Actress Luna Maya seemed to be the talk of the town recently after she made controversial statements on microblogging site Twitter.
In one of her tweets, the actress called entertainment journalists “more savage than whores and murderers” and said that she wished for their “souls (to) burn in hell.”
Luna gave no further explanation about why she made such harsh remarks, which is why she in turn received harsh criticism from her followers. The incident however, together with Luna’s decision to close her Twitter account afterwards, also fueled an endless show of support for the actress with users starting hashtags such as #leavelunaalone or #weloveyouluna.
The actress hasn’t spoken publicly since the incident, but some suspect it was sparked by her disastrous run-in with a paparazi mob during a movie premiere where a camera accidentally hit the head of her future step-daughter. If this really was the case, than Luna might not be so innocent after all.
Film premieres certainly attract media attention. In Hollywood, much like here, celebrities go to premieres or other hot spots swarming with media when they have a movie, television show, album or book to promote. Going to premieres with your possible future parent-in-law is just asking for trouble.
Indeed, if I were in the entertainment journalists’ shoes, which I am so glad I’m not, I would pursue the story at all costs.
After all, Luna was rumored to be the reason for the troubled marriage of her boyfriend Ariel, the singer from the band Peterpan. If I saw Luna going to a premiere with one of Ariel’s parents, I would want to know if it meant that Luna had received blessings from Ariel’s family and if wedding bells might soon ring, and so would my readers or viewers.
That is just part of the price you pay for being a celebrity. That price also includes restraining yourself from making derogatory remarks on television, blogs or on Twitter.
In show business, where fame and success is fragile and dependent on the media, Luna’s actions are career suicide. As predicted, entertainment programs and media have depicted Luna as the “mean girl.” Several programs even boycotted Luna’s story, which might also affect her boyfriend and his music career.
But the boycott is just one of the problems the actress had to cope with. The Indonesian Press Association (PWI) pressed charges against Luna for defamation, a strange and dangerous move for an organization that is supposed to be advocating freedom of speech and freedom of expression.
It will be interesting perhaps to see how long the boycotts last. Entertainment reporting is a business after all and getting an exclusive pays. Luna’s star power and controversial relationship with Ariel, combined with the lure of finding out the real reasons behind her harsh remarks, are just too lucrative to resist.
We might see some backflipping on the boycott in the near future, as media races to be the first one to get an exclusive interview with Luna. The question is not about when or if the boycott will end, but who will be the first with the story.
