Smile ... You're On Not-So-Candid Camera

"When it's least expected ... you're elected. You're the star today. Smile! You're on Candid Camera!" Old enough to remember that TV show theme? Who would have guessed that a generation or so after that show, we would be 24/7 in a world of candid and not-so-candid cameras.

The issue is a huge one ... an aggravating one for artists and managers.

A few stories bouncing around about mobile phones inside concerts. A few artists, such as Don Henley, are banning their use during his shows. A very unpopular fan decision. Kellie Pickler saying she thinks using them throughout the show is disrespectful. Brad Paisley working them into his show by always grabbing a few out of the fans' hands and shooting back at them then handing the phone back.

There is no right answer really ... I like shooting a picture or two and maybe a video clip of something at a show. With the better iPhones, that is having a satisfying result.

It is very obnoxious to try and watch a show while everyone around you is doing a video and selfie shoot. It is rare now to not see someone doing it. Watch the national evening news and you will see cellphone footage from events inside an airplane to any number of other shots of mayhem.

Henley's answer -- a ban on phones and cameras -- works in a theater and not in a big arena. You can police it, but why? Copyright? Personal use versus posting on the Net for the world ... good or bad? Watching artists fall off the stage on YouTube, etc. is just part of the business in 2015. Police in the cellphone-grab business at concerts is not and would not be pretty.

Periscope live broadcasts? That is a problem for many. Download their app. This really is the wild, wild west! Live rights holders who may have paid big money to be the only broadcaster are sure unhappy.

This will work itself out. Posting of a selfie picture and the "YouTube video concert clip" thing is a work in progress. Is it publicity or theft? Both yes ... it is a situation in flux.

The fans want social media at any live event. College football stadiums in the big conferences have all improved their wi-fi. Fans demanded it. NHL arenas have, too. It is better ... Even with 105,000 people in College Station trying to post, etc. last weekend ... it did work.

Better recognize this social media obsession and give them something to social media about. Like Taylor Swift and Miranda last night in Greensboro, NC. Those pictures went viral very quickly. Win-win for Taylor and Miranda. Taylor may be making a million bucks a day or maybe not, but whatever she makes, she should thank the social media Gods every day ... maybe twice a day.

Live cameras in the NFL locker room with naked jocks? Another camera problem this week. Cameras are everywhere. Body Cams for cops and surfers go pro. Who knows where all this is going? Why not put a go pro on something and broadcast it out? A weird view of the show, etc. It would generate buzz. The award shows now get it ... It is the way we communicate and discuss in 2015. No one said you had to like it. I know you better accept it. Or just be a mean old fool and ban it. See how far that gets you.

We do not live in reasonable times. Moderation would be the way to go. Compromise. Not the "my way or the highway" approach. But fight the apps, not the people, if you have to fight anyone. You will have better luck swimming with the current in the river in this case. Camera, camera on the wall ... who is the fairest of them all?

Movie promotion is still the best. Creating buzz. Using social media. The movie studios hire the best and brightest. Watch how they manage properties like Star Wars and James Bond. Watch and learn. Timing. Saturation. Style. Like watching a great chef. Study and learn!