comment #1

Terry McCarty says ...

Trying to remember what Marlon Brando once said in an interview about hitting Ron Galella. I think it was something like: "If I let things like this bother me, then I should be in the lumber business."

comment #2

Jonathan Spuij says ...

Isn't this just a deleted scene from The Sopranos?

comment #3

Travis Crabtree says ...

Of course that pussy, skidmark leach will no doubt cry about how Gandolfini broke something or ruptured something or fractured something and seek damages in the neighborhood of 10.5 million dollars.

Fucking losers.

comment #4

sumo-pop says ...

Exactly.

comment #5

Film Misery Alex says ...

I'm more surprised by videos like this where the celebrity DOESN'T smack the douchebag filming them.

comment #6

Eloi Manning says ...

In this case it just looks like a member of the public though. I can understand more smacking the TMZ-type leeches, but in this case it was possibly just a teenager if the woman's claims of "It's my son!" are to be believed.

Fair enough, it's weird and creepy filming someone from a distance, but at the same time they're people who chose to be in the public eye and are handsomely compensated as a result of it, so they can't really smack the shit out of everyone who dares take a photo or video of them.

comment #7

Renfield says ...

To me, it looks like tourist mother and son saw him, the mother (woman in the orange shirt) simply wanted to be in the video along with Gandolfini in some way-shapr-or-form.

I could see if this was some pap who's been stalking him but... here? His behavior is that of an animal. Absolutely disgusting.

comment #8

Aris P says ...

You're going to film someone -- you might get bitch slapped. That's how the game works. Why was he filming Gandolfini anyway?? What would he have possibly done with that footage? Watch it over and over again? Fucking loser.

comment #9

Gogocrank says ...

Do not taunt the bear.

comment #10

Mr. F. says ...

I don't get it -- is Gandolfini supposed to represent the photographer's absent father, or is he a metaphor for the emotions he's feeling toward his distraught mother?

comment #11

MathewM says ...

It's pretty clear that this is a tourist filming Gandolfini from a distance. If this is the case I don't see how "Tony" had any right to assault the "photographer". This isn't a TMZ paparazzi schmuck who is getting right in his face and taunting him. Maybe Gandolfini needs a good pop in the nose for assaulting an tourist who is just capturing an awestruck moment on video. Lost some respect for the guy.

comment #12

moveable hype says ...

Maybe he should did that to the guy who shot 'Surviving Christmas'....

comment #13

Eloi Manning says ...

moveable hype: That made me laugh out loud.

He also raises a good point. These people are happy to be filmed in the name of the absolute worst shit imaginable to thrust onto the public's collective face from the collective cheddar peen of celebrity, but they suddenly get angry when they might be the subject of a film that people might actually want to watch, i.e. "Mom With Tony Soprano!!!!!!!" on YouTube.

comment #14

Gordon27 says ...

"These people are happy to be filmed in the name of the absolute worst shit imaginable to thrust onto the public's collective face from the collective cheddar peen of celebrity, but they suddenly get angry when they might be the subject of a film that people might actually want to watch, i.e. "Mom With Tony Soprano!!!!!!!" on YouTube."

So your point is that, if you're going to be an actor, you waive any right to choose when and where you are videotaped/photographed? I really don't think I like any of the implications of that idea.

comment #15

Gordon27 says ...

"It's pretty clear that this is a tourist filming Gandolfini from a distance. If this is the case I don't see how "Tony" had any right to assault the "photographer"."

Yes, it's a good thing paparazzi wouldn't be unscrupulous enough to act like tourists in order to get pictures of famous people, so that Gandolfini should've been able to just look at the guy and say "He's definitely not going to try and sell pictures of me to anybody."

comment #16

Bob Hightower says ...

You're justifying assault? The cameraman was shooting on a public street, which is his right. Where is it written that celebrities have a right to assault people?

comment #17

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

Eh, this is just an ugly incident all-around.

comment #18

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

"So your point is that, if you're going to be an actor, you waive any right to choose when and where you are videotaped/photographed? I really don't think I like any of the implications of that idea."

Wait, what? He's in public in civilian clothes. I'm not sure about the videotaping, but last I checked people are free to photograph anyone they want under these conditions. Sure, you should ask permission first, and sure, it's a bit intrusive to just have a lens trained on someone unsuspectingly.

Regardless, I think it's a pretty big understatement to say that Gandolfini handled this situation poorly. Whatta douche.

comment #19

CitizenKanedforChewingGum says ...

And yeah, this is clearly not "paparazzi malevolence," Jeff. Did you even watch the video?

I just saw a lot of Gandolfini DVDs (8MM, The Mexican, The Last Castle) go up on on Ebay for dirt cheap, and couldn't help but wonder if it was this family releasing all ties to their once-favorite star.

comment #20

longrunner says ...

Once it had become abundantly clear that Gandolfini was displeased by this intrusion into his privacy, the photographer raised the camera again--this time, right in his face. That defiance is fucking rude and I certainly don't have any problem with Gandolfini's reaction.

comment #21

thevisceral says ...

Grabyourweenie should be glad anyone cares about him enough to film him. In the majority of parallel dimensions, he is just a fat, hairy Wendy's manager.

comment #22

Renfield says ...

Longrunner... raising the camera was the right thing to do at that point. It gave him a clear picture of the person who was up in his face, threatening him on a public street.

How anyone can justify that fat, bucktoothed fuck's actions is beyond me.

comment #23

drbob says ...

See, I told you Tony Soprano wasn't killed in the diner.

comment #24

longrunner says ...

Renfield, the photog provoked the incident, himself. Frankly, I'd've grabbed at the camera, too, when he didn't stop filming when he was told to. He showed no common courtesy to Gandolfini, so why should he expect any in return? Fuck that shit.

comment #25

Renfield says ...

Riiiight.

Attempting to beat up a fan is a VERY sane thing to do.

If that fat, mobster-wannabe doesn't like it, he should never have gotten into the business. Celebrities who bitch about fame are the worst of the worst.

comment #26

thehumanear says ...

I always loved this celeb/paparazzi interaction the most -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxYHxJahzmU

comment #27

Michael says ...

I think the great majority of people in this thread need to acquaint themselves with the laws of public photography.

I love Gandolfini, but he was a total asshole in this instance.

comment #28

Gordon27 says ...

"I'm not sure about the videotaping, but last I checked people are free to photograph anyone they want under these conditions."

Kaned - I was responding to the post which said that he has no right to get angry at people filming him if he's going to allow himself to be filmed in shitty movies. That's a significant stretch beyond anything that happened here.