Paparazzi Should Stop Hounding Her

When news spread of a DUI arrest and a reported expulsion from the Fashion Institute of Design after only a year of attending, Amanda Bynes was immediately harassed by the paparazzi (amateur and professional) who were going crazy trying to photograph her in New York City on Friday. So much so, that the frequency of Bynes being followed by paparazzi is reaching the levels of media obsession we saw with her during her previous legal problems last year — and it's sickening.

From rumors about her mental state, to reports that she was talking to herself at LAX, people just won’t leave the actress alone.

With so little information to go off of (aside from confirmation that her parents haven’t seen her in some time) people have taken to calling Bynes “crazy,” creating fake Twitter accounts posing as her, and following her around to stare at her. One would think that after what everyone knows about her history, they would be a little more sensitive — but, unfortunately, it seems this isn’t the case.

Instead, the paparazzi of NYC and random strangers are to photographing Bynes wherever she goes: Case-in-point, this new set of images, where she’s strolling along an NYC street, talking on the phone and smoking a cigarette. Yes, being photographed during day-to-day life isn't abnormal for anyone with celebrity status — they're always hounded by paparazzi no matter what they're doing. The only difference is, however, that though other celebrities have been photographed in their worst moments as well, they have an equal amount of photos taken of them in their best times as well.

On the other hand, we never saw paparazzi photos of Bynes during her successful year at school — and suddenly there are a ton of published photos of her after the slightest sign of trouble.

There's something wrong with this. It only perpetuates the media's ongoing obsession with Bynes that's sparked only when the smallest hint of rumored drama arises. If the rumors about Bynes' mental state are true, she needs help, not photographers following her around.

There’s no reason for any of us to poke and prod. If you see Bynes on the street, don’t take her picture — and, more important, don’t make accusations about her mental health. That's just adding to the problem.