How to Guarantee that More People will See Photos you Don’t Want People to See

Via the BBC:  Topless Kate pictures: Duke and duchess sue French magazine Closer

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have launched legal action against the French magazine Closer over its publication of topless pictures of the duchess, Clarence House has said.

The celebrity gossip magazine printed pictures of the duchess taken during the couple’s private holiday in France.

A royal spokesman said the legal proceedings had been launched in France and were for breach of privacy.

Closer’s editor said the couple were "visible from the street".

"These photos are not in the least shocking. They show a young woman sunbathing topless, like the millions of women you see on beaches," said Laurence Pieau.

A few take-aways from this story:

1.  If you don’t want a ridiculous amount of attention, don’t be a royal.

2.  If you don’t want photos of yourself topless, avoid even semi-public toplessness.

3.  If you want a story to die down, don’t make a big deal and sue.

FILED UNDER: Europe, World Politics, , ,
Steven L. Taylor
About Steven L. Taylor
Steven L. Taylor is a Professor of Political Science and a College of Arts and Sciences Dean. His main areas of expertise include parties, elections, and the institutional design of democracies. His most recent book is the co-authored A Different Democracy: American Government in a 31-Country Perspective. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Texas and his BA from the University of California, Irvine. He has been blogging since 2003 (originally at the now defunct Poliblog). Follow Steven on Twitter

Comments

  1. OzarkHillbilly says:

    Thanx Steven. Now I know where to look. (tho one can not get thru just now. I wonder why?)

  2. rudderpedals says:

    The kids would say it’s an example of The Streisand Effect.

  3. Rick Almeida says:

    @rudderpedals:

    Beat me to it.

  4. OzarkHillbilly says:

    I know I am out of touch, but I actually had to look up the Streisand Effect.

  5. rudderpedals says:

    He he got a cheap hot little notepad and junked the flying ape’s clunky PDA. Linkage like greased lightning may occur at any time.

  6. Mike says:

    I actually think this is fairly smart on their part. On one hand the pictures aren’t particularly salacious, so having more people see them isn’t the end of the world. And suing sends a message for the next time someone gets some dirt on them that’s even worse… They obviously have the entire UK media trained as no one from the UK media would take the pictures, but with suing Closer, they might be hoping that they can get some of the other media outlets under control.

  7. PJ says:

    @rudderpedals:

    The kids would say it’s an example of The Streisand Effect.

    I don’t agree, these photos would be spread and seen by a lot of people even if William and Kate hadn’t sued the magazine.

    No one cared about the photos of Barbara Streisand’s house until she started to demand that they should be removed. Maybe some of her fans would recognize them and share them, but that would be it. Her complaining made them famous.

  8. rudderpedals says:

    @PJ: Variations on a theme perhaps? You can generously concede at least that in recognition of the somewhat cooked palms I suffer in the name of linkage, out here on the bleeding edge with a toasty Asus 701.

    “Do you what I’ve done? For my wife?”