Edward Zharnitsky, better known online as Ted Zhar, has over one and a half million people following him across various social media platforms.
Zharnitsky made a mark on the internet in August 2020, after sharing a video in which he approached a Ferrari driver and asked him about his profession and how he had earned enough money to purchase the car.
The clip went viral and Zharnitsky began a series where he stops people and asks them what they do for work.
Every now and then, he also spots a celebrity and strikes up a conversation just as he would with a regular person. But these uploads often receive a mix of different reactions, prompting a discussion on entitlement as well as the blurred lines between fame and authenticity.
This person goes around asking people what they do for a living, and he often bumps into celebrities as well
You never know how such an interaction will play out
These videos challenge us to consider the ethical dimensions of our collective curiosity
At first, some of the ruder reactions might seem ridiculous. "These people might have it all, but that doesn't give them the right to behave so poorly."
However, being a celebrity isn't a walk in the park. Literally.
"The big house on a hill is isolating," George Clooney once said. "There's no other way to say it. There are restrictions to this kind of fame. I haven't walked in Central Park for 15 years. I'd like to, you know?"
"The big house on a hill is isolating," George Clooney once said. "There's no other way to say it. There are restrictions to this kind of fame. I haven't walked in Central Park for 15 years. I'd like to, you know?"
Who knows, maybe these people were already approached by a hundred people that day before Edward Zharnitsky came up. And it wasn't like they had an interview set up or anything.
In her book, Outrageous Invasions: Celebrities’ Private Lives, Media, and the Law, professor Robin Barnes examined how the private lives of the rich and famous – on display for the public in the form of entertainment news shows, tabloid magazine headlines, and online Hollywood gossip blogs – are routinely invaded in what she calls our "tell-all society."
"Citizens of the United States [and] European Union are guaranteed constitutionally protected rights to safety, privacy, and freedom of self-expression," Barnes wrote in her introduction to the book. And yet, she asserted, these rights are frequently violated in the case of celebrities.
According to Barnes – who has taught courses in constitutional law and has served as a national and international speaker on democracy, free speech, privacy, and human rights – not every celebrity should necessarily be regarded as a public figure, nor should their personal lives be considered "matters of public concern."
"We know we have to keep an eye on public officials," she said. "The question is, does that entitle us to know everything about Monica Lewinsky's dress? Why throw every athlete, actor, and musician into the same pot? Celebrities are not public servants. They don't wield that much influence."
I'm not suggesting that Zharnitsky did something evil, too. This is a complex web of public fascination and personal boundaries we're witnessing. It's just maybe we shouldn't condemn someone for a random exchange on the street.
Some people aren't pleased with the way certain celebrities responded
But others defend their right to privacy
