Paparazzi is a plural term (paparazzo being the singular form) for photographers who take candid photographs of celebrities, usually by relentlessly shadowing them in their public and private activities. Celebrities claiming to have been hounded by such photographers often use "
paparazzi" and even "
stalkarazzi" as a pejorative term.
News agencies commonly use the word in a broader sense to describe all photographers who take pictures of notable people.
Celebrity Photographers at the Tribeca Film Festival
EtymologyThe word paparazzi was introduced by the 1960 film La dolce vita directed by Federico Fellini. One of the characters in the film is a news photographer named Paparazzo (played by Walter Santesso). In his book Word and Phrase Origins, author Robert Hendrickson writes that Fellini took the name from an Italian dialect word for a particularly noisy, buzzing mosquito. In his school days, Fellini remembered a boy who was nicknamed "Paparazzo" (Mosquito), because of his fast talking and constant movements, a name Fellini later applied to the fictional character in La dolce vita.
TechniquesTechnological developments in cameras (such as higher quality telephoto lenses and high speed films) enable paparazzi to shoot their subjects from afar, and often unseen. Miniaturization allows tiny palm-sized cameras that can effectively engage in secret photography. Furthermore, digital cameras and internet- and email-based transmission methods allow for rapid and widespread distribution of photographs.
photographers at a protest.
RestrictionsDue to the reputation of paparazzi as a nuisance, some states and countries (particularly within Europe) restrict their activities by passing laws and curfews, and by staging events in which paparazzi are specifically allowed to take photographs. In Germany and France, photographers need the permission of the people in their photographs in order for them to be released (see model release).
The presence of paparazzi is not always seen as vexatious; the arranger of an event may, in order to make the guests feel important, hire a number of actors who pretend they are paparazzi (so-called faux-paparazzi). This was, for instance, seen at extravagant events during the dot-com boom.
Paparazzi sell their work to dozens of magazines and newspapers that publish such photos for their readers and subscribers, and many paparazzi feel that they are helping celebrities and public figures in general by increasing their visibility. Photographers often earn large sums for a particularly good, or revealing picture.
StalkerazziStalkerazzi is a portmanteau of stalker and "paparazzi" and as the name implies signifies those whose techniques tend toward invading personal space and privacy although as some do make a living at this it can be interpreted as just doing a job. The term has gained usage in reference to popular culture figures like celebrities and people made famous through media and news events. In particular throughout 2007, Britney Spears has had a notable increase in the number of people following her every move in hopes of getting photos and videos. Tabloid shows such as Access Hollywood, TMZ on TV and tabloid print media such as People have facilitated such activities but arguably only to meet consumer demand.
