My lady and I were walking on the 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica the other day. There’s always street performers, tourists, and Content Creators doing their bit in that section of town. No biggie. I’ve been going there since I was a kid. Long before it was ever turned into a pedestrian walkway, back when it was just a street with a few shops.
 
While we were walking, up ahead, I notice these three young African-American guys going up to people, camera and microphone in hand. I tried to steer clear of them. I aways try to steer clear of those sorts of people. I just don’t want to deal.
 
They were going up to people who walked by, white people, and asking them some sort of a question. I tried to walk as far away from them as I could, but, as we passed by, they run over to me. Fuck!
 
The question they posed was “What name can you call a black person that you don’t like that starts with the letter N and ends with the letter R.” Obviously, they were trying to see what a white person would say for their content. Defined by the letters, the answer they were looking for was obvious. I remember there was a take on that set-up on South Park a number of years back. Anyway…
 
“Necromancer,” I exclaimed. Literally, I don’t know where that word came from in my mind or how I conjured it up. If I had thought about the question, I’m sure I would never have come up with that word. I would have just been stumbling around the question like I am sure most people did. But, that’s the word that miraculously popped into my mind.
 
“Damn,” the guy exclaims. “That’s a good one. What does it mean?” Okay…
 
You know, I don’t know about the rest of the world, but here in the good old U.S of A. anyone can film you or photograph you and no matter how much you don’t like it, (I know I don’t), they can do it anyway as long as you are public. This is thanks to the First Amendment. And, they can do whatever they want with the photo or the footage. That’s how the paparazzi get away with it.
 
I know on social media, and sometimes on the news or on Reality TV, you see people throwing a fit, threatening to sue someone for filming them, and/or claiming what they are doing is illegal. But, it is not. As long as you are not physically hurting someone, anyone can photograph anybody. Not necessarily right, but that’s the reality of the reality.
 
I know even at my post office they sometimes set up. Whenever that happens, and I don’t feel like just ditching checking my P.O. Box, I pull out my phone and film them filming me. A taste of their own medicine and all that. I’ve posted a couple of those sessions on my YouTube Channel and/or on IG if you feel like checking them out.
 
Even in places like Tokyo, particularly in Shinjuku, when my lady and I are walking, or me, by myself, I get these so-called street photographers coming up and wanting to snap a photo for their feed. “Totemo sutekina fun'ikidesu ne. Shashin o tora sete itadaite mo īdesu ka?” “You have a great look, can I take your photo?” “No Thanks!”
 
I don’t know, Content Creators??? I mean, some do some really good stuff. Others, it’s just a bunch on brain fuck for them to get their face and their name out there, while trying to get famous and maybe make some money. But, when they stomp on the privacy of people and/or just people trying to have a normal day, it’s just not cool. But, they can do it and there’s nothing you or I can do about it.
 
Welcome to the modern era.