Am I guilty?

Sometimes I read the celebrity gossip pages and I end up feeling sort of guilty. Is it really okay to invade someone’s private life and spread rumors about them just because of their job title or celebrity status?

A lot of entertainment reporters can sometimes go overboard with their comments. And the paparazzi? Forget it! They only care about the money they can make for their intrusive pictures. But honestly, who do we have to blame for their behavior except ourselves?

We are the ones who buy the gossip magazines, watch shows like The Insider and TMZ, and encourage the behavior. However, I am just as guilty as the next person. I pick up the gossip magazines when I’m in line at the supermarket to see who is wearing what, who is dating who, and who is in rehab, or jail, or both. Reading that juicy piece of information is almost better than chocolate.

But, when photographers are hiding in bushes, I think it’s a problem. They obviously don’t care about anyone’s privacy in the least. I understand that there are those stars who thrive on it; on the paparazzi standing outside their property, waiting for them to go outside and start snapping away three times per second. But there are others who hate it. It negatively affects their lives.

Take Britney Spears, once our little pop princess adored by everyone, and now someone with serious issues. When asked by a paparazzi why she shaved her head, she said, “Because of you!”

Sometimes it makes me sad for all of the celebrities who don’t deserve the bad-mouthing or the daily intrusion of their private lives, but other times, I feel like they should know that it comes with the territory of being a celebrity, and they should just accept it. Should I feel any guilt for my celebrity gossip cravings?