Anne: I’m sorry, but you sounded like a school marm on ‘The Today Show’ when you scolded paparazzi and our culture just because you didn’t wear underpants at your ‘Les Miserables’ premiere!

Anne Hathaway, give society a break. Just because you decided not to wear even a thong to your huge NYC premiere — and you accidentally flashed your bare crotch – doesn’t mean that you should diss the culture of our age.

You told Matt Lauer on Dec. 12 episode of The Today Show, “Well, it was obviously an unfortunate incident — I think it made me sad on two accounts. One was that I was very sad that we live in an age when someone takes a picture of another person in a vulnerable moment, and rather than delete it and do the decent thing, sells it. And I’m sorry that we live in a culture that commodifies sexuality in order to make a profit.”

Yes, paparazzi don’t have the most admirable careers in the world. They aren’t negotiating world peace or curing cancer. But the photographers on the red carpet at the NYC premiere of your film, Les Miserables, were given press credentials to get photos of YOU and your co-stars, Hugh Jackman, Amanda Seyfried, and Russell Crowe.

Paparazzi Were Invited To Your Premier

That was their job. They were there taking photos that would publicize your film so it would create buzz and have a huge Christmas Day opening.

Their mission is to take photos at lightning speed. It’s what they are trained to do. They can’t miss getting shots that their agencies need.

Anne- I doubt the photographer who took your photo getting out of your limousine even realized that he captured a photo of you going commando under your gorgeous Tom Ford dress. He shot his pictures at the event and then would have uploaded them immediately to his agency.

Now, I’m not trying to be a big paparazzi defender, but the guy was invited to the event and was working. You were also there working. You looked stunning, were gracious doing interviews and were promoting potentially the biggest role and success of your career.

The Big Upsides of Stardom versus Downsides

You are a star and about to become an even bigger star. But along with being a public figure come upsides and downsides of becoming a celebrity that people care about. The positive is that if people are intrigued by you, they will flock to your films in droves . Your box office bankability will be boosted so you can command the roles of your dreams and multi-million dollar paychecks that 99.999 percent of the world can only dream about.

The downside is that you give up some personal privacy in public. You will not always like the photos or stories that are printed about you AND you will need to wear underwear if you don’t want your privates revealed.

Hey, the Queen and all the Royals have learned long ago how to avoid wardrobe malfunctions, even when getting in and out of limousines.

Our Culture Isn’t Perfect But It’s Better Than Ever Before For Women

And please don’t diss our culture. Yes, our culture does commodify sex for profit, and I agree that it’s a terrible thing when anyone’s sexuality is exploited for profit. But you have to admit that actresses everyday do “arty” nude or near-nude photo shoots for the cover and spreads of top magazines. You yourself wore a skimpy, bust-boosting corset for British GQ‘s March 2010 issue.

Actresses do this to promote their careers, so there’s a fine line here. It sounds a little bit like the kettle calling the pot black.

I also don’t think it’s necessary to slam the age we live in when it is, without a doubt, the most open and equal age that has ever existed in world history. Our age isn’t perfect by any means, but we live in a time that accepts women as equals. We have laws against racism, and that protect freedom of religion, speech, and sex. It’s a better era for women than has ever existed on planet Earth. At least in North America.

So, Anne: settle down. Start laughing off your oops moment and resolve to always wear underwear from now on, no matter what fabulous dress you have on!

Do you agree, HollywoodLifers?

– Bonnie Fuller

More Anne Hathaway:

1. Anne Hathaway & Other Celebrities: Start Wearing Underwear
2. Anne Hathaway Ditches Underwear At Premiere — Wardrobe Malfunction
3. Anne Hathaway Shows Off Two Dresses For ‘Les Miserables’ In London