Knock Em Out

Isn't Dick Van Dyke adorable?! He's old and cuddly and belts out a wicked cockney accent. He's a man from the age before the paparazzi made every celebrities life a misery and he can still see the funny flattering side of some feral stranger shoving a camera in your face as you try to go about your daily chores.

He was "papped" coming out of a Supermarket last week and he wrote a letter to the local newspaper thanking them for experience:-

"Editor:
Monday morning as I was leaving the supermarket with my Raisin Bran and prunes, out of the corner of my eye, I caught the flash of a camera. Sure enough, it was paparazzi. Or maybe paparazzo, it was just the one guy. I suppose Monday is a slow day for celebrity watching. But still, he knew me! He saw beyond the white hair, the wrinkles and the pot belly. He saw a celebrity under there! I have to admit I was flattered by the attention. Did me a lot of good.

However, out of respect for my fellow celebrities, I decked him anyway.
Dick Van Dyke"

Go on Dick!

Born to be Bad

What is is with all the celebrities getting themselves locked up lately?

Last week Christian Bale attempts to murder his mother and sister and now Shia LaBeouf has ben arrested on suspicion of drunk driving.

Hot off the presses

As a society we are obsessed with "celebrity". Paris Hilton, the Big Brother housemates and scarily Ryan Tubirdy.

But should there be privacy laws controlling newspapers and magazines in Ireland?

The newspaper industry is far from perfect. There are cases where it intrudes on privacy without any justification of public interest.

Individuals are entitled to privacy but not if that stops the press from exposing a crime, protecting the safety of the public or preventing us from being misguided by some important person or organisation.

A law of privacy could be a tool of censorship for the rich and powerful to stop the press exposing corruption, mismanagement and hypocrisy an infringement on the public's right to know. Considering the media attention surrounding Princess Diana even now, several years after her death, it's hard to believe that in Britain, before World War II, the press was not allowed to comment on the affair between Edward VIII and Mrs. Simpson. In Europe, politicians abused public funds in support of their colourful private lives. In both cases the public was not told. For democracy to exist, this is very wrong.

A privacy law would only be available to those with the money to gag the press through the courts.

Yes the press can go too far sometimes. That is why the Press Complaints Commission exists, to control the press in such matters. Of all the complaints made to the Press Complaints Commission very few are about invasion of privacy. We don't need a privacy law; we need a fresh and free pass committed to the best news coverage. And maybe a little taste.

(God! Have just realised that this is all very serious for my first posting! Coming next time: the Muppets!)