Entertainment

Selfies Are Now Banned At This High Profile Event

(ANTONIN THUILLIER/AFP/Getty Images)

Jena Greene Reporter
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2018 will be remembered as a lot of things, but the Cannes Film Festival is doing its part to make sure the word “tacky” isn’t uttered in the same sentence with its name.

The film festival, which is celebrating its 71st anniversary in May, announced they will no longer allow selfies on the red carpet. It doesn’t matter who you are. You could be Will Smith or a makeup artist just starting out. No front facing cameras allowed.

Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux says the ban will help to boost Cannes’ street cred and make it appear more civilized.

“On the red carpet, the trivial aspect and the slowing down provoked by the disorder which these selfies create tarnishes the quality of [the red carpet experience] and of the festival as a whole,” he told French publication Le Film Francais.

Fremaux added the ban on selfies will help to “revamp the attractiveness of and gloss to gala evenings.” Because apparently a bunch of overindulged celebrities worth millions of dollars parading around in couture ballgowns isn’t glossy enough.

This move is pretty absurd. Everyone remembers “the selfie” from a few years back at the 2014 Oscars. Pretty iconic, albeit annoying.

This is really just further proof that the US will continue to be the freest and greatest place on earth. Little fun fact: selfies are also banned in places like Iran and Saudi Arabia. And here comes Cannes, eagerly following suit. Nobody should be surprised that a bunch of vain celebrities went and ruined selfies for everyone. But banning them seems like a bit of an exaggeration.

And listen. I’m not a fan of awards shows to begin with. I’d prefer critics to send a little letter in the mail congratulating all the actors, directors, and anybody else involved in a movie for their efforts, and call it a day. No Oscars, no Cannes, no Golden Globes, no Venice, no fanfare, no selfies. Just a nice little note. I could never see another Meryl Streep speech again for the rest of my life and be perfectly fine. End the madness.

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