You make an interesting argument, and I agree with you on many points, mainly because the discussion has begun to shift.

I DO NOT BELIEVE that Paris Hilton is someone who wields artistic talent. It is interesting, however, that her work has become the subject of controversy on an artistic level. I don’t think that necessarily validates her, and in no way does she compare, but similar discussions to the one we’re having have been made about the artists Christo and Jean-Claude, Jackson Pollock, Edgar Degas and so many more.

Whether we like it or not, Paris Hilton has tremendous power over a large demographic: consumers. Teens and pop culture aficionados are all under the spell of starlets like Paris Hilton. Wherever she goes, they follow… which is why I made my original statement, that I think it might be a good idea for Paris Hilton to be included on The L Word, because she has the influence to introduce her fans to knowledge and teach them concurrence.

Of course I believe that there are people of talent who deserve to receive the level of attention that Paris Hilton has, but unfortunately America is not a meritocracy. People similar to Paris have and will always exist, because there have been and still are people who buy into her. In my opinion, the consumers are even worse than the agents and paparazzi, because again, whether we like it or not, Paris Hilton is still in business. Paris Hilton is just one face on an unfortunate social issue.  

Not having respect for someone is a big charge in my book. And that has everything to do with knowing someone personally and being wary of assumptions. In the case with Paris Hilton, there are so many unknown variables about what happens behind the scenes in her life that make any argument that she ISN’T a decent human being implausible. The Paris Hilton that the world sees is a prepackaged product, much like the food people receive at the drive-thru window… and since they don’t REALLY know what has happened to it, most people simply take it in, giving it (and their immune systems) the benefit of the doubt. Unless any different is qualified solidly, Paris, as a human (not a product), deserves a level of respect.

I have always had a soft spot for minorities. In some respects, Paris Hilton is one. Everyday she is hunted (by paparazzi), objectified (by fans), criticized and stereotyped (by people like us), humiliated (by her “accidental” sex tape)… and this is from many people on a daily basis. She will never have the normalcy that I enjoy… so, I pity her.

It should be remembered too that she was born into wealth. It would have been easy for her to take her father’s money and spend it on herself only, or perhaps go out and invest in big businesses, then just sit back and relax. No matter how preposterous or ostentatious, however, Paris Hilton invested in herself… and that’s a strong statement.

On the grand scheme of things, yes Paris Hilton is only one little rich girl out of them all. Her family’s very large fortune only equals a percentage of America’s national debt. So, no, not even Paris’ extravagant spending could trickle down enough to make a difference. With a valueless dollar and a stock market that has had the very bad kind of fluctuations lately, having ANYONE investing back into America in anyway possible is better than nothing.

I appreciate that you attribute what it seems you believe is ignorance (or inexperience) on my part to my age, not my origin. Some are not so open-minded. Honestly, I’ve never had anyone make an excuse for me because of being young… usually it’s because of the stereotype attached to being a Southerner. In my “only 19” years I have already completed one career. I worked on 8 cross country music tours, where I performed to my hearts content and then kept on until I got jaded and finally reached retirement age. Now I primarily work in personal relations and marketing of other people’s music (I have a strong familial musical heritage to uphold). I have met many of my legends of true talent like Kris Kristofferson, Kathy Mattea, Barbara Mandrell… I’ve met some of the few producers who made brilliant decisions like Sam Phillips and Jim Foglesong… I’ve even gotten to speak with some of the greatest women of our time like Sandra Day O’Connor.

When I performed, I saw all the talent in thousands of cheesy music festivals and sleazy bars. I saw the headliners of concerts whose musical ability was of corpse-like pallor in comparison. The main lesson I learned from my 15 years in that business is that you can’t get mad at the system, because there is no system. The entertainment industry decides the next star in a manner similar to natural selection. It just happens and the reasons why are never good enough and never systematic.