I was cruising the Internet today, and stumbled across a certain site that posts private photos of the young actors in the Harry Potter films. This site began quite a while ago, and focused mainly on seventeen year old actress Emma Watson. Some of you may know that I ran an Emma Watson fan site myself from before Philosopher’s Stone was released, until just after Prisoner of Azkaban was released. So, I obviously am somewhat interested in her, especially since she embodies one of my favourite literary characters, Hermione Granger.
What I found on this site today was despicable. Not private pictures this time ’round, not that it’s a big deal since they’ve been posted on gossip sites such as ONTD, which has made them to become somewhat run-of-the-mill, but alleged excerpts from her emails, detailing a very personal time in her life!
Now, there is no proof that the things posted on this website are real, other than the fact that they claim to have been contacted by a very real law firm regarding this matter- mainly the hacking of Emma’s alleged Hotmail account.
Whether the excerpts posted on the site are real or not, is not the issue I would like to discuss. What I would like to discuss is, what if they are? How would you like your personal emails to be broadcast? I know it happens to “normal,” people all the time, but this is so much bigger, because Emma cannot be considered “normal,” and neither can the size of audience this information may receive. There are Emma fans the world over, as well, as Emma haters, and just everyday Joe Blows who don’t really care, but may want to take a gander at the emails from the Harry Potter girl. Those are potentially millions of people reading her personal thoughts without her consent. This is not a BLOG setting, this is email. Email should be considered at least a little bit more safe! I think it is disgusting to post these kinds of things about ANYONE, but especially about a YOUNG actress, who essentially hasn’t done anything wrong, except allegedly send angry, hurt, and personal emails to her boyfriend, which really, is done by practically everyone at one point!
On the other hand, if these are fake, that means that someone is out there passing it off as truth, just to profit from her! Profit how? Well, not money-wise, probably, since I don’t see any way to generate cash from these emails without solid proof. So, they must be trying to profit by boosting their status online. How shallow is that?
Anyway, I am quite angered to see Emma getting this kind of dirt shovelled on to her plate. She doesn’t need it, she doesn’t seem to deserve it, and… ugh.
Obviously, she will never read this, but I would just like to say that I support Emma, even if some of her supposed fans are a bunch of douche bags, and I hope she knows that she does have some really great, non-obsessive fans out here, that just wish her the best with everything.
Random Fact of the Day: In countries with a constitutional guarantee of the secrecy of correspondence, e-mail is equated with letters and thus legally protected from all forms of eavesdropping, says this Wikipedia article.
Wow that’s as bad as what I blogged sbout or worse O.O People are so dumb!!!
The next video you make should be a “Leave Emma Alone” vid
Then you can reopen your fansite and post it!
Okay, in all seriousness – it’s sad what people will reveal about any famous person these days. I think if people weren’t quite so obsessed with celebs, things would be a little better…
Awww, that’s really nasty! You know, why do people do that? It’s like those nude pictures of Vanessa Hudgens… why would you want to leak something like that out?
I don’t know, sure these might be interesting, but these actors are people like us. O_o;
Oh, and I’ve heard press in England is much harsher that the ones here in North America as well D:
I don’t know what it’s like in Canada, but in England a lot of our emails have the following:
This email is confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, be advised that you have received this email in error and that any use, dissemination, forwarding, printing or copying is strictly prohibited. If you have received this email in error please delete it from your system and notify the sender immediately.
If what they posted is true, I feel bad for Emma. No one should have their personal problems and situations detailed for everyone to read.
I don’t think it matters how big the audience is. I could have my emails broadcast to the whole world but the only people I’d worry about reading them would be the usual – my boyfriend, certain acquaintances, my parents. It sucks to be her, but I don’t think it is any worse than if it happened to a “regular” person. She might even have it better off, because due to her fame people doubt the credibility of the emails. If someone posted a copy of MY emails online, no one would consider than they could be fake.
Gone Pink is a cool idea for sites but it’s a shitty month for it because it’s fall and there are spooky holidays. I guess everyone doesn’t love Halloween as much as me.
I totally agree with you. I only know how bad I would feel if someone posted my e-mails all over the internet. and this is just the tip of the iceberg of what these people are doing and I hope also for their own sake that they finally find something better to do with their freetime.
and if all the stories they write on their site are wrong, I wonder even more why someone would make all of this up just to bash someone they don’t even know. this is just pathetic and shows yet again how obsessed we are with other people’s private lives. can’t these folks just watch big brother?