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Paris Is in the Eye of the BeholderPosted on Jun 8, 2007Note: Since this column was written, Paris Hilton has been returned to jail, where she is expected to serve out the remainder of her sentence. WASHINGTON—Warning: This is a column about Paris Hilton. Those who are trying to ignore the travails of the famous-for-being-famous hotel heiress might want to avert their eyes. The rest of you, join me in honorable surrender. We have no choice but to pay attention. That’s the genius of this ostensibly empty-headed young woman, the ability to make the world watch her every move, even if the world doesn’t particularly want to. People who say that she’s nothing but a professional nightclubber, partygoer and red-carpet poseur are missing the point. Paris Hilton’s great talent is for celebrity. In the art of being famous, she combines the gifts of Mozart with the strategic insight of Sun Tzu. Any old bold-faced name could manage to be sentenced to spend a few weeks in jail. But to get released after only four nights, to have the sheriff cite a mysterious “medical condition” that he refuses to specify, to have news agencies issuing breathless bulletins and reporters from around the world demanding to know whether you are being given “special treatment,” as if it were conceivable that you would not be given special treatment—all this could only be achieved by a true uber-celebrity. Paris wins. We’re all watching. To get to the point where your life is chronicled not only by the supermarket tabloids, but also by cable networks and respectable newspapers—which seem a bit embarrassed about the whole thing, but still don’t look away—you have to be in tune with your times. It’s useful to recall that not many people outside of New York society circles knew the name Paris Hilton until 2003, when a homemade video surfaced of her having sex with her then-boyfriend, Rick Salomon. In an earlier era, the result would have been a lifetime of shame. But despite what she described as embarrassment and humiliation, Paris seemed to recognize immediately that, depending on where you’re trying to go, pornography can end up being a good career move. It certainly got more people to watch her “reality” television show, “The Simple Life,” which debuted just a few weeks after the sex tape hit the Internet. The show allowed her to sharpen her blond-ambition persona, reinforce the idea that she comes from an impossibly glamorous world that the rest of us can only imagine, and establish her giggle-based friendship with sidekick Nicole Richie as a continuing plotline. After the show’s success, the rest followed inexorably—a music album titled “Paris” (she can’t sing), minor roles in various movies and television shows (she can’t act), a ghostwritten book about her life (with lots of glossy pictures). She has lent, or sold, her name to a chain of restaurants, a line of perfumes and other products, and reportedly charges enormous fees for public appearances. What, you thought she went to all those parties for free? Forbes magazine estimated that in 2005-06, the party girl made $7 million from all her entrepreneurial ventures. Her all-too-brief jailbird episode proves that Paris has reached the rarified zone of self-perpetuating celebrity—she doesn’t even have to try to draw attention to herself anymore, because others will do it for her. If her name had been Paris Jones, I doubt she would have been sentenced to jail in the first place for what are basically traffic-related offenses. And I know that Paris Jones wouldn’t have been “reassigned” to home detention after just a few days, no matter how upset she was or how much she cried. Why do I know all of this? I don’t go out of my way to follow the latest twists and turns in Paris Hilton’s life. I don’t feel as if I know her, or even want to know her. I can’t work up much outrage about the favoritism officials showed in releasing her from jail, because I think it was a kind of anti-favoritism that got her locked up in the first place. But why do I even have an opinion? I think it’s because the woman manages to be an intriguingly mysterious exhibitionist. She puts her life on display, but it’s all surface—all blond hair and lip gloss. There’s never a hint of what her inner life is like, assuming she has one. I can’t help but wonder what she’s thinking—if, indeed, she is in the habit of thinking. We watch her because we’re curious about what might be behind the mask. Even in her mug shot, the hair and makeup were impeccable—and, as always, she wore an enigmatic little half-smile that suggests she knows something the rest of us don’t. Eugene Robinson’s e-mail address is eugenerobinson(at symbol)washpost.com. © 2007, Washington Post Writers Group Previous item: Reaganite Rudy's Faulty Memory Next item: The Ghost of Pardon Past Elsewhere: . CommentsAre you a Truthdig member yet? Login now, or register with Truthdig. Add Your Comment
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By JNagarya, June 14, 2007 at 12:58 am #
I don’t get it. What’s the big deal about a Hilton hotel in Paris in which all sorts of strangers sleep?
Report thisBy Gloria Picchetti, June 13, 2007 at 7:41 am #
I am only guessing that Paris sent bigger checks to help Katrina victims than both Bush & Cheney sent put together. She probably never said a word about it. She moves pretty quickly from the checkbook to the mirror.
Report thisBy PatrickHenry, June 11, 2007 at 1:02 pm #
I wish Ron Paul and Dennis Kucinich could get half the free publicity Miss Hilton does.
Report thisBy Mudwollow, June 11, 2007 at 7:22 am #
We have no choice.
Paris / Lieberman 2008
Report thisBy FrostedFlakes, June 10, 2007 at 6:30 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
To hell with Paris Hilton and all those of her ilk. And this nation should be ashamed for allowing supposed news organizations to waste our time bemusing this heiress idiot ( sounds familiar.. think GWB) while neglecting to truly question our supposed leaders on the actuallities of this illegal war and the cabal which began it."Simple Life” my ass, we’re now the key players in “The Simplicity of America”.
Report thisBy Tony B., June 10, 2007 at 2:50 pm #
POINT BLANK BLATHERED:
Report this“Tony B - you are one sick, inconsiderate, sarcastic, low life S.O.B.! Dont forget, punk, someday, IF you live long enough with that f--ked up attitude, youre going to be old”
_____________________________________________________
THE SPECTACLE IS PERMANENT and irony is dying on its feet. And for those keeping score at home: Celebrities have no bearing on your personal life! So Point Blank, your voice sounds familiar… Did you once work at the United Nations?
BTW, those looking for a fight have already lost the one that matters…
~Honk if you love Jesus~
By Kwagmyre, June 10, 2007 at 9:01 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Perish Hilton might do the world and herself a great favor by taking up a monastic, celibate lifestyle and thus realizing the Buddhist based notion that the need and greed for attention(being an “attention whore” as Tom Leykis says)only brings suffering in its wake.
Report thisBy Pacific Rim, June 10, 2007 at 4:26 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
I wonder if Paris does a pose while taking a dump. That girl looks great and I love looking at her/ I would like a dime for every hour she practiced posing in front of a merrier. Her possess are great. Id do her in a heart beat and if she did not talk Id keep doing her.
Report thisBy Louise, June 9, 2007 at 8:03 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
So, who’s (or what’s) a Paris Hilton? And why’s this news anyway?
(You probably guessed by now I never have much to do with main-stream media)
So, last night I’m sitting in a restaurant and I hear from the table behind me, “Paris Hilton” and “Forty days is a ridiculous sentence anyway.”
And then my dinner comes and I have good company and the overheard comment is forgotten. Then this morning, I’m channel hopping looking for a weather forecast (Do I need a coat, umbrella or is sleeveless OK) when I see this crazy scene of people chasing a car down the road!
So I stop to see what’s going on and the scene switches to someone identified as a judge and the Judge is saying, Miss Hilton is being returned to custody because she is in serious need of psychiatric counseling.
Then we get a replay of the people chasing the car, and I take a better look. One blonde women in six inch heels packing a mike and a pretty good-sized tote and others packing huge cameras and everyone running like they actually think they’re going to catch that car!
Now I ask you ... who is in serious need of psychiatric counseling?
Is getting the non-scoop on a non-story worth the risk of breaking the slender ankle on those six inch heels?
Not hardly.
So, at the end of the day I still don’t know who’s (or what’s) a Paris Hilton? And why’s this news anyway?
Report thisAnd what’s more, I don’t care.
By Tony B., June 9, 2007 at 4:08 pm #
FROM THE ARTICLE:
“People who say that shes nothing but a professional nightclubber, partygoer and red-carpet poseur are missing the point.”
Indeed. Paris Hilton’s real purpose is for creepy and lonely middle-aged men to have something to masturbate to after their wives cry themselves to sleep… And an excellent emotional alternative to dealing with an emasculated existence within a post-modern, corperate plantation. Call it the secular alternative to “honk if you luv jesus”.
Report thisBy THOMAS BILLIS, June 9, 2007 at 1:30 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Et tu Eugene.You were one of my last hopes for sanity.Paris Hilton is in a long line of people in America who are famous for being famous.I am sure you are familiar with the Gabors, famous for marrying rich men.What would have been more interesting is your take on Al Sharpton getting involved in the Paris Hilton affair rather than actually getting involved in something that actually helps someone.I am going to forgive you for your lapse in judgment because 99% of your colunms are so relevant.Do not let it happen again.
Report thisBy Don Knutsen, June 9, 2007 at 1:15 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Untill the people refuse to even watch major network media, we will continue to get nothing but this sensational celebrity drivel ...Its called infotainment, and it long ago began replacing real news. These repub. millionaire exec.s will keep pushing the bu$h/cheney lies and keep us all hopefully distracted while our country continues to be dismantled.The major networks are still ran by the same folks who have enabled this administration to create a new country covering 75% of what used to be America, called “dumbfuckistan”....where many still believe Iraq has something to do with our supposed “War on Terror” and nothing has changed. If you want to watch a discussion on the subject you have to watch the BBC or CBC cause you won’t see anything on our networks, Even if somehow the dem.s can gain back the White House in the next election, despite the voter election fraud orchestrated by Karl Rove and his minions ( re: the attorney firing scandle’s real MO ), it wili still be the same. Untill we the people somehow find a way to force a change, we won’t have a functioning democracy. Its as simple as that. I have no faith in our politicians dealing with something that has become so firmly entrenched by the criminal conspiracy of this administration. The Rupert Murdochs, Ames ( FOX ) and his ilk are only interested in fattening their wallets. They could give a damn about our country our what used to be a democracy. They have nothing but disdain for a superficial populace that eagerly gobbles up this crap and doesn’t even have the curiosity to ask any questions, even though its effecting ours and our own children’s future. Instead of being angry when were continually lied to about just about everything, we just give a shrug and say its naive to expect anything different.
Report thisBy lawlessone, June 9, 2007 at 11:09 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
We should free Paris Hilton. We are going to need that space in the jails for all the Bush Administrative officials that need to be locked up and punished. Gitmo is simply not big enough to hold to hold them all.
Report thisBy Nitro, June 9, 2007 at 10:21 am #
Well until we start the 2nd Revolution… business and politics will continue to remain, business as ususal. There is no justice in this country anymore unless you can buy it.
There is no “media coverage” in this country unless you can buy it, or use your political POWER to influence it. The same old addage continues. The rich keep getting richer, and the poor keep getting poorer!
God this country needs another Revolution after we give Capitol Hill and Corporate America an ENEMA !
Report thisBy Jack Williams, June 9, 2007 at 10:12 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
This vindictive attitude of ours is SICK!!!!
Report thisBy Eric L Prentis, June 9, 2007 at 9:52 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Paris Hilton is spoiled, that much is certain, and is being treated differently. However, anyone else committing her minor driving offences would not have spent one day in jail. This is the love-hate relationship we Americans have with the rich and famous.
Report thisBy glogrrl, June 9, 2007 at 9:44 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
#1 Paris Hilton’s parents contributed (through their attorney) $1000 (the maximum allowed) to the campaign of the sheriff in question at election time.
#2 From a source in LA--her “medical” condition seems to be a venereal disease--Valtrex was found in her purse--an advertised treatment for VD.
#3 How sadly infantile for a 26 year old “woman” to be taken screaming and crying from a court of law where she was found to have broken the law repeatedly, and with disdain, and yelling “MOM, it’s not fair”.
Just another illustration of an infantile, self-indulgent nation called America. No wonder we’re the joke of the world, with incidents like this being treated as legitimate news and which are splashed all over America’s major networks when our children and Iraqi children are dying every day for a narcissistic sociopath (George, not Paris) who stamps his foot every day and insists on getting his own murderous, selfish way. How sad.
Report thisBy Margaret Currey, June 9, 2007 at 8:39 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Not all of the rich act like Paris the lady who is queen of England has class as do Charles and his sons, so not everyone rich is without a brain.
Report thisBy GW=MCHammered, June 9, 2007 at 7:34 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Let’s see, Prince Harry proudly dons desert fatigues to join his Battle Group in Iraq, while our sobbing Paris deserts her earned prison sentence wardrobing pink prison boots. World Officials, we’d like to swap first-round celebrity picks!
Report thisBy Akira_Maritias, June 9, 2007 at 7:32 am #
I watch not of curiosity, but out of hope. That, and boredom. A lot of boredom. You see, I hope that Paris gets disowned. Or that she learns her lesson and starts working for a change. Or that when she takes over the family business, she gets such a reality check when the entire company gets destroyed by her stupidity.
I watch out of hope for the future, because this woman threw all women back about thirty years and made them seem too stupid to be able to do anything.
I think South Park put it most eloquently: “Stupid spoiled whore!”
If the average American dared to spend their life partying without a lick of knowledge about the world, they’d be broke and on the street corner without a hope in the world. If the average American tried to get away with what Paris tried to do, they would be locked up with no hope of getting out.
This article tries to play off what Paris did as being not that bad…
She was caught driving drunk, and was put on probation. She then broke probation twice. If I was caught drunk driving, I’d probably be in jail. If I was actually put on probation and broke it once, I’d probably be in jail.
If her parents weren’t rich, she’d be an episode of Jerry Springer, not a big CNN story.
And that is why I hate Paris. That is why other countries don’t respect Americans any longer. Our loudest male? President Bush. Our loudest female? Paris Hilton. No wonder the world thinks we’re stupid.
And here I am, trying to scratch out an existence, and it sickens me to see people that just get to do whatever they want because their parents have money.
Report thisBy Pacific Rim, June 9, 2007 at 4:36 am #
(Unregistered commenter)
Granted she is spoiled, granted she broke the law, granted she could wind up killing someones child while under the infulance. But is no fun watching someone being shattered and falling apart. Its a shame that the media is not doing the same to George Bushe while the US if falling apart under his leadership. The media ought to be never used again it ought to be CORPETMEDIA
Report thisBy Michael Murrow, June 8, 2007 at 10:41 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Over the past 30 (PLUS) years the United States
has lost it’s EDGE and it’s PROMISE from top
to bottom and across the BOARD. There are too
many reasons for this REVERSAL of (Fortune) and
(Potential) to mention at this time. The ultimate
repurcussions are obviously, not an encouraging
or pretty picture. The past several years have
served as a VIVID and DRAMATIC example.. of
How QUICKLY..... It can begin to “CRUMBLE”.... Be it
Paris Hilton or Paris Bush as the
Centerpiece!
Michael Murrow
Report thisBy vet240, June 8, 2007 at 9:31 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
What amazes me most about Paris Hilton is that Bush hasn’t made her a cabinet member.
She would fit right in with the Rove Gang.
Report thisBy CJ, June 8, 2007 at 9:08 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Paris Hilton is a young lady who was spoiled long ago by indulgent parents within the context of a culture those same parents (and their parents) played such a substantial role in creating. Its all too good to be true. That culture is, among other things, one that appeals to the basest in all of us. (When there is a ruling class, its values invariably predominate. No. 1 value is that humanity is in need of a ruling class, while from No. 1 flow all other contradictory values.) Every media hack, from TV lawyers (erstwhile Shapiro, brilliant Fieger, media Filan and Abrams, et al.) to were-just-giving-the-people-what-they-want TV anchors (ALL of them!) are themselves pursuing, if not already enjoying, their own 15 minutes. Not to mention incompetent sheriffs, judges and other politicos. Bacca, always with the gimme more money for jail space, says Hilton shouldnt be made a football when hes the one who first kicked the ball. Maricopa Arpaio butting in to put in his two sadistic cents. (Only in America could a sadistic thug like Arpaio be celebrated. Its a wonder hes not been put in charge of the Dept. of Homeland Security. Hed force detainees to wear pink panties. On second though, perhaps Abu Ghareib would be the spot of Maricopa Joe.) A judge and city prosecutor, both of whom were hell-bent on inflicting punishment on the lost girl.
I doubt Robinsons contention that Paris is some sort of astute exploiter of mass culture. What she is is an f-ing mess, more lost in a culture than one exploiting it. The reality is that she happened to rise to the surface of a culture busily exploiting her, indeed as lip glossy and blond, along with naked as Internet porn star. If she is in charge, she is so as sick narcissist, albeit in a culture of narcissism. Not to put too fine a point on it, but Paris Hilton is, maybe finally, that signifier Post-Modernists are always yammering on about, specifically, one signifying a culture so debased as to not have even an iota of a hint as to just how low it has sunk. Hell, so low has American culture sunk, the very reality is positively celebratedisnt it? Else why all the fuss?
Even ifand only slightly comicallyMSNBC (as one sample of all media), particularly on Olbermanns program, both indulged in the whole spectacle while at the same time attempted something like a self-critique of self-indulgence. Well, okay then.
Report thisBy George, June 8, 2007 at 7:32 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
She’s gorgeous, vibrant, wealthy. Why should she have to follow the same rules as the rest of us?
Report thisAncient Romans would understand my point. American “equality” is a dream. Paris is another kind of dream.
I am sorry she went back to jail. Serves no purpose, and does not show our justice system is “just,” or even reasonable.
House arrest was plenty.
By Inherit The Wind, June 8, 2007 at 7:29 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Spotting Paris Hilton while she’s young is a good thing.
We failed to spot George W. Bush while he was being exactly the same kind of incompetent rich, spoiled brat and look what evil he’s done.
If Paris Hilton were a boy she’d be George W. Bush.
Report thisBy jo6pac, June 8, 2007 at 7:12 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
Her PR crew is smart, she clueless
Report thisBy Stix, June 8, 2007 at 7:11 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
I look at Paris Hilton, a woman not a teenager who should be able to read, write, and spell at junior high level and yet this woman, Paris apparently doesn’t have the ability to come in out of the rain. I’ve got to wonder if she had ADD or a low IQ, or some other low mentality mental problems. Yes, she can make money “The name,family money, gets her those opportunities.”
The article seems to think Paris doesn’t deserve this. Evidently you haven’t talked to drunks like Paris who do time for their DUI’s. This woman was on probation for dui, disrecarded her probation and was caught driving. Taken to jail? Nope, she was given a warning which she again disregarded and drove yet again. When your kid or a family member is killed by Paris Hilton or someone like her you come back and writean article telling us how ‘Poor Paris’ is not being treated fairly.
Report thisThe judge may be doing Paris a favor as she might think before sucking down the booze and drugs and getting behind the wheel of a car. Next time it might be your kid Paris runs down amd twenty years for Paris behind bars.
By DennisD, June 8, 2007 at 6:45 pm #
(Unregistered commenter)
The American media just keeps becoming more irrelevant everyday. The Paris Hilton stories are the reason the TV, radio etc. has an ON/OFF switch if you can’t bring yourself to change the channel. America please wake up and just say no.
Report thisBy QuyTran, June 8, 2007 at 6:28 pm #
Los Angeles’s sheriff Bacca (?) acted very stupid when released Paris Hilton from jail without consulting the judge. The big question mark will be whether how much did Paris pay for a such incident ?
Report thisBy Dr. Knowitall, PhD, PhD, June 8, 2007 at 6:26 pm #
Our gov and the FCC have successfully turned us all into tomatoes. For a moment, I thought her release to be just the thing to finally knock some sense into peoples’ heads about what the media has done to Americans. Silly me! I’ve been thinking a lot about TRUTH lately and, you know, I don’t think it exists anymore. This website is an exercise in futility. At least, there seem to be some people out there who sincerely search for it and, I think, understand how elusive it is. Just the other night I heard that (if I can believe it) alQaida is using an English speaking website for their propaganda and the site is sponsored by the US gov. Made me wonder about this website. Seems everything is a lie.
Report thisBy Greg Bacon, June 8, 2007 at 4:08 pm #
CNN and National Inquirer announced today that they would merge their operations.
A spokesman was quoted as saying, Why not? Hell, we already cover the same trashy stories that have no educational value.
Why fight over the limited space in the gutter infotainment groups like us, FOX and CNN, share?
Wall Street was exuberant over the news, with stocks gaining a new low.
This, an analyst noted, was due to the fact that nearly all the traders were preoccupied with watching the latest tawdry reports about Paris on all 24 hour News Channels.
Elsewhere in the news, that loud sound heard across the nation today was America heaving a collective barf.
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