Super-injunctions, Celebrities & Privacy... Who's in the right?

If you see someone you know, cheating on their partner would you go and tell the partner...?  You would have a moral dilemma and more times than not you probably wouldn’t – but whether you would or wouldn’t doesn’t actually matter.  Compare this to a celebrity who gets caught doing something they shouldn’t.  Is it our right to plaster this across the tabloids about people we don’t know?  Whereas with people we do know we may turn a blind eye?

This post is on the subject of super-injunctions - court orders preventing a given matter being discussed and on top of that, preventing the fact that the order even exists from being reported – essentially making it vanish into thin air.  This has been in the news recently because the Lib Dem MP John Hemming has threatened, using a certain parliamentary privilege, to oust certain individuals - which he has now done so (23rd May).  This has led to a wider debate about issues of privacy...

Personally, I don’t see how it is anyone’s business what these people do in their private lives.  Does the fact that a Premiership football player, now confirmed as Ryan Giggs has been having an affair with Big Brother star Imogen Thomas impact our lives in anyway?  Not my life no.  Some may argue that due to their public status they gain certain advantages in life and should therefore be prepared to bear the brunt of the media if and when their misdemeanours are uncovered.  I would disagree with this argument...

However, on BBC News (April 26^th), Niri Shan, head of law firm Taylor Wessing made a great point.  If celebrities’ go out and share their private lives in magazines and on television then they are voluntarily inviting public opinion - they surely cannot expect their lives to all of a sudden be private when they decide.  But then part of me feels that in this age of technology, half the population are making their private lives public on a daily basis through the likes of twitter and facebook... So is there even a difference...?

There is also the issue that these super injunctions cost 50K – Yes 50 THOUSAND POUNDS!  Slapping on such a high price tag automatically makes them exclusively available to the wealthy.  The geeza down your local who gets caught by his wife’s best mate can’t exactly nip down to court and buy one!  Imogen Thomas couldn't afford to either so as a result became the sole target of a media onslaught for her part in the affair – yet the ‘other party’ has effectively got away scot free minus a week’s wages – surely that’s not right or fair?

It is not a secret that many people, male and female, have affairs - there is no argument there.  It is also true that certain people are aware of and tolerate their partner's affairs for reasons personal to them.  If a newspaper then becomes aware of the indiscretions and decides to stick them on the front page families can be torn apart unnecessarily in the name of 'news' when the non-offending partner was already fully aware and 'content' with the situation.

What do you think...?

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Post-match analysis of The Royal Wedding...

Ok so having watched that I feel I should shared my slightly updated view on the whole occasion...

I still feel that it is a strange phenomenon to celebrate the wedding of two individuals whom we have never met - amazingly only 2 BILLION people viewed the wedding - that is a third of the entire world's population!  I can't fathom why so many people would go to such efforts to be part of it - traveling from all around the world to stand in a crowd of thousands with the hope of catching a quick glimpse of the couple...

I did watch the coverage of the ceremony.  Quite a few friends of the family came over for a small party filled with Champagne, Union Jacks and scones.  If a friend had organised a round of golf or a game of 5-a-side I would have joined... But as I was at home I joined the congregation on the sofa...

I have to admit... I'm glad I watched... Even though the views expressed in my previous post still stand I thought the ceremony was absolutely magical... As a couple they looked a picture of beauty, Kate looked truly stunning, and some of the camera shots inside The Abbey were spectacular... It was really nice to see so many people smiling and enjoying the day - and thankfully the good weather - especially with everything that has been going on around the world recently it was refreshing to have a day that, for reasons I still don't quite understand, brought happiness to so many people...

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The Royal Wedding... What's all the fuss about?!

My views on the royal wedding seem to fluctuate.  Most of the time I wonder what the fuss is about and why on earth so many people are so indulged in the wedding of a man and a woman whom they have never met and most probably never will in this lifetime.  No one in their right mind would be organising street parties for the marriage of Mr and Mrs Joe Bloggs but for William and Kate, effectively two strangers, thousands of people are doing just that!

WHY?! What difference does it make to our lives that they have decided to go and get married?  Why do we need to tune in watch it from 8.30 in the morning?!  Why is it ok that we are part-paying for it?!!?!  If I remember correctly the public are paying for transport and security...  Sooo when I decide to get married I can expect someone to foot the bill for my open top carriage and armed gunmen is that right?  Please do let me know who to invoice when the time comes.

Don’t get me wrong I have nothing against William and Kate as people.  From what I have seen they both seem like extremely nice individuals.  I actually watched part of a documentary about the couple last night and enjoyed hearing about how they met and how their relationship evolved during university but that is not because he is a Prince but because their story was communicated to me in an interesting form and I have an interest in people in general.

I can understand why the wedding might appeal to an older generation as they most likely lived through times where the royal family has had a more important role to play in the country’s affairs.  My mum justifies her interest by pointing out that Diana was the same age as her when she had me, that she had two sons with of a similar age difference, and that she has seen them grow up over the years.  Part of me empathises with this but then the other part thinks SO THE FUCK WHAT! (sorry mum) If the couple living at the end of your road have a kid that you see grow older every day but you never actually speak to the parents or the child, would you celebrate their wedding? NO you wouldn't.  I see little difference between that and the Royal wedding on Friday.

But I am not completely against the euphoria surrounding it as I can see the benefits too – not to mention the day off work!  I see the royal wedding having a similar affect to an England football match at a World Cup.  It has the potential to unite the country in a way that only certain occasions can.  Even people who don’t think it’s a big deal – myself included – I can still see most absorbing some sense of happiness from the event regardless of their pre-wedding views.  I hope that this is the case...

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