LOS ANGELES (AP) - Paris Hilton was sent screaming and crying back to jail Friday after a judge ruled that she must serve out her sentence behind bars rather than in the comfort of her Hollywood Hills home.
"It's not right!" shouted Hilton, who violated her probation in a reckless driving case. "Mom!" she cried out to her mother.
Hours earlier, the 26-year-old hotel heiress was taken handcuffed from her home in a black-and-white police car, paparazzi sprinting in pursuit and helicopters broadcasting live from above. She entered the courtroom disheveled and weeping, hair askew, without makeup, wearing a fuzzy gray sweat shirt over slacks.
She cried throughout the hearing, dabbing her eyes, and her body shook constantly. Several times she turned to her parents, seated behind her in the courtroom, and mouthed, "I love you."
By now you've all heard about this. I could go into a rant about how the rule of law must apply to everyone and celebrities should not get special treatment. However if you don't know that by now you won't learn it from reading some blog.
What I do want to comment on is some observations made by Sean Hannity on his radio show today. His point was that Paris Hilton and others like her (Brittany Spears, Lindsay Lohan) are only serving themselves and making no useful contribution to the greater society.
I disagree. Entertainment is a contribution. CNN and Fox News will have sky-high ratings for their "Paris in Court" coverage because people enjoy watching that sort of thing. This is why the freak show was the most popular part of the old traveling carnival.
"It's not right!" shouted Hilton, who violated her probation in a reckless driving case. "Mom!" she cried out to her mother.
Hours earlier, the 26-year-old hotel heiress was taken handcuffed from her home in a black-and-white police car, paparazzi sprinting in pursuit and helicopters broadcasting live from above. She entered the courtroom disheveled and weeping, hair askew, without makeup, wearing a fuzzy gray sweat shirt over slacks.
She cried throughout the hearing, dabbing her eyes, and her body shook constantly. Several times she turned to her parents, seated behind her in the courtroom, and mouthed, "I love you."
By now you've all heard about this. I could go into a rant about how the rule of law must apply to everyone and celebrities should not get special treatment. However if you don't know that by now you won't learn it from reading some blog.
What I do want to comment on is some observations made by Sean Hannity on his radio show today. His point was that Paris Hilton and others like her (Brittany Spears, Lindsay Lohan) are only serving themselves and making no useful contribution to the greater society.
I disagree. Entertainment is a contribution. CNN and Fox News will have sky-high ratings for their "Paris in Court" coverage because people enjoy watching that sort of thing. This is why the freak show was the most popular part of the old traveling carnival.
People enjoy watching others who are more messed up than they could ever hope to be. When the freaks are also rich and famous it is even better. Watching Paris sobbing as she was being led away from court, as though she were being put on the train for Buchenwald rather than a little over a month in county jail makes those of us who will not earn in a lifetime as much as Paris spends on hair and nail care in a month feel better. We may not have her money, but at least we are not crazy as a shit-house rat.
We may not be able to giver our beloved daughters trust funds and Ivy League educations and summer trips to Europe, but at least everyone on the entire surface of the planet hasn't seen a photograph of them dead drunk and flashing their vaginas at random passers-by.
Seeing just how fraked up the rich and famous can be helps us keep our own lives in perspective. For that reason low speed chases and courtroom hysterics will always be good box-office.
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