Paris is Burning Me Up
Posted by anastasia on 01-07-2005I've written occasional snide remarks here and there on the blog about Paris Hilton and for some reason, today I feel inspired to explain why I can't stand what she stands for. It's not just the rich, racist, slutty party girl personae that bothers me, it's how it is being sold to teens and even tweens. I recently saw the South Park episode featuring Paris (and her little dog, too), and I thought it was brilliant. Sometimes those guys are so right on. Paris is in South Park promoting the opening of her new store "Stupid Spoiled Whore," which all the South Park girls go gaga over — except Wendy, who at first offers a feminist critique of why this is not a good thing, but later succumbs to peer pressure and tries to join the other "whores" at school (she doesn't make the cut). It's a great commentary on how our culture worships what Britney said best: being "not so innocent" and yet being cloaked in pink or short plaid school girl skirts…
I think that while most older teens know the deal about Paris and can like her as a guilty pleasure knowing they would never want to be like her, it's the little princesses I worry about who will be attracted to her pretty pink line of products and just confused by the rest.
Related:
More Paris porn (The New York Post)
What Teens Want: Paris Hilton Rules
Get Your Paris Hilton Belly Jewelry on Amazon!
January 10th, 2005 at 11:37 am
Hi! Great site, I've just recently discovered it. I have to agree with your assessment about Paris. Here's the issue: …and I lived it… you can't be an adult and a child at the same time, you default to being an adult and never emotionally make the healthy transition to becoming a real woman unless you take the time ["hard time"] later in life. Young girls putting on sexy clothes, playing an adult sexual role don't understand the emotional impact on their brain. It's just not registering and their parents are most likely just telling them they look "cute." Sexuality is an important gift we have as women and one that gets pushed under the carpet as girls move from tweens to teens. Unless they have emotionally healthy parents explaining this transition for them, spotlighting stars like Paris hurts girls. I don't "blame" Paris, I think she highlights the need for parents to get emotionally healthy for their daughters … but Paris brings up the pain, for all of us.