The Gawker Stalker Map

Did anyone watch Larry King Live tonight? The topic was "Does the Paparazzi Go Too Far?"

Guest host Jimmy Kimmel had the editor of Gawker.com on talking about the new Gawker Stalker Map, which lists celebrity sightings up to the minute. He and the entire panel ganged up on the poor girl, who was trying to point out that celebrity blogs are just another form of entertainment and are not to be taken seriously.

The panel wasn't having it, including Michael Jackson's former attorney Mark Garagos. They argued that celebrity blogs and sites like Gawker endanger celebrities by providing personal information. They were arguing that celebrities have been murdered in the past by stalkers and that it's only a matter of time before another celebrity murder happens.

The show also had on Reichen Lehmkuhl via satellite from Palm Springs. He was the winner of the first season of "Amazing Race" and who recently dated NSYNC's Lance Bass. Celebrity blogs like Perez Hilton pretty much forced Lance Bass to come out of the closet.

I interviewed Reichen about this topic and Perez Hilton back in January. What do you think? Does the paparazzi go to far? Could the Gawker Stalker Map be putting celebrities in more danger than they already are? Sound off!

Comments

[jinga]

I would not even want to be a celebrity, period, but to have "anyone" be able to find me at anytime, anywhere would scare the hell out of me. STALKERS are preditors! and have been known to KILL thier 'perceived love' of their lives.

Regarding JUST the paparazzi (paid for pictures) Can you imagine what would happen to any female celebrity known to be wearing something risque such as Nipple Huggers(R) and out on the town for the night. Odds are real good she would be hounded. Now post that info to the world and odds raise by an incalcuable percentage that she could be Stalked & attacked (cloths ripped, etc.)! A life threatening situation. Sure there are body guards, but where there is will, there is a way!

I can fully understand why MJ has the stores close while he shops. Perhaps some developer should consider a "Highly Gated" highend shopping, restaurants & entertainment, etc. locale.

[Inga-Stina Westman]

I don´t know, I think celebrities have always lived in danger. But it depends on what field you´re in. Politician - high level of risk (especially if you´re a president or primeminister). Poet - low level of risk (few people have even HEARD of even very famous poets!) But age doesn´t stop stalkers.I know a famous actress who is over 90 who was persecuted by a stalker! He called her on the phone, first flattered her and then threatened to kill her. The police didn´t care (probably thought she was just a potty old senile lady). So she began to TALK to this stalker (on the phone) with a surprising courage and calm (very far from senile and potty this old lady!) I think she managed to pacify him. I even think he stopped pestering her!
I think maybe the best way to not create stalkers is to stop idolize celebrities the way the media does. Like they are GODS (or GODESSES)! This isn´t healthy. (normal admiration is good. It can INSPIRE you to do something great yourself!) I think it creates ENVY (which is the other side of idolization.) And if this envy grows too strong...!!
Love from a Swedish philosopher
Inga

[dyro]

If we would start looking for the "star", the "light" in ourselves instead of depending on shallow, drug and booze filled celebrities and the star machine to tell us who we are or should be, the whole system would collapse and $100M movies would become a thing of the past. This planet is dying, that is the #1 most important issue. No planet = no celebrity, no stars, no big blockbuster movies that feed us crap. It's time to evolve. When the Paris Hilton's of the world start cramming THAT down our throats, maybe I'll begin to give a shit about one of them, as I'm sure they do me.

[Gina]

I believe it's a trade off. If you want to be famous and make an obscene amount of money.....then that's the price you pay. The Hollywood Jet Set loves to show off how they live in the lap of luxury. The waste of their excess spending is sinful, while they use their podiums to spew out their phony political views. Having to deal with the Paparrazi is a well deserved price they have pay for it; it rightfully goes with the territory.

[Eye Clips]

I think this is all blown out of proportion. Most celebrities are insecure that's why they seek fame. They need to feed their ego with adoration from the public and then they complain when they get too much attention. With a few exceptions they love the limelight. Imagine a red carpet event without reporters and
photographers. Do you think they would attend? Do you think designers and jewelry companies would want them to wear their outfits? Do you think Lindsay, Paris and Co. go to Robertson Blvd. to hide? They don't even go to Hyde to hide. Even Brangelina make deals with photogs to photograph their babies. Michael Douglas sold his wedding pictures for thousands. The publicist of an actress called the paparazzi when she was out on a date with Clooney. So don't complain when your picture gets taken on the streets or when you buy groceries just because you did not make a deal with another magazine and the money does not go into YOUR pocket. Paparazzi do their job just like anyone else. Guess what? Unfortunately the public has an interest in celebrities. It has always been like that and it won't change. Unless the whole world boycotts buying magazines there is nothing we can do about it. It's sad but don't always blame the paparazzi for everything. Then you also have to blame hospital staffers,sales people, valet guys even the police (Mel Gibson drunk in Malibu) and every single person who tips them off.

[Patti]

I think celebs are going to be tracked for photos regardless of any websites. As far as stalkers go..if they are already out there looking for them I doubt they are too concerned about a website. I am sure they already have it in their mind what they intend to do. Celebrities know that they are trading some of their personal space for the popularity of being a star...that's why they started acting (or whatever) in the first place..to become famous. Fame comes with a price.

[Gary]

That girl didn't make any sense...you know that! She didn't make a case
at all especially when she had no response to putting fake info on about
Jimmy Kimmel and others. She was lying...but she knows what a sleazy
business she is in.

[christopher waya]

my comments about paparazzi,is just simple...dangerous for celebrity,as ..humans we have right to our privacy.take the case of "princes diana" ...still remains fresh in our bitter memories.up..till date her death remains a mystery.

[Zee Coooooalboooooooony]

Making lots of money has it's price. Get some hot babe like Milla Jovovich out running around stark naked with $100 bills hanging from her, and what will people want more? Her or the money? (I'd rather have Sienna Guillory).

Making lots of money has it's risks. I may not be a movie star, but I used to have lots of money. Nice to have a roof over my head and food in the stomach. But not nice that how and where I get MY money from somehow decides for others if I'm a good or bad person.

Show me a man or woman without greed controlling thier lives and I'll show you a good person. And that is maybe 1/1000 of 1%.

[Matt]

Yes, I think the entire celebrity thing in general is taken way too far. Celebrities are people, rich and often beautiful people, but people nonetheless. You wouldn't stand outside a shower stall, hoping to get a shot of an Arab oil mogul in the buff, even though he is rich and quite possibly famous, so why do it to George Clooney or Drew Barrymore?

There is a hunger that so many try to satisfy with so many things, and in the end, those things never satisfy, so they just end up wanting more. Why do you care what Uma Thurman is eating for breakfast, or what kind of comb Tom Cruise uses, and why do you spend so much time and effort to get a glimpse of Winona Ryder slipping on a banana peel, or Jack Nicholson sipping from a flask? The answer is that you are empty and lonely and you live such a pointless and void existence, that you frantically search for something to stop the pain. If it weren't celebrities, it would be drugs or sex or any of a thousand vices, but none of those things fulfil.

Who do you think celebrities look up to, and want to be like? Who do you think they dream of meeting or dating or spending quality time with? Quite often, those on the top wish for nothing more than a nice quiet meal with a friend, a shower with no fear of cameras, a walk in the park without some idiot walking behind them, hoping they will drop a cigarette butt so they can sell it to the highest bidder. In sort, celebrities want to be you, normal people. Ironic isn't it? You seek to fill your emptiness with them, and they wish to be normal, like you.

I advise you all, normal and celebrity alike to look up for peace, look up for love and acceptance, look up for meaning and purpose. Look to God, not to stars, for stars are just people, just people like you. Jesus loves you.

[Jos]

In this day and age everyone and everything is over the top, especially in Hollywood; I include myself in this, oh, I used to buy a "rag magazine" once in a while, not anymore, the prices are ridiculous & my favorite people have more class than to make themselves human spectacles, you can be low key in hollywood if you want...some manage & once in awhile are photographed, which is nice to see, but for heavens sake quit stalking.

[VDOVault]

There are other more reliable sources of information on celebrities and the various entertainment industry if you know where to look. I don't understand why in this day and age paparazzi and gossip matter...they're usually wrong and frankly I get bored with them very quickly.

[ruthann francis]

i believe just because they are celebrities they are fair game. Always have been always will be. Things have changed a lot over the years, we would of known rock hudsons sexual preferance and jfk escapades in the white house. Now to be a celevrity you put your life out there for scrutiny or you wouldn't be what a star.

[drumonde23]

I think they are going to far.
Well they need a job to get done,but there is a limit as to what they can do or not do.
It is the same story all the time a celebrity will get injured.

[Rich Pitoniak]

i agree they do go to far i mean pics at events is fine but when there doing there own personal stuff thats not right, i mean if they ask nicely to have a pic taken and the cleberty agrees thats ok but if the celeberty says no and they keep on them then thats not nice at all, they do go to far and it has to stop before some celeberty gets hurt.

Rich:)

[Vicki Zerbee]

It seems to me that there are enough public and social events throughout the year when celebrities are ready and willing to be photographed and interviewed. So why not let their private time be just that, private. These folks have their 'jobs' as celebrities and outside of that, they deserve to have a life. Plus they are at the end of the day just people like the rest of us. I guess I never did understand the obsessions. It would be my wish that those chasing after celebrities could instead choose a good project to support and advertise. Think of the contributions that could make. Doing something positive and beneficial.

[Jennifer]

I find this whole topic very sad.

Celebrities bring so much enjoyment to our lives through the sharing of their gifts and talents. They give us so much pleasure. How do we repay them? We are not satisfied for the public opportunities we have to see them, and the photos that are provided to us through photo shoots, and public events. No, we want to steal from them, and so we patronize paparazzi who find a market for their pictures, stolen during private moments, with the celebrity's family, or enjoying sun on their own balcony. We encourage people to hound them until the world closes in on them so that selfishly we can see into their private lives and hold them as property.

These are real people, with real feelings, who want nothing more than we ourselves want. Yes, they are paid a lot for their work, but that doesn't mean that we own their every moment. They should be free to live their lives in peace away from their public lives. We should allow them to eat their meals in peace, play on the beach with their children without being in fear of having pieces of them stolen, spend an afternoon wandering through a shopping mall or taking a boat out for a sail, without having us, or those we encourage to steal for us, taking these precious and all too few moments of quiet time away from them.

Reporting where celebrities are, and posting their whereabouts on an up to the minute map is wrong. It takes away the freedom of these people to live their lives the way they choose, and puts them in serious jeopardy.

If we care about the celebrities as we say we do, then let's respect them and give them room to be themselves and live their lives in peace. We can enjoy their work and appreciate them from a distance. We don't need to steal from them. In fact, if we allowed them space, they would likely be willing to share more of themselves with us, so our selfish acts are likely ultimately costing us as well.

I say get rid of the map and the paparazzi. Give thanks for these people who enrich our lives, and allow them to live their own!

[Bill Salmon]

Look.
These people are much like ourselves (ie. celebrities) except they took the big gamble, and won out. They don't really owe us anything. They have a right to live their lives without disturbance. Let us enjoy the special gift they bring through their performance, and leave it at that.
To say they are suddenly enthralled to us for any reason is wrong. To gain fame shouldn't mean you have bought a ticket through Hell!
The Papparazzi have killed in the past, and they can do it again. Believe me - I'd like to rip those who chose to snap shots, rather than try to save the victims in Princess Diana's mercedes, limb from limb. I think on it alot, and the scum involved have an open invitation to take me on.
Unfortunately the lure of a snappy headline, and telling shot demand too much money for anyone in 'the profession' to gain a concience.
And yes - the only answer is NOT to buy into the venom they spread.
Time to gain back some respectability. Boycott te bastards.
Bill

[Bob Schubring]

The right to privacy is an extension of the right to freedom of speech. We are free to speak out on any subject, without first getting somebody's permission. We are likewise free to remain silent.

If we seek fame and celebrity status by calling attention to ourselves, we must face the consequences of doing so. Every dreamer who buys a bus ticket to L.A., hoping to be "discovered" for a film career, wants celebrity status. The 7,000 A-list celebrities, who, out of tens of millions of wannabes, actually did something of note to earn their celebrity status, have a valuable asset: They can attach their names to a project, or a product, and improve its chance of selling. A-list status is a means of earning a good living, off one's name alone. It also attracts unwanted attention...most of it from goofballs who hope, by somehow associating themselves with celebrities, to gain fame or infamy.

Before getting on that bus to L.A. with dreams of joining the A-list, one should take a long hard look in the mirror, and ask, "I'm about to gamble on something that, statistically, is almost impossible to achieve. If I do achieve it, can I live with it?" If the answer is "No", congratulations. You've moved past envy and can get on with your life. And if you can't make your mind up, whether to get on the bus to L.A. or not...if you fantasize incessantly about this or that celebrity....if you feel angry that other people achieved things in life that you have not...you have a problem. Quit wasting time and money on sleazy tabloids that feed your thirst for revenge, with tales of this or that celebrity who got divorced, or was hospitalized for psychiatric care. INSTEAD...get yourself to a shrink and find out what's making you envious and immobile. If you don't want to be a celebrity, don't try to become one. If you don't respect a celebrity, ignore that person. If you can't do either, you're obsessed. You are in danger of becoming one of those stalkers who make life miserable for celebs and their fans. Get help now from a mental health professional.

Life is too short to waste on being nutty.

[Chad]

Since Jimmy thought the paps and owners of gossip sites are so immoral that they are all going to hell, I would assume he won't be using anymore paparazzi clips and photos for his monologue when he makes fun of other celebrities? He's a hypocrite, and I'm tired of these whiny celebrities.

[Leland Frances]

The person behind Gawker Stalker Map was no “poor girl” anymore than Reichen “was the winner of the first season of ‘Amazing Race.’” He AND Chip Arndt won the FOURTH season and she’s a pathetic child who clearly hates people who are more famous than she. “Jealousy” is a common accusation, of course [Reichen and his trolls use it all the time against his multitude of critics], but she indicts herself with her comments about not putting people on pedestals, etc. Well, Hon, if such people didn’t exist, neither would you and your “Tragedy Waiting to Happen” cyber aid.

Unlike her, I’ll be honest. I hate phonies, particularly those that squander the rare opportunity to actually do good for just another self-deluding attempt to become “a star.” Reichen could have used his TAR celebrity to advance gay equality. But now he really just claims to. Even his book was more about promoting himself than civil rights. Even your picture of him and Lance at the camp for kids affected by AIDS is one of the VERY few charity event they did. Now he's just famous for being famous. No wonder he’s said he’s a huge fan of Paris Hilton—he’s the Dollar Store gay male equivalent. But my how his star has fallen, how he’s returned to the Celebrity Z List after Lance flicked him off his shoulder, as illustrated by the fact that Kimmel talked to him for less than five minutes—and the only reason that he was on at all was because, I’m sure, Lance refused.

His answers to your questions posted January 9th are typical Reichen spin. No one who’s followed his history would take seriously his claim that he’s received “thousands of letters” from gays in the military, anymore than his claim that he’s done “hundreds” of speaking engagements. There’s no public record of such a number I’m aware of and the only thing Reichen does in private involves his privates [except when he’s simply hiding them behind seaweed or the Flag]. It’s a hoot, or is just sad, that so much of what he says about Perez Hilton applies to him.

“R: We must not confuse ‘gay’ with what I consider ‘perverted’.” Could that apply to a guy who insists he’s gay but who dated a woman after Arndt and whose closest friends accuse him of leading women on?
“R: He also fabricates stories from scratch just to create gossip when things aren't interesting enough….” Reichen got reams of publicity after claiming that he’d received death threats because people didn’t like that he was criticizing the military. Assuming he did, ALL celebrities, even irrelevant ones, get threats. Big deal. But it’s hard to believe that anyone who cared even heard about the book or seriously took the time to threaten him. Do a lot of Right Wing vets watch the Tyra Banks Show? And, then, there was his ludicrous claim that people had created new definitions for “to lance.” Don’t expect it in the next edition of the Oxford English Dictionary.
“R: What bothers me is that he lies about things or exaggerates….” Reichen used to tell interviewers that he grew up in Boston. But as his book confirmed, he actually grew up in nondescript Norton. But the first Big Whopper was when he claimed that former First Lady Nancy Reagan attended his wedding to Arndt—denied by both Arndt and Reichen’s own mother.
“R: I know I've shown my body to the public by modeling….” Uh, peddiling nude photos is not modeling, or, as Jimmy Kimmel joked, “Strippers are dancers.”
“R: I don't really care about Mr. Lavendeira or what he does or says. I don't let it affect my life.” This must have been before he screeched at length on his myspace page about Perez Hilton’s alleged crimes and announced that he and several other celebrities were considering a class action suit against Perez.
“R: I pride myself in doing my own thing, having my own businesses and successes separate from those of my partner.” That might be news to Arndt and others. And the only “business”—separate from himself—that I’m aware of was Tribe Air and that crashed and burned over a year ago.
“R: I remain private about my relationship.” I guess that was just someone who looked like Reichen and used his name in all of those dozens of pictures we saw with Lance as they fought for the title of “Fame Whores of the Decade.”
“R: The book was DONE AND SET FOR PUBLISHING AND DISTRIBUTION [emphasis mine] before I ever met Lance.” It’s one thing to distort the truth, it’s another to do it so sloppily. In addition to the easily disprovable lies about Boston and Nancy Reagan, in his Acknowledgments in the book, he thanks, “Lance, for being the first to read THE ROUGH DRAFT of the book and for pushing me to the FINISH LINE….” [emphasis mine] The book itself is sloppy: fully of typos and factual errors. Even in his strange introductory disclaimer about how, in order to protect people, he allegedly had to write as if several of the most dramatic events that actually happened to others happened to him, he references “the final chapter.” The final chapter only briefly describes his Air Force Academy graduation ceremony. He’s spun such a web of deception that he unintentionally manages to make something that actually did happen [his graduation] appear that it didn’t.
And what could be more laughable—or sad—than watching the YouTube video below of him speaking in Atlanta less than two weeks after your posted interview. He flames Perez, talks about a lawsuit, and insists that he would never betray Lance. Within hours he would do something with another Reality TV whore that within days would result in both his myspace Perez diatribe and his relationship with Lance disappear. And now he's in that category of "celebrities" who WISH the paparaszi were still chasing him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtaP53seOnE
paparazzi

[dreama buchanan]

Being a celebrity is not as easy and as fun as some might think. I would not mind being a celebrity but the stalking and people putting things on the internet that could tell some exactly where I live or where I have been would not make me happy. Celebrities are out there making a living in keeping up entertanined and not to be stalked. I think the paparaszi is going to estremes. If they were celebrities they would not want to be chased and watched and stalked every moment of their lives, I know I wouldn't. The only reason I would want to know where a clebrity is or their addresses is to get their autograph, to thank them for giving us all the opportunity to have some entertainment in our lives, to congratulate them on a job well done and to send them my love and support. But there are people out there that wants to do more. Me personally I am against devices that tell where the celebrities are at every minute and where they live exactly. I am also against the paparaszi chasing everyone. They need to ask themselves this question... "Would I want to be done this way every day of my life?" I bet they would not like it either.

[Smantha]

I believe it's a trade off. If you want to be famous and make an obscene amount of money.....then that's the price you pay. I also think blogs force celebrities to be honest. A gay celeb can't keep saying "I'm not gay" if 50 people saw him out at some club snogging another guy, and post it for all to read. Someone can't pretend to be a devoted family man if people saw him out on Sunset picking up a hooker, and posted it online.
No more of celebs getting away with skeazy things thanks to people and their online blogging. :)

[Catherine]

In my opinion,there is real danger in forecasting Celebrity whereabouts. If however they have been there & done that, then at least the immediate danger issue is confined.Regarding post sightings..Its an invasion of privacy that i don't admire,to say the least& i consider it inevitably damaging to some degree.
Like ourselves,when our work day is over, its over & it is an essential basic human need for it to be so.

[Catherine]

In my opinion,there is real danger in forecasting Celebrity whereabouts. If however they have been there & done that, then at least the immediate danger issue is confined.Regarding post sightings..Its an invasion of privacy that i don't admire,to say the least& i consider it inevitably damaging to some degree.
Like ourselves,when our work day is over, its over & it is an essential basic human need for it to be so.