Waleed Aly makes some astute observations about Paris and the sanctimonious contempt that most of us feel towards her. Even as critics we continue to consume her and, in so doing, validate our own superior tastes – we have indeed become her clients.
That Paris was originally sent to jail for ‘days’ on a drink-driving charge has almost no significance to any of us yet reading about it fascinates us and has driven the press in Australia for a week. Paris may be a nonentity but she is famous because she is famous, a celebrity because she is a celebrity, a celebrity nitwit because she is a rich nitwit.
We love the fact that someone/some institution has finally said no to this flashy tart with the big bank balance.
Aly concludes:
‘Our scoffing at Paris more truthfully condemns ourselves. It is difficult to escape the thought that our obsession with celebrity banality is an admission of existential defeat’.It’s a fair call – Paris Hilton’s prominence is self-inflicted social pain. While I frown upon her brainless shopping sprees, her banal utterances and her goofy sunglasses I will rush to read about her in tomorrow’s press. I might even discard my principles and offer to ghost-write an account of her fearful times at the hands of the monstrous LA police-state torturers. I'll settle for 25%.
The lino didn't match her eyes and the curtains came from Wal-mart. The pharmaceuticals don’t keep you thin and the, and the…
We shall overcome Paris!
* She has that bare-minimum common set of components that puts her on common ground with half the humans on the planet.
** At year end 2005 there were 3,145 black male sentenced prison inmates per 100,000 black males in the US, compared to 1,244 Hispanic male inmates per 100,000 Hispanic males and 471 white male inmates per 100,000 white males.
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8 comments:
Come on harry. Surely you're overdoing ths aren't you.
She's obviously not our cup of tea but young teenagers thinks she the best thing since sliced bread.
Actually she has done a few things. Think of her as working in the entertainment business and sells herself.
She earns about 10 mill a year from endorsing things. She even charges 250K to attend the opening of clubs all over the world.
Instead of passing judgement on her think of her as an entertainer and you'll be right.
but don't ask to ban her harry. That just ain't right.
And Harry, her convicion was unduly harsh if one judges precedent. She was "screwed' because of who she was and not because of what she did. That ain't right either.
Truth is if Harry or I were in her position, we'd be let out to home detention without a murmur. Simply put they'd flick us to make way for more serious threats to the community ie real villains. For that to be otherwise, we'd all have to be prepared to make a much larger investment in prisons. The petty villains and fine defaulters know that and work the system accordingly.
Also it's not true that blacks don't get special treatment in our country. In Adelaide at present, a gang of around 50 aboriginals is carjacking and committing armed robberies and ramraids, quite a few while out on bail or for similar priors.
Typical Adelaide night http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21870559-2682,00.html
The elders recruit under age kids to avoid prison. The police charge them and they get a slap on the wrist or black legal aid bails them for more of the usual.
I seem to vaguely recall you getting upset at the media beat up around Anna Nicole Smith, Harry, but Paris Hilton is fair game? I guess this was in the context of one dying and the other going to prison, so you could possibly argue the former is worse than the latter and so isn't fair game. But that doesn't sound like the problem. Did one really contribute more to society than the other? I guess Smith worked her way up from not much to wealth, whereas Hilton hasn't had to. But the way you've written it, it sounds more like it's just about their looks. Seems perhaps a bit harsh?
It's weird that despite the fact that don't read the relevant magazines or directly relevant TV shows, I still know the basics about both Smith and Hilton. I guess if I wanted not to know I'd have to never watch any TV news. Or read blogs, I guess. Oh, and the Daily Show would be out too. That's really too big a price to pay to avoid having to admit 'existential defeat'!
They've got the girls doing it too now http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21890540-2682,00.html
What I am saying is that the focus on Paris degrades us all. I try not to be concerned about her but I still read the articles.
I don't think anonymous 1 she has much talent. She can't sing and anyone can lie on their back and smile while making love - yes I saw the clip.
Observa, as I understand it the law that applies here requires a jail term. Australian law need not.
Rates of imprisonment od Australian blacks are high and probably justifiably so. But these high rates suggest real underlying social problems that need to be addressed.
I am embarrassed by having such a high fraction of Australia's indigenous population in jail. They are not intrinsically wicked people and they were Australia's original inhabitants.
Harry
Then don't read about her and most certainly avoid the web porn.
She caught the slammer because who she is. People in California don't go to jail for that length of time becasue of what she did.
Fess up. It was because of who it was.
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If Oz blacks do bad things they ought to face the music like the rest of us do.
That's the difference between living in a civilized nation or living as barbarous savages.
Child rape, wife bashing .. does not illicit sympathy from me.
No anonymous I don't like child rape and wife bashing either. Nor do I like the situation Australia's indigenous people find themselves in.
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