinghlen
4
Paparazzi

• Tabloid culture in UK different

London Mirror and Sun
Focus on celebrity gossip, sports, and lifestyle
Paparazzi snap pictures of Kate Middleton,
romantically linked to Prince William
Royal family is a major focus
5
Picture Perfect?

• With in 4 years, couple had 2 healthy children
  to the delight of British nation

Diana was a public relations wonder for royal
family doing charitable work all over the world
Press ate it up
But it was slowly unraveling
6
Rocky Marriage, Tabloid Goldmine

• -Charles relationship with
• Camilla Parker-Bowles
• -Press a strain on marriage
• -Incompatibility?
• -Both admit infidelity
• -Very Public divorce
• -Strained relationship with
• royal family

7
The Crash Heard Round the World

• Fleeing from paparazzi in Paris, the car
  Diana and boyfriend Dodi Al Fayed are riding in
  crashes in an underpass tunnel killing Diana,
  Dodi, and their driver.

Paparazzi involved in chase capitalize on
catastrophe and snap pictures at crash site until
the end
8
Marathonic Broadcasting
Day-long coverage dominated the media
Thousands crowded streets around royal palaces to
offer flowers and condolences
Royal family criticized for their cold handling
of the tragedy
Funeral watched by 2.5 billion globally
9
Blood On Their Hands?

• I always believed the press would kill her in
  the end.It would appear that every proprietor
  and editor that has paid for every exclusive
  photo has blood on his hands today. Charles
  Spencer

The paparazzi were heavily criticized for
Dianas accident, but were cleared of criminal
charges.
Paparazzi continue to defend themselves claiming
that there is a demand and a market for their
photos.
Today the paparazzi remain in the headlines for
their constant invasion of celebrity lives.
Actress Lindsey Lohan blamed the paparazzi for a
car accident she caused in Los Angelos.
10
Works Cited

• 31 August On This Day. Retrieved May 5, 2007
  from http//news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stor
  ies/august/31/newsid_2510000/2510615.stm
• Davies, Jude. Diana A Cultural History. New
  York Palgrave, 2001.
• Gray, Paula. Farewell Diana. Retrieved May 5,
  2007 from http//www.time.com/time/magazine/articl
  e/0,9171,986977,00.html
• Kear, Adrian and Deborah Lynn Steinberg. Mourning
  Diana Nation, Culture, and Performance of Grief.
  London Routledge, 1999.
• Mulvaney, Jay. Diana and Jackie. New York St.
  Martins Press, 2002.
• Paparazzi. Retrieved May 5, 2007 from
  http//dictionary.reference.com/browse/paparazzi
• Princess Diana-Scene from a Royal Wedding.
  Retrieved May 5, 2007 from
• http//video.google.com/videoplay?docid-714622086
  0076907322qdianaweddinghlen
• The Romance that Enchanted the World .
  Retrieved May 5, 2007 from http//www.cnn.com/WORL
  D/9708/diana/wedding/index.html
• Turncock, Robert. Interpreting Diana Television
  Audiences and the Death of a Princess. London
  BFI Publishing, 2000.