Public or Private?
March 27, 2008 — lrubin39Yeah, yeah…I know it’s been a while. Work is keeping me busy.
Chelsea Clinton was recently asked about the impact the Monica Lewinsky ‘incident’ had on her mom. She responded by essentially saying, “It’s none of your business.” (see article.)
A few weeks ago, the new governor of New York, David Patterson, divulged that both he and his wife had affairs during a rough point in their marriage. In the wake of his predecessor being ousted, Mr. Patterson chose to tell his own business, before someone else told it for him!
I’m amazed at how much the general population knows about the personal lives of ‘famous people’–athletes, entertainers, etc. You probably wouldn’t have to ask too many people to find out the name of Halle Berry’s new baby.
Here’s my question…Are public figures entitled to maintain private lives?
Tell me what you think.
March 27, 2008 at 2:33 am
her dad used a public place to have private sex. he created the question.
March 27, 2008 at 2:43 am
I dont think its fair that just becuase a person is a public servant that all of their personal business is free game. Just like in a corporation, there are certain questions that are supposed to be asked. The reason is that the issue in question has no bearing on how well the person can do the job. I feel the same should apply to public workers.
March 27, 2008 at 2:50 am
I swear I read an article around the time of “Lewinsky-gate” that cited Castro as saying how ridiculous it all was and anyone delving into his personal life would be killed. I’m not sure if that’s true or if I imagined it but wouldn’t that be interesting if the officials here had the same “policy”?
I think the rules are different for entertainers vs. public officials. I think both are entitled to privacy, but moreso for entertainers than elected officials. The only reason I’d say that public officials are entitled to some privacy is the impact that these public revelations have on their families. Otherwise, I feel like when we vote for individuals, we are voting for some semblance of integrity. We need to know if this person representing our interests can be trusted with such. Nobody expects perfection, everyone makes mistakes. But it’s one thing to have an indiscretion (e.g., random BJ, one-night stand, smoked a blunt, etc.) and a whole nutha thing to break the law while doing so (e.g., commit perjury, engage in prostitition, regularly do lines of heroin, etc.) or to have a history of “issues” such as constantly stepping out on your spouse, engaging in necrophilia, etc. :o)
In the end, anyone in the public eye should know that the skeletons will eventually come out. So you can wait for the graveyard to be revealed or go on the offensive and put it out there for everyone to see from the start.
March 27, 2008 at 2:51 am
2 things. First in response to anonymous, President Clinton did make it public by getting it on in the Oval Office, but the question about how Chelsea feels about it and how it impacted her is not public. As she said, its none of the person’s business.
Second thing… my own answer as to should public figures be entitled to maintain private lives? Well, they can have private lives by not being a public figure. Don’t get into a field where public scrutiny is assumed. They can, however, work hard to have some privacy by not catering to the people who ask the very private questions of them. But let’s face it… stars in Hollywood make their living by “selling” their privacy. Doing baby photo shoots to the highest bidder, etc. They could just not do that at all but they are motivated by attention and money, in my opinion.
Now elected officials also go into office knowing that their every move will be place under a microscope and evaluated. People elected them to represent them well and not be distracted by poor decisions. One reason I would never run for public office. I don’t want to become a spectacle in the public arena.
March 28, 2008 at 9:28 am
I think we’re just too enthralled ( as a society) by the private lives of anyone that isn’t us…As the grown child of a man who cheated on his wife several times, I have to say that it doesn’t really change who he is…it doesn’t make him less of the man that he is, but it does tell you that the things he holds most dear may not be the same as those that the general public may hold dear. I think there is a bit of overkill now, they politicians are trying to beat everyone to the punch. The new mayor of NY, for instance, just put it out there, so everyone knew that his wife was very much aware of the situation…i really don’t care…do you know how to balance a budget? do you have any idea how your administration feels about immigration and other MAJOR issues?
As long as these MEN are doing their jobs, I don’t really care.
Its all a way to keep Americans from knowing about REAL political issues…
and some of us fall for it..
March 28, 2008 at 6:24 pm
Everyone has the right to privacy no matter if they are a public figure or a private citizen. The difference in what has been happening in NY is that he is a public figure who publically denounced the very thing he was caught up in.. The fact that he was a crusader to get rid of prostitution and then got caught up with it speaks volumes.. He resigned, in disgrace as he should. The successor seems to have more skeletons in his closet than I care to know about. Drugs, affairs, using his public office’s finances to fund some of his affairs.. that is when it is public because he used the means of the public office. No one is perfect, and the issue with the ex governor is not a public one at this point.. he used his own money, his disgraced his family and children and he must bear that cross.
The new governor went from having me believe he was this upstanding family man who overcame a disability to hold the highest office in NY government.. who seemed like such a sincere person to someone who commits infidelity as a result of anger. he has lost some shine, but I agree if he does a good job it shouldn’t matter as long as his public life is kept seperate from his personal life.
March 31, 2008 at 10:50 pm
political people are in the same boat as pro athletes, yes to
a degree they are entitled to their privacy, but everything
that you do or say will be watched with a microscope, so
they should not put themselves in a position to be scrutinized if they decide to do something immoral. You should know the terms of the job going in, keep your nose
clean and you will not have to worry about anyone slandering you name.
April 3, 2008 at 8:38 am
I would have to say yes, for my reasons, i would just restate your question. Are you entitled to maintain your private lives? If you answer yes, then you agree with me, but if you say no then tell me what you think?
A side note here: Sometime these people don’t want private lives. What i mean is that sometime they acted a certain way in public(stating i way a private life) but really want a public life.