Aika Kanda: Rethinking Celebrity Privacy

“To What Extent Should Celebrity Privacy Be Protected?”

I recently appeared on Fuji TV’s Wide na Show. Since transitioning to freelance work, this program has been offering me opportunities even when I had few jobs, saving me during the days when I struggled with thoughts like, Maybe I’m not needed in the entertainment world. Out of gratitude, I naturally put extra effort into preparing for this program’s recordings. The night before, I spend 3–4 hours gathering information on the news topics to be discussed, organizing my thoughts, and refining my comments.

This time, we covered a news story about a celebrity who had been persistently followed and secretly photographed by a tabloid journalist for several months, eventually expressing on social media how painful it was and asking for it to stop. During the recording, the discussion turned to, To what extent should celebrity privacy be protected?

Here are my thoughts on the matter:

Celebrities are human beings too, so even if it’s for reporting purposes, actions that cause emotional harm are unacceptable. In particular, activities such as trespassing on private property or photographing the inside of someone’s home from the outside could constitute a crime. On the other hand, as someone who previously worked in the media, I also believe that the freedom of the press should be upheld. Celebrities are not public officials, but their words and actions do influence society. Therefore, I think it’s somewhat inevitable for them to be suddenly approached for interviews or secretly photographed in public spaces like streets or restaurants frequented by large numbers of people. However, if tabloid journalists claim to exercise freedom of the press, they also bear the responsibility to disseminate truthful information based on their investigations.

Since all participants in the recording speak, no one can talk at such length. I conveyed these thoughts in a more concise manner.

So, what about the other panelists? Here are some memorable opinions:

1. Celebrities also trade on their privacy, so their right to privacy is weaker compared to the general public. Even the courts approach cases involving celebrities differently than they do for ordinary people.

2. I was upset about being secretly photographed, but later it became material for work, and people laughed. In the end, it turned out okay.

3. Sharing your private life voluntarily is fine, but why should tabloids be allowed to pick it up and report on it without permission? It’s like they’re stealing your material.

4. The concept of freedom of the press has changed from what it used to be.

5. Please don’t cross the line where it stops being fun. Beyond that point, it’s no longer comedy.

6. We’re all human beings with morals. If we threatened to publish photos of a journalist’s child, they’d hate it, right? So there should be some mutual understanding.

These were some of the comments. Compared to my own stance, many opinions leaned toward the idea that celebrity privacy should be more protected.

 

Surprised by the differing opinions even among celebrities.

Since I was a child, I’ve seen celebrities appearing in wide shows and in weekly magazines. So, I imagined that if I ever entered the entertainment industry and became well-known, I would likely be chased by tabloids. I was somewhat prepared for that. I thought this was the case for all celebrities, but I was a bit surprised by the reality that many people, once in that position, felt that it was really unpleasant, probably because they had such a negative experience.

Additionally, I was surprised by the perspective in point ③, “It’s like having your material stolen.” If your private life is published in a weekly magazine first, it becomes harder to use it as a topic for talk shows. (I see!) On the other hand, I thought about whether there were celebrities who are still active at the forefront of the industry, with their private lives being the main subject of their talk material. But no, they’re all known for their skilled MCing and talking techniques. I couldn’t think of a single person like that.

Although it may not be convincing coming from someone like me, the person who shared this perspective with me also has very high talk skills. Even if certain private events were published first in a weekly magazine, they would still be able to do their job with zero damage to their content. Since I’m not in a position to directly express this to them, I silently thought to their backs as they left the studio after the recording, “You don’t have to worry about that!”

This time, I reflected on the opinions of the celebrities involved regarding their privacy. I wonder how the readers of FRIDAY, a magazine famous for reporting on celebrities’ private lives, would feel and think about all of this.

Aika Kanda / Born in 1980, Kanagawa Prefecture. After graduating from the Faculty of Science, Department of Mathematics, Gakushuin University, she joined NHK as an announcer in 2003. She left NHK in 2012 and became a freelance announcer. Since then, she has been active mainly in variety shows and is currently a regular main MC on the daytime program Poka Poka (Fuji TV).

★ Her first book, Where Does the Path of the Royal Road Lead?, a collection of this series, is now a best-seller!

From “FRIDAY”, December 27, 2024 issue.