In this day and age of ever increasingly smaller and more powerful technology, I guess Erin Andrews, the popular ESPN sportscaster, found out the hard way that even the tiny peephole on hotel doors isn’t safe from prying any more.

According to Erin Andrews’ reps, in an incredible invasion of privacy, somehow, someone standing in a hotel corridor managed to put a video camera to her room’s peephole and take a video of her while she was unclothed.  They then proceeded to upload it to the Internet.

After being threatened with legal action, the  video and pictures have been taken down, but the damage has already been done.  And as with all things Internet, they will no doubt surface again and again over the years…

How sad is it that you have to now think about somehow covering over the peephole in your hotel room to prevent prying eyes (and cameras)? Of course, it’s been said that Erin Andrews is more of a target for that type of "assault" than say someone like Jim McKay or Tommy Lasorda would have been.  Female sportscasters are supposed to have it all: gorgeous looks, a great personality AND an encyclopedic knowledge of sports. Male sportscasters can get old and craggy, and ramble on and no one seems to care (or takes nude photos of them – probably actually a good thing come to think of it.)

Of course, now that the story has broken all over the major new sites about how Erin Andrews was taken advantage of, no doubt a few crazies out there are looking for ways to do the same thing to their favorite celebs or sports figures, male or female. It’s a weird world… Hotels will no doubt have to be extra-vigilant to anyone who seems to be standing in front of a door for longer than it takes to actually open it (or who seems to be staring at the peephole from the wrong side of the door…!)

I’m not famous (and wouldn’t want to be after reading about Erin Andrews’ troubles), but this cautionary tale makes me want to keep a roll of duct tape with me whenever I travel so I can cover up any potential privacy problems with it. (A little over the peephole, some on the keyholes, some to cover any cracks around the doors and keep the curtains from moving, and some to keep the towels from slipping off the 2-way mirrors in the bathrooms… Hey! A little healthy paranoia seems to be appropriate, wouldn’t you say?)

Here’s hoping they catch whoever did it, and give them more than just a slap on the wrist.  Who needs terrorists to keep you from feeling safe when you travel when you have the paparazzi doing their jobs for them?

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