The Franco fiasco

Celebrities — they really are just like us.

It turns out, James Franco is just as likely to make false assumptions on social media as we are. Franco first briefly met who he thought was a cute 18-year-old at an autograph signing and went on to correspond with her via text message and social media.

This prompted James Franco, ever the master of subtlety, to ask, “You’re single? Should I rent a room?”

The girl said something along the lines of “LOL jk I’m only 17” and promptly uploaded the photos. Now anyone can Google the exchange and see Franco hitting on an underage girl in a bizarre online encounter.  

Since then, Franco has acted appropriately embarrassed on talk shows such as “Live with Kelly and Michael.” He tweeted a warning to all parents to “keep their teens away” from him. And overall, he’s tried to laugh with the media storm.
We feel second-hand embarrassment for Franco, similar to when he hosted the Oscars. After that, you’d think he would know better than to get himself in situations where he’s going to look stupid.

He has found himself asking two things you never want to think in life — How did I end up on a talk show talking about seducing a minor? And, how did I end up along on a stage with Anne Hathaway? Franco has now had to consider both.
We believe we can make several conclusions about this entire situation.

Franco, despite his talent for comedy, acted creepily to the point of impropriety. When you meet someone at an autograph signing, she probably doesn’t like you for any reason other than the fact that you are James Franco. If Franco needs to capitalize on his celebrity to get laid, it’s clear he’s not afraid to do so.  

The girl deserves some credit for taking control of the situation. Although maybe posting their conversation on the Internet was not the most ethical thing to do, she proved to the world that a thirsty celebrity tried to pursue her.

It’s the natural reaction of a fan flattered that someone in movies and television thinks she’s hot.

But more importantly, what we can take from this situation is that nothing on social media, or even texts, are truly private, and even less so for a celebrity.
Franco is learning what most millennials are constantly told — don’t text, tweet, Facebook or Instagram anything you wouldn’t want your future employer to see. Or, in Franco’s case, anything you wouldn’t want the entire world to see.

This could just be an elaborate hoax. Franco could be duping us to drum up publicity for his new movie “Palo Alto,” in which his character has a relationship with an underage girl. Sounds familiar.

Regardless, the main message from this is don’t be creepy and, most of all, don’t be creepy on social media. For Franco, it means he gets to be a headline and a punchline.

One way or the other, people will always find out about it. That’s the magic of the Internet.

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