Spain Prime Minister’s Daughters:Zapatero Daughter pictures cause controversy
tags:Zapatero Daughters photos, Spain Prime Minister’s Daughters, Alba and Paula Zapatero goth, Obama’s with Spanish primeministers family, photographs at the United Nations
There was a frenzy of diplomatic acticvity yeasterday between Spain and the White House by th the US State Department publishing of a photso featuring the teenage daughter of Spanish Prime Ninister José Luis RodrÃguez Zapatero with his wife and President Obama and the First Lady Michelle Obama but the daughter were dressed up as goths.
Zapatero Daughters
Normally, there is an agreement between the Spanish media and the Prime minister not to publish any of the daughters photos given that they are still underage. But the State Department published the photos on their Flickr page and had to withdraw them at the request of the Spanish. It is reported that the Zapatero’s have were able to prevent earlier photographs from being distributed by the Spanish State news Agency EFE.
But unfortunately the Spanish rightwing newspapers to the occassion to publish the photographs, with the faces of the daughter blurred, to hide their identity.
Privacy laws would not have any chance in holding in Anglo- Saxon countries, where the media is more aggressive in its coverage of celebrities, can you imagine the British tabloids not being told to keep such an agreement.
I wonder how the appearance of the daughter dress in all black and wearing all black will go in Catholic Spain, which is in many ways still very conservative? Will the church be scandalised when they see the Laura 16, and Alba 13, wearing goth and having amulets round their necks?
Can these European gentlemen’s agreements to guard privacy work in a places like the USA were there first amendment rights are jealously guarded?
How can the government even hope to regulate blogs and websites? Is it not amazing that European politicians still feel that they can be able to stop photographs being published internationally. Many will reacall, a similar controversy photos of Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian Prime Minister, at a party few months ago,which he was able to prevent their publication in Italy but evetually appeared in Spanish newspapers a few weeks later?
The irony is that the photograph’s of Paula and Alba Zapatero would have not been shocking, if the Zapatero daughters were used to the media spotlight and they might have also modified their appearances to make their image less shocking.
The days of controlling photographs and stories might be over for European politicians but it might take time for it to sink in, given that Europe is still dominated by state controlled media groups and agencies. The USA can always export a Perez Hilton, the infamous blogger, to shake the complacency of the Spanish media?
Is this the facebook page of the Spanish Prime Minister’s daughter Laura Zapatero?
http://www.facebook.com/laura.zapatero
Bob
September 30, 2009 at 6:17 am
Okay, I just found out that the Spanish Prime Minister’s name is Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, his wife’s name is Sonsoles Espinosa, and their daughter’s names are Laura Rodriguez Espinosa and Alba Rodriguez Espinosa.
Bob
October 2, 2009 at 7:22 am
“I wonder how the appearance of the daughter dress in all black and wearing all black will go inCatholic Spain, which is in many ways still very conservative? Will the church be scandalised when they see the Laura 16, and Alba 13, wearing goth and having amulets round their necks?”
IN WHICH CENTURY DO YOU LIVE? I’m spanish and I live in Spain and, as the majority of the spanish people, I don’t bother what thinks the church about Zapatero’s daughters.
What’s more, the Church hasn’t said a word about these polemic photos or the modified ones.
Apart from that, I’d like to say that, these children are protected by Minor’s Laws; if they were 18th or more, the photographs couldn’t been retired.
Here, the mass media have a lot of power, specially the yellow press, and it’s very very difficult for the politics or the famous people to stay with them.
Excuse me for my errors in engllish, if you prefer I translate it into spanish.
Ayla
September 30, 2009 at 8:17 am
Well Spain is still very Catholic, and conservative in many ways. You guys might be under the imprssion that you are feree but you do not know what freedom is.
The USA has laws to leep the press free.
stuffgirlslike
September 30, 2009 at 3:02 pm
Spain is not Catholic. And what’s more: we don’t mention any god nor in our himn nor in our money.
I don’t know your laws, but here the press does what they want.
And I think in the States you are free if you have money, if not, you’re lost.
Ayla
September 30, 2009 at 5:25 pm
oh please!!! why do you americans think your press is so free??? is it because the news tells you so?! i’ve lived in spain and the US and i can assure you there is very little difference. except perhaps that the spanish press is a great deal more respectful than the gossip hungry ‘journalists’ in old uncle sam.
kelly
October 29, 2009 at 8:10 pm
But you have to remember that America has first amendment rights , which do not exist in Europe.
dawkinswatch
October 29, 2009 at 10:43 pm
You seem to forget those amendments exist because the US Constitution lacked recognition of civil rights.
Those civil rights were already in other countries’ (including Spain) constitutions, rending amendments unnecessary.
Go on, look it up.
The US shouldn’t really be talking about freedom – it’s quite embarrassing and you don’t even realise it. But then if thinking the rest of the world still lives in the 18th century, knock yourselves out.
As for the girls – had they been gorgeous goth girls wearing beautiful goth dresses, the spanish press would’ve found no use in the picture. But overweight goth girls in hideous tunics? That’s something you can hurt Zapatero’s image with. Sad.
nushh
November 4, 2009 at 1:07 pm