New York City is one of the United States’ largest entertainment capitals. A plethora of film stars, musicians, poets and models call this iconic metropolis home. For the millions of average people who also walk these streets and coexist with these titans of media, spotting a celebrity can be exciting. The compulsion to pull out a phone and snap a selfie or sneak a quick pic is understandable and universal. But therein lies the problem with the public’s desire for a brush with fame — it is inherently disruptive and intrusive.

To be clear, this is not a call for a war on celebrity photos. Many people worked hard for their claim to fame, and having fans respond to their work is probably incredibly validating. But there is a time and place for that kind of behavior, and that does not include flagging down a celebrity who is trying to get on with their day. Despite their being famous, it’s important to remember that celebrities are first and foremost people with obligations, meetings and time commitments, just like us. Similarly, interrupting someone in the middle of dinner at a restaurant or while grocery shopping isn’t very polite. Given that we’re in New York City, there are plenty of events, from Comic Con to book signings, that allow content creators of all kinds to interact with fans and followers. Rather than accosting them on the street, fans and supporters of the city’s celebrities should allow them space and keep actor-fan interactions to such events.

That said, the price of fame can be steep. For many regular people, the signing away the right to individual privacy is included in that price, which at first glance seems to make sense. Since celebrity culture actively profits off the interest of the public at large, the average person should be able to take advantage of the situation. The line between consensual appreciation and violation of privacy is hard to draw, and often manifests in conflict and frustration.

Kanye West understood this, going so far as to stand on a table before a meal at a Nando’s to declare: “Whoever wants a picture, let’s do it now,” adding an adjectival swearword for good measure, and grimacing through the whole ordeal. A more local example would be what has come to be known as the Jude Law incident: the actor, constantly annoyed by NYU freshmen leering at him from Hayden Residence Hall, began throwing oranges at their windows before finally moving out of the local area. So please, low-key gawking is acceptable and understandable, but consider the human underneath the celebrity veneer before approaching. Just like the rest of us, they have a normal life too.

Opinions expressed on the editorial pages are not necessarily those of WSN, and our publication of opinions is not an endorsement of them. 

A version of this article appeared in the October 5 print edition. Email Emily Fong at [email protected].