PUBLIC OPINION > Alec Baldwin's Paparazzi Beatdown Was Justified
SodaHead Celebs
2012/06/22 16:00:00
Maybe "beatdown" is a little harsh, but there's photographic evidence that "30 Rock" star Alec Baldwin got physical with a paparazzo on his way out of the NYC Marriage License Bureau. The photographer says Baldwin rushed at him like a bull, unprovoked, and punched him square in the chin. Baldwin hasn't said much on the matter, except that #allpaparazzishouldbewaterboarded. His words. We asked the public if the "beatdown" was justified.
It looks like Baldwin doesn't have to explain himself -- the public is already on his side. Though supporters didn't seem to care much about what actually happened. They were just happy to see the paparazzi get what was coming. Even by the photographer's account, at worst it was an unprovoked punch. But with the paparazzi, "unprovoked" is a loose term. One commenter wrote, "When you are asked to back off and stop, and refuse, then you become offensive to people, and celebrities are people who deserve a little bit of privacy."
Older Voters Aren't Amused
For younger voters, particularly those under the age of 45, the event was actually a little bit humorous. No one really likes the paparazzi, so it seems like fair game for a nice laugh. But older voters took the matter more seriously. They were more likely to suggest that celebrities choose that type of life when they promote themselves. That doesn't justify an assault.
Girls Get Rowdy
We were surprised to find that female voters were actually more likely to say Baldwin's attack was justified. We expected men to be more gung-ho with the violent reaction. Plus, the tabloids paparazzi shoot for are usually marketed to women. But girls know a good story when they see one, and they're not going to let social graces get in the way of a little street justice.
The Well-Off Wave a Finger
Income had an unexpected impact on how respondents voted. Even though Baldwin is clearly the wealthier party here, lower income voters tended to side with him against the paparazzi. Maybe it's his satirical CEO character, Jack Donaghy from "30 Rock," that won them over. Higher income voters were much more likely to side with the photographer, though the sample size was a little rough.
If you'd like to vote on this question, dig deeper into the demographics, or engage in existing discussion about the topic, visit our poll about Baldwin's beatdown. We'd love to hear from you!
Top Opinion
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Heptarch 2012/06/23 17:06:03
Now, I have Movies of Vincent, and the program to capture and print a picture from the movie. However, if I should post a picture of vincent on Facebook, for instance, I would be open to a lawsuit at Vincent's pleasure upon its discovery.
Just because Alec Baldwin has a career as an actor doesn't mean everyone has the right to know what he does off camera or that we are entitled to have a camera in his face 24/7/365. Would you like someone impeding your path to take photos of you? If someone were to be taking photos of you and you asked them to stop, would you be justified in stopping in them? Would you allow someone to take pictures of you, your kids, in your own backyard? We can't look at celebs as having no life of their own if we expect to have our own private life. They are people too and deserve the same respect and privacy that we expect for ourselves.
The best way to stop paparazzi is to stop buying the junk the sell and support the privacy of all citizens, regardless who they are. Let the celebs determine how much of their life they will share rather than having peeping toms slithering and sneaking around deciding for them. Let the celeb decide if they will tell you who they had dinner with. If they don't want to say, then it's none of your business.
I'm not a fan of his, but his paycheck and awards says a lot of people are fans. He simply does a job, acting. That doesn't make him a public figure. His fans make that decision based on their own lust for more information.
Fred Gwynne was a lot more popular than people realize. He was much more than tall Herman Munster. Gwynne sang professionally, acted in TV shows, acted in movies, acted on Broadway from plays by Shakespeare to modern era playrights, painted, sculpted, and wrote & illustrated children's books which were all published. And yet this man managed to keep his work and home life separate. I imagine it was difficult considering his towering 6'5" frame and very recognizable face. Would he be able to get away with it today? Probably not thanks to paparazzi who trespass and invade the privacy of anyone they feel like. Frankly, I would have loved to have seen the paparazzis face as 'Frankenstein' came flying out of the bushes at them! Now THAT I would have paid for! hahaha
You have a little problem with reading don't you? No where was I whining, so I guess you're just crying cause you were caught being a spoiled brat. Run home to mommy and learn how to act in public. I'm amazed you can even find a web site twice.
How many people know who Norman Ernest Borlaug was? He saved more than a billion people from starvation, and yet he rarely ever made the news. Not even when he died about 3 years ago. But everybody knows completely irrelevant people like Alec Baldwin, Charlie Sheen and Octomom. There is something deeply wrong with our priorities.