Seeking Paparazzi?

I find it to be such an odd, odd concept that people would seek out the experience of being followed by paparazzi. Granted, I am a little camera shy (getting in front of one, anyway) but it seems like we may have taken our obsession with celebrity culture a little too far. We can now hire paparazzi to follow us around, pester us, and make us feel just like Brad and Angelina.

I was so bemused by this article in TIME a couple of months ago, I tore out the page and stuffed it in my bag, thinking I would mention it to my husband or maybe share it with you all. I just rediscovered it there this morning, slightly crumpled and still just as incomprehensible to me. Apparently hiring paparazzi is a happening new trend for birthday parties and people out for a night on the town. According to the article, at Celeb 4 A Day for one low price of $1,499 you can hire "six paparazzi for two hours, a publicist to tell them to stop bothering you, a bodyguard to protect you from the crowd, limo service, a glossy MyStar magazine cover [with your picture on it] and a CD containing 10 photos."

You hire paparazzi to bother you and people to get them to stop bothering you? Is this stuff for real?