Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes and Surimi’s Cruise: Do Celebrities Have Privacy?
The key stakeholders, in this case, are the paparazzi and the media outlets. The paparazzi would describe the primary issue in this case as the involvement of Tom Cruise, who was a celebrity, in multiple marriages. The media outlets would describe the main issue as consistently failed relationships in the life of a celebrity.
The primary issue, in this case, is the fact that Tom Cruise is a celebrity. His life, both private and public, is a subject to be pried by everyone who knows him. The secondary issue is the fact that media outlets are always on the move trying to find juicy stories for their audience. For instance, Tom Cruise’s story catches the attention of many people, considering the fact that he is well known by his fans due to his successful career.
I assume that Tom and Nicole Kidman had no biological children. This assumption is reasonable, since it is said that they did not allow any of their adopted children to be photographed until the youngest among them was two years. I also assume that his wife, Katie Holmes, was not as successful as Tom in her career as an actress. From the information provided, we can only gather data that she was a wife and an actress (Peterson & Wilkins, 2013).
For the first issue, Tom Cruise, as a celebrity, should create a boundary in his life. For instance, he should keep his family out of the public domain. Tom should be careful with the statements he makes about himself when in public. For the second issue, the media outlets should have regulations that concern personal stories of individuals, especially, the celebrities. For example, negative stories, such as the ones about failed marriages, should be avoided to ensure that celebrities maintain their reputation.
The first solution will create a peaceful atmosphere for the celebrity’s family. It will also get rid of rumors, especially from the public domain. The downside to it is that people may fail to know exactly what a celebrity’s life is like. Some people may even lose interest in celebrities who do not open up their lives to them.
The second solution will ensure the maintenance of one’s reputation to the public. Since media houses and paparazzi will be regulated, it will be impossible for them to engage to pass false information (Peterson & Wilkins, 2013). The disadvantage is that many of the regulated media houses will lose their audience due to the fact that they cannot offer interesting stories of the people they love, admire, or emulate.
I recommend celebrities to learn how to regulate their publicity. For instance, in love matters, they should, by all means, avoid such topics in public. It was not wise for Tom to reveal his affection to his then-girlfriend Katie on a television show. Celebrities who want to keep some dignity must ensure that they maintain their private life private and protect their families from the publicity.
Managing one’s publicity as a celebrity is vital for their peace and well-being. Despite its difficulty, its results are enormous and fulfilling. One of the ways in which one can avoid the publicity of their private life is by rejecting the urge of opening up their lives to social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and much more. Since social media is posting personal information is likely to go viral within the shortest time. Maintaining such privacy will also ensure that the media outlets, as well as paparazzi, lack source of their grapevine.
References
Patterson, P. & Wilkins, Lee. (2013). Media Ethics: Issues and Cases: Eighth Edition.