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70th Anniversary Event - The 70th Annual Cannes Film Festival

Source: Foc Kan / Getty

The 2018 Cannes Film Festival will be a little less fun this year, thanks to executives hating on selfies.

Neither celebs nor festival-goers will be allowed to take selfies on the red carpet and if they do anyway, they won’t be allowed inside to watch the film, The AP reports. The site relays some very harsh words from Cannes Film Festival director Thierry Fremaux, who explained that he feels selfies are “not beautiful,” “grotesque,” and “ridiculous,” before adding “We want to restore a bit of decency.”

Fremaux also reportedly commented that things start to get “disorganized,” at which point the program “runs late.” This is the same guy who banned Netflix movies from competing at Cannes because the streaming service doesn’t release its films in theaters.

Here’s how Fremaux explained the selfie ban to Variety:

“We haven’t thought out in practical terms how to carry out this new measure. Since we are not policemen, we will trust attendees and their understanding of the situation: Selfies on the red carpet, in a continuous and touristy way, are ridiculous. It tarnishes the quality and tempo of the ascending the steps. Some are protesting and commenting negatively but selfies didn’t exist 10 years ago, it’s obviously not the most important thing in the world. We go to Cannes to see movies, not to take selfies. My work and my team’s work is to preserve the prestige of the most important film festival in the world and when we’re standing on top of the stairs, we can see the vulgarity and the grotesque aspect of those taking selfies on the red carpet and that’s when it becomes a vast mess.”

I hate to be the one to say it, but Fremaux’s comments are an obvious sign that he’s losing touch. There has to be a creative way to allow selfies on to the premises without ruining the entire Cannes itinerary. Also, isn’t it most important that festival-goers have a good time and great experience? Going so far as to ban selfies, and Netflix for that matter, sounds like the exact opposite of fun—at least to me. And why, for the life of me, is he so obsessed with what was going on 10 years ago? Is it this serious?

Thoughts?

 

Cannes Film Festival: No Person Has Ever Needed A Chill Pill More Than Thierry Fremaux  was originally published on globalgrind.com