Interview With Cameron Diaz

AKA: My Big Post on Privacy, Celebrity, Legality and Bloggary.
Ok, first off, I didn't interview her and second, this post really isn't about the interview but about some of the interesting issues that it has made me think about. Andy got me a subscription to GQ. Now, I'm sure he wasn't suggesting that as a new single man, I needed any help with my style per se;he was simply going to beat me over the head with every 2 lb issue. Thank you Andy. As it turns out, having never actually read an issue of GQ before, I gladly discovered that there were some very interesting articles inside, once you get past all that stuff about what to wear and what not. So one day, the latest issue shows up and who is on the cover? Well, the lovely Cameron Diaz. Thanks to Aaron, and her dancing scene in CharliesAngels, Ms. Diaz will forever be linked to one word : Underoos.
Getting to the point as it were...
This article written by Marshall Sella, was very interesting for a few reasons. First, it was supposed to be a simple celebrity profile which Ms. Diaz set some very interesting ground rules for and second, it turned out to be an interesting discourse on privacy, celebrity and for me, the internet. First, read the article. Go a head, open the link above in a new browser and read it, all 12 pages of it. Really, go read it, the rest of this won't really mean much with out it.
Intermission...
Ok, now that you've read it. You did read it didn't you Jared?. No cheating!
Now the points that Ms. Diaz makes about her life and privacy make sense to me. I'm not really interested in knowing her cat's names. Really. I'm just not that curious but yetI've posted pix and the name of my cat on this blog and my website. I've got pix of my son, family, just about everything but the kitchen sink. Oops, no its there too. The point she makes about celebrity made me start wondering what all this blogging is about. Mine, I suppose is two fold, one is to share with friends and family, what's going on.I never liked writing letters and this is cheaper! Second, it's sort of a public version of a diary. What I write here I'm not tooworried about others reading as you're only getting a slice of me, not the whole pie. Celebrities on the other hand, deal with the invited and uninvited consequences of the profession every day. It permeates into every part of their lives. I sympathize when a celebrity has to fight to keep cameras out of the faces of their children or having to go way, way out of their way just todo some grocery shopping. I get it. I don't buy the magazines that the paparazzisustain. I don't believe in it and I'm not all THAT interested. IMDB suffices for me. So where does the line get crossed from public citizen to celebrity to now journalist? When does someone's private life become public, celebrity even? These questions really never plagued me before, but think about it. I've voluntarilyput a lot of information about me, friends, and family (even you reading this!) What does all this mean? No idea. That's why
I think all of this is interesting and a potential hotbed for future business, legislation, and lawsuits. What are some of the questions facing us bloggers and old fashioned webmasters?
The Big List of Questions
1) When and how does blogging constitute journalism? Does it have the same liabilities and responsibilities of mainstream journalism?
2) When does a blogger become considered a celebrity in the eyes of the law, not necessarily the general public. Here is an interesting discussion on privacy/celebrity issues.
3) All this together, what is the legal status and responsibilities of bloggers? People blog everything from product reviews, movie review, and just plain randomness. Where is the line between personal opinion and paid endorsement? What are the rules, the laws of disclosure?
4) When did does all this stop being fun?

On the last point, I still enjoy writing this, as rarely and as randomly as it seems to be. Many, many people do enjoy blogging. But I think we are seeing the inevitable results of change that affects all things. The genie is out of the bottle again and this time, there are many using this technology medium. I don't thinkblogging will, as whole, be sued or legislated out of existence, but the questions I've listed will have some serious impact of when, how, why, and yes, if some peopleblog. Ok, it is your turn. Post your thoughts on this one as most of the people reading this actually have their own blogs!