Chase You Down Until You Love Me / Pa-Pa-Paparazzi
If you have the Night Life expansion pack, then chances are good that you are already sick of the paparazzi. Night Life introduced the star system, which lets your Sims get famous from zero (a nobody) to five stars (a household name). Unfortunately, it also includes paparazzi!
The star system includes a lot of perks:
Access to exclusive clubs and VIP rooms
In practice, this is a bit silly. The VIP areas are just like the regular areas, but harder to get into. And it's not like your Sim will get a kick out of being in there - chances are, the entire bar is empty except for the bouncer and the mixologist.
Discounts
This can be pretty awesome. You can't lose: at worst, your Sim doesn't get a discount. Sometimes if your Sim has been disgraced, they may have to pay full price.
The more famous you are, the more likely it is that you'll get your entire bill comped. I recently had a big score with a three-star Sim who got the Ambrosia recipe ($12,000) free from the bookstore! If you played your cards right, you could get a five-star Sim who was completely broke, but basically getting a free ride based on their famousness.
Presents!
Your Sims will randomly receive gifts in their Family Inventory just for being famous. (To find these gifts go to Buy Mode, then click on the cardboard box at the bottom of the panel.)
I have yet to get a cheap gift. The most common gifts are the most expensive refrigerator, the most expensive stove, the most expensive bookcase, and a hideously mustard colored area rug. If you're really lucky, you may even get a free hot tub! Isn't being famous awesome?!
But on the down side? The annoying paparazzi.
Mind you, your Sims themselves seem to kind of enjoy having the press around. At the very least, they don't get a negative moodlet. And sometimes they get a positive "got recognized" moodlet, although I tend to see those more often when a random Sim recognizes them.
The paparazzi can only be excluded from your lot if you fence the entire thing, and then lock the gate to "family only." Short of that, be prepared for strangers to stand around in your yard all the time. And if you travel to other countries, they will walk right into your room and take pictures of you while you sleep!
The paparazzi have a funny notion of public versus private space. I have yet to really work out all the rules. One thing I find particularly vexing is that they invariably run away when you try to talk to them. Which is too bad, because I'd like to have one of my Sims marry one of the paparazzi, if only because it's so convenient! Meeting people can be incredibly difficult (I really wish the neighborhoods were more populated). But I have yet to be able to exchange more than a few friendly interactions before they turn tail and flee.
Curse the paparazzi!