# Harry and Meghan New York Car Chase.....Bullshit? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 17, 2023, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184 "2023-05-17T19:24:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2023, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/101 "2023-05-19T23:34:03Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > You were literally asking questions to avoid making an accusation. Sorry, but I’m not hip to whatever the hell RationalWiki is. But I was pretty clearly accusing they of either stupidity or at least contributing to make a bad situation worse. In the sentence immediately preceding the questions you seem to take issue with, I said: > [@Dinsdale](#): > > I know what you are saying, and while it might seem reasonable for you or me, I don’t buy it for these folk. I made a statement and posed questions to elaborate. No nefarious ploy requiring some affected descriptor. And in a prior post I said: > [@Dinsdale](#): > > Sure, celebs ought to be given some privacy. But if they act in ways that seem to almost INCREASE the invasions, that is when they lose any sympathy I might have afforded them. Again, they are well aware of paps’ behavior. They were very able to arrange for whatever security and/or conveniences they wished. I made my sympathies quite clear. I did not need to “Just Ask Questions” to imply something I had expressed quite plainly. ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 10:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/102 "2023-05-20T10:46:40Z")
Which part of > [@slicedalone](#): > > they’re public figures and people are allowed to photograph them in public would anyone care to dispute? That seems a good starting point for a clarifying discussion of Harry and Meghan. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/103 "2023-05-20T12:01:46Z")
Pics of these two are really valuable? Can’t they just run old pictures- who would know the difference? ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/104 "2023-05-20T12:07:12Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > Can’t they just run old pictures Better yet–run no pix, just a big space in the tabloids saying “You know what these people look like.” ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 12:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/105 "2023-05-20T12:26:34Z")
That’s what I think everytime a trump story comes up. Not only do we know well enough what he looks likes, it’s appetite spoiling as well. The trump diet plan! A scam he didn’t think of. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/106 "2023-05-20T14:47:22Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > would anyone care to dispute? That seems a good starting point for a clarifying discussion of Harry and Meghan. Ok. So, for a moment, let’s ignore things like expectations of privacy or legal rights (or lack thereof) of photographers and their unwilling subjects and look at where that line should be drawn as opposed to how far it can be pushed. And to even out the playing field, let’s assume celebrity status isn’t allowed to play into it. In other words, pretend it’s about you or me. Should a photographer be allowed to take your picture while you’re walking down the street? Should they be able to get pictures of you in a moving vehicle? Can they do these things while actively following you in order to make sure they can keep taking pictures of you? Should they be able to sit in their car, parked in front of the private residence or business you’re in, so they can take more pictures of you as soon as you exit? What if it’s not a photographer, it’s 10 photographers? What if they’re selling the pictures? I have a difficult time believing most people would be okay with getting treated like this. I think most people would snap after a while. In fact, go back to the neighbor thing from earlier in the thread. How would you feel if one of your neighbors followed you every time you drove anywhere. They’re not actually doing anything wrong (in an ‘i’m not touching you’ way), but even the most reasonable person is likely to make increasingly drastic attempts to get them to stop. Having said that, I don’t think it would be a terrible idea to explore options that puts limits on your ability to exploit my lack of any expectation of privacy simply because I’m on public property. Where those limits are, I’m not sure, but I think it needs to be before photographers have a chance to get aggressive or harassing or before they’re making the situation dangerous. Now, wherever you mentally settled on all of that, should celebrities also be allowed to enjoy that same level of protection? ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/107 "2023-05-20T14:50:47Z")
Very impressive screed. Now go back and tell me which part of the statement below you’re disputing: > [@slicedalone](#): > > they’re public figures and people are allowed to photograph them in public ---
**Author:** ![Mighty\_Mouse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mighty_mouse/32/7776_2.png) [@Mighty\_Mouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mighty_Mouse)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/108 "2023-05-20T15:09:15Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > Very impressive screed. Now go back and tell me which part of the statement below you’re disputing: But MOM, I’m really not touching him! ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/109 "2023-05-20T16:06:50Z")
My point is that I’m allowed to touch him. If you don’t dispute that, then you’re just whining. And if you do dispute it, I’d like to hear your argument. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/110 "2023-05-20T16:36:46Z")
> [@slicedalone](#): > > Which part of > > > [@slicedalone](#): > > > > they’re public figures and people are allowed to photograph them in public > > would anyone care to dispute? People may _be_ allowed to now. I think they _shouldn’t_. I don’t think _anyone_ should be recognizably photographed without obtaining their specific, explicit permission (verbal is fine). ---
**Author:** ![slicedalone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slicedalone/32/12515_2.png) [@slicedalone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slicedalone)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/111 "2023-05-20T16:52:39Z")
OK, so you’re whining about perfectly legal activities. I would ask you about the consequences of putting strictures such as you advocate in place, but I don’t think this thread is the place for that discussion. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/112 "2023-05-20T16:56:41Z")
> [@MrDibble](#): > > People may _be_ allowed to now. I think they _shouldn’t_. I don’t think _anyone_ should be recognizably photographed without obtaining their specific, explicit permission (verbal is fine). _The Soiling of Old Glory_? George Santos’s perp walk? _The Terror of War_? Eichmann in the dock? Hell, photojournalism itself? You’re throwing out a lot of babies with that bath water. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/113 "2023-05-20T17:05:39Z")
I can see carving out an exception for trials, arrests etc. But yes, photojournalism as currently practiced can go hang for all I care. Both _Old Glory_ and _Terror_ should only have been published after a signed waiver was obtained. It’s how we treat professional models, and also how my hobbies handle photographing people at large events. ---
**Author:** ![SunUp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ea5d25/32.png) [@SunUp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SunUp)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/114 "2023-05-20T17:14:14Z")
For commercial exploitation, I agree. For things that are newsworthy, I vehemently disagree. Are the Sussexes the second, and not the first? I would agree with the argument that they are not. However, I see no way to separate the public’s interests in them in a way that could be effectively litigated. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/115 "2023-05-20T17:31:55Z")
Moderating > [@slicedalone](#): > > OK, so you’re whining about perfectly legal activities. I would ask you about the consequences of putting strictures such as you advocate in place, but I don’t think this thread is the place for that discussion. This is IMHO. While both “screed” and “whining” refer to posts, they are intended to insult the poster, as well. Please keep the tone a mite friendlier. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/116 "2023-05-20T17:42:20Z")
> [@SunUp](#): > > For commercial exploitation, I agree. > > For things that are newsworthy, I vehemently disagree. Journalists don’t work for free, so it’s a distinction without difference. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/117 "2023-05-20T17:57:58Z")
Paparazzi in general are not the problem. If you are a public figure, you’ve got to accept the public gawking at you. It goes with the territory. What _is_ a problem is the shear rabidness and disregard for _any_ personal space (which everyone is entitled to), that the paparazzi has evolved into in order to feed the ubiquitous trash tabloids. They go too far, and dig too deep to get the scoop. Paparazzi have been around a long time, but in days gone by, they weren’t nearly as hyper-intrusive as they are now. For example, John Kennedy’s affairs, Franklin’s and Eleanor’s paramours, and Warren Harding’s mistress and secret daughter, were mostly hands off by the press. They weren’t considered newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/118 "2023-05-20T18:51:11Z")
Well, paps wouldn’t exist if the public weren’t obsessed w/ celebs, no? And how is it that some major celebs seem to avoid this sort of kerfuffle? I readily admit that it would be unpleasant to have photogs hounding you, but isn’t one way to avoid the worst of it to simply not do things that will set them off? I’m not sure photos of fully clad celebs just going about their business are in huge demand. And - yeah - it would be a bit of a drag that you couldn’t do your grocery shopping, hang out in the local park, or stop off at McD’s without someone taking a picture. But if you were rich and famous, you could have other people take care of your fast food runs and grocery shopping. And the hoi polloi aren’t invited to exclusive galas, resorts, and private parties, so there is that upside. I have not a single positive thing to say about the sort of paps who hounded H/M or who supply People, etc. But for those who favor some restriction of their activities - what specific restrictions do you propose, and how will they be implemented? ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/119 "2023-05-20T18:55:32Z")
> [@Dinsdale](#): > > I’m not sure photos of fully clad celebs just going about their business are in huge demand. They most certainly are. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [May 20, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184/120 "2023-05-20T19:23:48Z")
OK - guess it shows how little interest I have in such things. So, how many photographers follow an A-lister in NYC as he/she walks down the street, maybe doing some shopping? Or, if they are driven, following their cars to catch a shot of them walking from a car into a store? I obviously know little about the lives of celebs - or the media in which photos of someone walking down the street are a big draw. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/harry-and-meghan-new-york-car-chase-bullshit/984184.md?page=7)