Jailhouse blues: Heiress’s legal troubles say much about ‘celebrity’

It seems like a waste of time to talk about anything that has to do with Paris Hilton anywhere except the “Ripley’s Believe It or Not” page.

But this latest bit of arrogance and stupidity seems destined for the celebrity brat hall of fame — and is yet another reason to discount most anything that comes out of the mouth of anyone who has been on the cover of a tabloid.

Miss Hilton, who was recently caught violating probation after an alcohol-related reckless driving charge, is upset because it is likely she will have to spend some time in jail as a result of being caught by the long arm of the law again.

It seems Miss Hilton is enlisting the help of her fans to petition California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to keep her out of the 45 days of jail time she has been sentenced to for her latest transgression.

It seems this diva is just too busy and too special for jail.

Just reading a few of Miss Hilton’s escapades over the last few weeks is enough to make you scratch your head.

She showed up late to her recent court hearing and when asked if she opened her mail — told those present that she “had people to do that for me.”

Oh, please.

Paris Hilton and others like her are part of the Hollywood culture that makes it incredible to those with some sort of perspective that anyone listens to a word they have to say.

Pampered, spoiled and hypocritical, very few Hollywood starlets or established stars have any idea of what the real world is like. But that doesn’t stop any of them from giving generations of Americans advice on how they should live their lives.

There really is no question — Paris Hilton should go to jail, just like everyone else who commits this kind of crime. Her wealthy family should count themselves lucky that she did not kill someone when she decided to get behind the wheel of a car drunk. If they love her, they will teach her a lesson before she destroys her life.

But as for the bigger issue — enough with the celebrity fascination, enough with assigning importance to people whose job it is to stand on a stage or in front of a television camera. They are just working class stiffs like the rest of us — no more and no less.

Paris Hilton thinks she is targeted because she is famous. Well that’s the price of fame honey. If you don’t want to be under scrutiny, stay out of the police car.

This 26-year-old is no role model. She is a disgrace. And it is time she learned a lesson about real life — where get out of jail free cards are not available to the highest bidder.

Published in Editorials on May 9, 2007 1:02 PM