What’s a paparazzi mum?

This was the question I was hit with as we got changed for swimming on Sunday.  I’m not certain where the term was picked up from but the Witchlings really REALLY wanted to find a context to use their new word in.  They grasped the idea that it is a photographer and seemed happy enough with that. But it was when I tried to explain that the Paparazzi are not invited by celebrities to follow them around and photograph their every move that they got confused.

Both of the Witchlings want to be famous. They aspire to celebrity in a way that I never did. None of my friends ever seemed to have these dreams of stardom. Perhaps it is because celebrity is so cheap and easy to come by these days. Notoriety is simple with the right publicist. To the Witchlings, the notion of having photographers follow them everywhere was very appealing.

I don’t like to be negative with my daughters. I want them to look for the good in every situation, but I had to disabuse them of the notion that the Paparazzi are a force for good!  As I said, we were mid change at this point and ther was a certain amount of swimming costumes being stuck up bottoms and bikini tops riding up. They were also fairly bedraggled and red eyed from the chlorine in the pool water.  I pointed out that this would probably not be the best time for me to take their photo would it? They wholeheartedly agreed that if someone opened the door and took their picture they wouldn’t be pleased and would be even less pleased if the photograph was shown to everyone.

The Witchlings still want to be famous. They still want to set the world on fire with their talents (Bedroom Demolition and Kitchen Trashing) but they’re not so keen on having a camera jammed in their face to record every bad hair day, every unfortunate outfit and every swimming costume wedgy!