07/31/2008
LAPD Chief: Paparazzi Tamed Because Lindsay Lohan is Gay
LAPD Chief William Bratton disrupted his workout to slam a hearing organized by Councilman Dennis Zine over disruptive paparazzi issues in the city. Zine wants new legislation restricting paparazzi activity and Bratton is against it.
Said Bratton to KNBC: "I figured I'd come over and straighten out -- we have no intention of participating in today's hearing. It's a total waste of time. We have sufficent laws on the books that we enforce to deal with this issue. If you notice, since Brittany started wearing clothes and behaving; Paris is out of town not bothering anybody, thank god; and, evidently, Lindsay Lohan has gone gay, we don't seem to have much of an issue. If the ones that attract the paparazzi behave in the first place, like we expect of anybody, that solves about 90 percent of the problem. The rest of it we can deal with. So as far as all this grandstanding and foolishness, waste of city time on this issue -- and the fact that I felt aggravated enough about it to interrupt my workout to come over and set the record straight, LAPD has no intention of participating in this farce."
After all, without the paparazzi how would he stay current on what whose girls are up to?
LAPD Chief Blames 'Bad Girls' For Paparazzi Drama [knbc]
Sphere: Related ContentPosted 12:40 PM EST by Andy in Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Los Angeles, News, Paris Hilton | Permalink
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Please recheck your quote. Chief Bratton said something along the lines of "Lindsay Lohan has a girlfriend now". On the clip I saw on a local channel this morning he did NOT use the word gay.
Posted by: dc8stretch | Jul 31, 2008 12:49:19 PM
Bratton rocks. He and his wife donated to fight Prop 8 in California.
Posted by: Tralfaz | Jul 31, 2008 12:55:16 PM
I think that rocks for our city. Bratton did the right thing -- enough with wasting tax money on celebrity worship and instead treat everyone equally. All will workout.
Posted by: what | Jul 31, 2008 12:56:36 PM
Click through and watch the interview on KNBC. That's what he said.
Posted by: andy | Jul 31, 2008 12:56:51 PM
It seems like he's saying that being gay is no longer scandalous. Isn't that a good thing?
Posted by: crispy | Jul 31, 2008 12:57:13 PM
He equates gay with "behaving." That's a good thing!
Posted by: Shane | Jul 31, 2008 1:36:57 PM
Yeah, ANDY gotta agree -- interesting story but the gay angle is not to be overblown... the real issue is that the police in L.A. seems to be tired of being treated as a personal security force for celebrities, and that's a GOOD thing. Next time Brit Brit needs a 6-cruiser escort because she forgot to fill her gas tank, or because she just HAS to get a frappucino, I hope they charge her. Per cop. By the hour.
Posted by: Strepsi | Jul 31, 2008 1:47:13 PM
My bad- in the NBC interview, Chief Bratton says gay- he amended his lanquage in this video from the LA Fox affiliate:
http://www.myfoxla.com/myfox/MyFox/pages/sidebar_video.jsp?contentId=7106360&version=1&locale=EN-US
Posted by: dc8stretch | Jul 31, 2008 1:47:30 PM
your sensationalized blog headings are really starting to get to me.
Posted by: JoshEV | Jul 31, 2008 1:53:09 PM
He's right.
Posted by: xyz | Jul 31, 2008 1:54:33 PM
BS he's right. Obviously none of you have been driving down the street when 6 guys with cameras jump out from behind parked cars chasing some celebrity out of a restaurant or clothing store. Or thrust into a wall while walking down the sidewalk during the same.
These jackasses are out of control because there's too much money for whoever can get the pic of the day.
Bratton doesn't know a damn thing about this because he doesn't care. If the LAPD responded to these situations BEFORE the situation was out of control, and 50 different people have called 911 for help, there wouldn't be a problem - but they don't. And when they do respond they don't arrest anyone - just issue a $40 jaywalking ticket! If you're making $5,000 for a pic - would $40 discourage you?
The task force is all about coordination and getting regulations in place that don't allow you to profit by your violation(s). As is typical with the LAPD, they coordinate with no one and do as little as possible (and frequently aggravate/escalate scenes they respond to) and then leave.
Posted by: David B. | Jul 31, 2008 2:15:27 PM
David B.,
What crime, exactly, do you think they are committing, apart from jaywalking?
Posted by: David | Jul 31, 2008 9:54:11 PM
David:
Obstructing traffic, public nuisance, et al - and the point of the task force's efforts is to create a modifier regulation that if any of the former are cited, the offender will NOT BE ABLE TO PROFIT BECAUSE OF THE ACT (meaning they can't sell or barter the photos) - just like prisoners and book deals...
Posted by: David B. | Aug 1, 2008 12:55:23 AM
David B.: I think you got it right.
The act of taking photos of public figures is not illegal. But blocking traffic, running red lights, obstructing the right-of-way and everything that goes with a massive paparazzi presence is. In those instances, it usually isn't Lindsay or Paris or Britney who is in any danger -- it's the average person just trying to make a left turn or pump gas who gets into trouble. I work for a newspaper and fully support the right of the "press" (I use the term loosely here) to photograph celebrities. But the laws the photographers are already breaking should be enforced, for the safety of everyone in LA.
Also, on another note: did the police chief just out Lohan a little bit? Awkward.
Posted by: Kate | Aug 1, 2008 2:58:40 AM