Photo Source: Zimbio
After Entourage star Adrian Grenier met Austin Visschedyk, he convinced the teenage paparazzo to film a documentary with him about celebrity culture. Watching Teenage Paparazzo (2010) allows you to explore the parasocial relationships between celebrities and fans, which refers to fans’ disillusion that they know celebrities like they know their friends when really there is a one-way relationship. Without it, there would be less demand for celebrity gossip and photos.
The movie comprehensively captures the dynamic between celebrities and fans, as well as between celebrities and the paparazzi. To achieve this, Adrian interviewed academics and authors as well as well-established paparazzi and celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Eva Longoria. But most of the movie focuses on Austin, a self-assured teenager who invests in the best camera equipment to capture celebrities.
Photo Source: Indian Express
Many celebrities find him cute and charming due to his young age, while others question what he’s doing with his life. “I just wouldn’t want my kid…taking pictures at clubs late at night. It’s dangerous,” comments Paris Hilton.
Paris shares an interesting perspective throughout the movie and even agrees to stage a romance with Adrian to test the tabloids. When asked how she feels about the paparazzi, she is very frank. “I can’t complain. I make a living off them photographing me and like my products or whatever I’m doing. They’re annoying in everyday life, but at the same time, being in Hollywood, you also need them,” she says.
Even though the movie was released six years ago, the content still reflects the current dynamic between celebrities, paparazzi and fans. The only thing that’s changed is technology. Austin’s flip phone dates the movie, as does the way Adrian talks about camera phones. What’s missing from the movie is the reality that fans don’t just want to see nice photos in People, we also want to take a selfie with celebrities because that’s the modern autograph.
I’d love to see an updated version of Teenage Paparazzo that discusses how social media has been a game changer. Celebrities are constantly sharing photos of private moments with fans on Instagram and that’s not going to change. However, the movie provides an in-depth look at the career of a paparazzo, which is particularly fascinating for viewers who don’t live in New York or LA because we don’t see them around town.
[youtuber youtube=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUloD1Z379w’]