In the News: Naked Photos of Hollywood Celebrities

Today’s biggest story, outside of war in Ukraine, war in Gaza, war in Syria, war in Sudan, and beheadings of American journalists by religious maniacs, is the recent internet posting of naked photos of Hollywood celebrities stolen off their Apple iPhones.

I have nothing intelligent to say about the manic bloodlust breaking out in so many parts of the world outside of banal snorts of disgust, but I do have something to add about the illicit posting of taboo images of household names.

First, there is some faint irony regarding the outrage generated by the exposure of private parts of known personalities, since many of those private parts have already been viewable by permission for public consumption through these celebrities’ various print, film, website, video, or publicity activities.

However, in fairness, the unsanctioned publishing of their cell phone images does seem to be a blatant invasion of privacy and must not be condoned from an ethical standpoint. Still, this is not what I care to add to the conversation.

This is what needs to be said to all those who dabble in the electronic arts: STOP BEING STUPID!

Here are some rules of the road:

Don’t spit in the wind. Don’t pump gas while smoking a cigarette. Don’t blow-dry your hair while taking a bath. Don’t text and drive at the same time. Don’t eat mushrooms you find in the forest. Don’t add a pellet of lithium to a glass of water.

AND DON’T TAKE PICTURES OF YOUR NAKED SELF WITH YOUR IPHONE!

How can people be so stupid? One must assume that anything digitally recorded could end up in the rapacious maw called the Worldwide Web, especially when it involves those who regularly appear in public like the victims in today’s scandal.

If you don’t want the world to see it, hear it, or read it—don’t photograph it, record it, or blog it. The power of the internet is infinite and whatever is on your phone, hard drive, or cloud files is ripe for pillaging and distribution. We all know and associate with evil people: assume it will happen!

Don’t expect people to respect your privacy—make sure they don’t have an opportunity to do otherwise. Whenever you get the urge to take a selfie of yourself in the altogether to send to your boy/girlfriend, take a walk down the median of a crowded highway instead. It’s much less dangerous!

Am I blaming the victim here? Shouldn’t famous people be allowed to have a private life that may include sending immodest images to special friends? Yes and yes. But please, modern life has its risks and prudence (not prudery) is often the best course of action.

I mourn that the modesty of my heroine, Katniss Everdeen, was violated. But please, Jen, stop being stupid!