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Paris
By matt | June 11, 2007
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Paris Hilton is in jail, again. A few weeks ago, I used her as an example of Pride. Her words during sentencing struck me as sufficiently vain to illustrate my ideas.
Complicated, actually
So yeah, picking Hilton’s courtroom quote was easy. However, it also simplified her situation in the same way that the media simplify things. In other words, I’m starting to think, picking an easy example isn’t the best option when illustrating or exploring a complex idea…
Hilton committed a crime. Reasonably speaking, it was a minor crime and she’s in jail because she failed to take responsibility for her actions. That’s the fact of the matter and her sentencing seems reasonable. It is certainly true that people like Hilton have armies of assistants to “help” them manage their celebrity. It is also true that no number of assistants relieves the burden we individually bear to be responsible adults.
So why didn’t Hilton take note of this problem and act like a reasonable adult?
Root Cause
It’s risky to look for a ‘root cause’ that explains a person’s actions. If we find a cause, we relieve the person of responsibility because the ‘cause’ is outside of the person’s control. That’s something we typically reserve (being without blame) for children and the mentally ill.
At this time, Paris Hilton is 26 years old. Barring special circumstances, that is old enough to be responsible for your actions.
But still, there must be a pattern that leads up to this…what is it?
Parents?
A good deal of our personality is based upon our upbringing. Rhetorically:
- Where were her parents as she drank and got stoned while underage?
- Where were her parents to point out that television shows like “The Simple Life” mocked her?
- Where were her parents to explain that you hire people to help you, not to absolve you from responsibility?
- Where were her parents to teach her that “private moments” are private for a reason…and video cameras aren’t typically present at those times?
- Where were her parents to help her understand her growing celebrity and responsibility?
What next?
I’ve done some really stupid things. Most of these things were irresponsible and as an adult I knew better. I don’t think the Golden Rule is the answer to all things, but if I apply it here:
Paris has asked that we accept the fact she will serve her term in jail and that she’s learned the importance of taking responsibility for her actions.
It’s very possible that:
- as she was dragged into court,
- as the number of people signing petitions to jail her grossly outnumbered petitions to free her,
- as paparazzi crowded around her to photograph her crying,
- as she feared being photographed in prison while in ‘delicate situations’ because they could be published in the papers,
- as she was filmed by MTV while Sarah Silverman mocked her in front of a crowd of thousands and millions of television viewers…
…maybe, she finally gets it: She’s not famous for good reasons. People don’t admire her; at best, people envy her.
So if she says she has learned a lesson through all of this, I will take her at her word and see what happens next. Unfortunately, all of those pushy paparazzi will be there the day of her release and when she gets out. The same social system that helped her believe that she wasn’t responsible will still be there telling her that she’s special, different, among the elect.
Maybe so. But if through all of that she turns out to be a better person, shouldn’t that be even more news worthy? Isn’t redemption more important than humiliation?
I hope we get to see that story on television.
Topics: crime & punishment, entertainment |
June 11th, 2007 at 1:39 pm
“That’s something we typically reserve (being without blame) for children and the mentally ill.”
-And the latest excuse has been that she is mentally ill, which is somewhat of an insult to mentally ill people who manage to not break the law.
She’s a bag of bought excuses.
June 13th, 2007 at 9:42 am
We won’t get to see that story on television. Good news is not news-worthy these days.
June 13th, 2007 at 10:07 am
“But if through all of that she turns out to be a better person, shouldn’t that be even more news worthy?”
The “news” is never interested in the mundane unless it generates revenue. Being a better person, generally, doesn’t create headlines unless you save people, fight fires, or donate millions to the latest cause of interest. Being bad always stimulates interersts, its a perversion of the human psyche and the news loves to capitalize on that weekness.
Paris is an attention seeker on the grandest of scales. She’s known for her celebrity and for her family’s business and nothing else - I suspect she was neglected emotionally as a child by the very people that should have been there as you so elegantly pointed out. Since bad attention is better than no attention, what better way than to over compensate but to mock herself for the publicity it will generate? “Look Mom - see I am somebody!”
She’s sad and that sucks.
June 13th, 2007 at 11:22 am
She has had TOO MUCH - so much excess in her life. I think her parents just thought to give and give and give, because it was easier than saying “no.”
There are lot of households like that - even those without the Hilton forture. Have you seen that one cellphone commercial, with the little girl arguing with the mother over the phone bill? Since when do little girls have such perks?
There are more Paris Hiltons than we think.