Paparazzi Predators

What do you do when you are surrounded by gnats or mosquitoes flying around your head and body? Most folks would wave their arms in an attempt to shoo them away. You might even invest in some repellent to distract the little buggers. They are annoying pests in need of eradication. Similar to these belligerent and blood sucking insects are the frenzied people known as the paparazzi.

The paparazzi are individuals who take candid photos of unsuspecting celebrities. They want to catch celebs unaware in some position so that they, "the pappers", could land the big bucks. The driving force behind the majority of photo jerks in the paparazzi swarm is the need to make money at the expense of well known people.  But I guess in this economy, it's as sound as buying lottery tickets.

The origin of the word "paparazzo" is from the Greek "papasaratsis" which means "Priest-saddlemaker".  The word paparazzo was first used in a Fellini film and caught on.  Some portion of the origin of the word "paparazzi" is thought to be derived from the word "paparazzo," meaning an annoying sound, as of buzzing mosquitoes. The paparazzi are just that; photo opportunists looking to drain the very life blood of their victims. They are a nuisance to the famous, and a source of photos for us common folk to enjoy in some strange way.

Unfortunately, the American desire for paparazzi photos has created these wanna-be photojournalists. Other countries, like Germany, Norway, and France, have taken strict measures to put an end to this act of violating privacy and personal space. America has actually seen a rise in lawsuits by celebrities who are taking on these purposeless, lens polishing predators. One such menace attempted to sue a celeb who allegedly struck him with a car. The suit was settled when the fraudulent nature of the cameraman was determined.

One noted paparazzi guru is Mel Bouzad. He readily admits his only interest is making a lot of money with his photos. Even his name sums it up. It looks and sounds like "buzzard," a predatory fowl devouring the carcasses of others to fill his belly!