Americans cherish their privacy. Well, except for those people who over-share personal information. Still, it’s their choice to reveal such secrets. Whether anyone wants to hear them or not is another matter.
We are a country of confidentiality clauses, gag orders and undisclosed settlements. We prize privacy. Unless we believe someone, or a group of someones, doesn’t deserve any — such as actors and professional athletes. We are a celebrity-obsessed country of gossips, and we seem to think that if celebrities enjoy slightly less privacy than the rest of us, well, that’s the cost of being famous. If it was just about being photographed a lot, we would agree. But it’s gone so far beyond that. And yes, the media is almost entirely to blame. But some unethical medical workers are giving sleazy journalists a run for their money.
On Aug. 9, actress Christina Applegate announced she had breast cancer and that she would have no further comment. That wasn’t enough for the National Enquirer, which soon after published the fact that the actress underwent a double mastectomy as part of her treatment. The next day, Applegate appeared on “Good Morning America” to discuss her situation, explaining that she has the breast cancer gene BRCA1 and her mother had recurring breast cancer. Applegate demonstrated extreme grace in the face of such sleaziness. USA Today reported that shortly after Applegate’s initial announcement, “someone in a position to know about her treatment told the Enquirer,” which routinely pays for information.
Sadly, we suspect people would be willing to spill such information for free, but the payments do make it worse. USA Today reports that in recent years, Patrick Swayze, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes, Dennis Quaid, George Clooney and Farrah Fawcett have all had information from their medical records, or those of loved ones, revealed in the press and online.
Once the tabloids publish something and the celebrity feels compelled to respond, like Applegate did, then the mainstream media picks up the story, completing the cycle. The mainstream media is happy enough to let outlets like the National Enquirer do the dirty work, and then report it all, except the original “source.” As if Applegate chose all on her own to come forward and discuss her health.
The fact that most of us don’t have to worry if the video of our non-celebrity gallstone procedure is going to show up on YouTube is not the point. The fact that our insatiable appetite for celebrity gossip helps fuel this shameful behavior is worth considering.
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