Excuse Me While I Cheer for a Minute

[aesmael]

Just as I was about to write in response to Andreia's comment (no direct linking to comments I could see) to a post lost_angelwings showed me earlier (concerning those awful over-sexualised Bratz Baby Dolls), I stumble across something similar but written much, much better than I would have managed and wider in scope.

slings and arrows

Go read.

Actually it is not quite the same topic, although a very worthy one and one that is a continuous work in progress in my own life. I wanted to write about the illogic of blaming people like Paris Hilton for trends in society and marketing. She does not, so far as I know, own the clothing lines or toy companies or whatever that are actually bothering people, nor the media outlets which continue to spotlight attention on her (did you know she is not an only child? I did not until I looked up the Wikipedia article on the Hilton family - somehow I felt that siblings would constitute evidence for my case).

As much as I disapprove of her behaviour (that I hear about), what I believe is bothering people is not that so much as the attention she receives, attention that is bestowed on her by outside agencies. Come to that, most, perhaps all the attention I have seen her receive has been mocking or negative - if this is what young girls are encouraged to aspire to it is something they will receive no respect for except perhaps from each other. But we all knew that already.

I suppose the problem is, I suppose, it is much easier to blame an individual than a variety of large amorphous companies.

Comments

[devilindupriest.livejournal.com]

Hi. *waves* Feel free to ignore me, I just stopped in after following your trail from over that-a-way (points back the way he came) and read this post *points* and wanted to comment.

Anyway, I admire what the linked article had to say about the precision of language, but I personally will actually go a step further. I'm not neccesarily in favor of Paris' lifestyle, and certainly against drunk driving, but as for all the rest? I'm not saying she doesn't enjoy the attention she gets, but I don't think she'd change how she acts if she wasn't getting the attention.
I honestly admire her, in at least some regads, for living her life how she wants to, and enjoying herself. Yes, she's a mostly vapid party girl. On the other hand, she has her own sense of style, and isn't holding herself to the hollywood image of beauty. Being vapid but pretty isn't really her fault, is I suppose what I'm trying to say.
On the other hand, whether it's being fobbed on them by the media or not, I do feel that anyone who tries to emulate Paris, or who regards Paris as a role-model *does* carry some fault, at least if their life doesn't end up how they might want. Let's face it, I idolized Sid Vicious for a few years, but looking back on things I can clearly see how that was maybe not the wisest course of action. Some fun parties, though.

In short: Over-the-top white-trash ghetto-glam is only hip and ironic if you're richer enough to use real diamonds instead of rhinestones.

Hmmm. I think I mixed my messages again. Sorry. *waves bye*

[aesmael.livejournal.com]

Heh, in fact I mostly agree with you, except about admiring her (had not put any thought into that). I had actually meant to include that there have probably always been wealthy heiresses like her but until now we have not had the ability or desire to give them such exposure. She is just doing her thing.

[devilindupriest.livejournal.com]

Exactly. And actually, that's a good point too. Although 'admire' may have been a bit of a strong word on my part, the whole issue of rich heiresses' behaving badly *definitely* didn't originate with Paris. And she's not going around actively trying to rub people's faces in it. We've seen bad girls who act out just to prove how bad they can be. Courtney Love comes to mind. Madonna on alternating thursdays. Paris honestly seems to be just doing her thing. Which, yeah, she's rich and there have been plenty of rich daddy's girls who have done so. The difference is, and the reason I...again, admire is probably too strong a word, respect her decisions, is: She doesn't try to hide it. If you really stop and think about it, nothing Paris has done is really all that gossip-worthy scandal-wise. No hunky but older actors, no 104 year old sugar daddies, just a young woman enjoying herself. I honestly think most of the backlash against Paris is an ingrained need to defend and reinforce the cultural double-standard. Heck, even Robe Lowe managed to behave far worse than Paris, and pretty much everybody said, "What a wacky guy," and let it go.

I'm sorry, I'm being a bit long-winded about this, aren't I? Suffice to say, I think she has moxy, and is, in her own way, a successful third-wave feminist.

Which doesn't change the fact that she's mostly a bubblehead. But as was pointed out in the link you posted, there's a difference between the things she's guilty of, and the reasons people seem to want to see her punished.

[lost-angelwings.livejournal.com]

Paris is just an easy scapegoat.. ppl either like her.. or they dun.. and generally the ppl who are complaining about her are complaining to ppl who dun like her :\

I think it's easier for ppl when they can break an entire issue down to 1 cause or point.. it's how the media's basically trained us :(