This post begins with a fractal called Lacy Star. I picked it because I’ll be talking about Paris Hilton. Like her the image is larger than life while being super-skinny, slightly off-kilter and decidely out-of-balance, pink and frothy without a lot of substance. To me, that’s Paris in a nutshell. Ah well--on with the trashing!
-
So Paris Hilton managed to dodge the bullet (at least for a while) and snakes out of her 45 day jail sentence. She ended up there in the first place for violating her parole after being arrested for a DUI. Claiming her Publicist told her should drive for work-related incidences (she works???) and saying she “never reads” her mail didn’t go over to well with the general population OR the Judge in her case. Paris got the maximum sentence under the law and the Judge instructed she not be given “alternate sentencing” or early release. He further ordered "no work furlough, no early release and no electronic monitoring." Paris was given the option of "pay jail" for a better billet but she turned that down. At first she planned to fight the ruling but wiser heads prevailed and Paris sneaked into jail two days early. The story should have ended there but this being Paris Hilton there were still more to come.
-
After serving only three days (and being credited for five) of her 45 day stretch of “hard time” Paris is released at 6:00 AM Thursday June 7. A spokesman for the L,A. County Sheriff’s Department says Paris was being released for “medical reasons” (which were unspecified because of privacy laws.) Needless to say a lot of people are none-too-pleased with this turn of events. The City Attorney filed a complain so now Hilton's representatives will be in court today to determine if she should be sent back to jail. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca may end up being charged with Contempt of Court for his decision to let her go.
-
Rumor has it that Paris’ “medical condition” was that she was near the edge of a “Nervous Breakdown” in jail. Aw poor baby! Going to jail--now that’s NOT hot! The icky prison food. Low thread-count cotton sheets. The fact that Giani Versace doesn’t design prison jumpsuits (in orange or any color for that matter)! Not being able to go out and party at the hot clubs with her “A” List friends. Quelle horror!” How can the poor girl stand it! Now that’s enough to drive any heiress to get repeated visits from her expensive Beverly Hills Psychiatrist. Paris--I’m sure every murderer, rapist and drug dealer feels your pain right now sweetheart.
-
OK, now that I’ve got my Paris-bashing out of the way (and boy was it FUN!) I have to admit that I’m a bit conflicted about this issue. I don’t like Paris Hilton: she’s pretty enough but she’s none too bright (even though she did manage to parlay being pretty and famous into a decent career) and honestly her celebrity sends an awful message to our young girls. Her defense was beyond ludicrous (not to mention frankly scary) and I think that, more than anything, is what got her in such deep trouble. That being said, we the Public made her a celebrity. The Average “Joe” or “Jane” in the same situation wouldn’t have gotten nearly the same punishment: the average non-violent first offender would get a couple of hours in jail (if that) and then released.
-
One also needs to consider the Sherriff’s Department’s position on the matter: Paris Hilton was a huge hassle for them: the hordes of Paparazzi and “legitimate” News Media made working around the Linwood jail difficult if not impossible. The inconvenience caused both staff and other inmates to resent Paris Hilton so I’m sure the Sherriff’s Department is happy to see the back of her. Add to this the fact that the Los Angeles County Jail system is hugely overedcrowded (one source claims it is desinged for 12,000 inmates but holds 25,000) so early release is common (but that's a Blog for another time). The Sherriff’s Department is caught squarely in the middle: I feel for them.
-
As for Paris Hilton, this is how it shakes out for me. Celebrity is a double-edged sword: with all the swag and privileges comes an equal amount of scrutiny. “S,O,P.” aside, the law is the law and the Judge is completely within his right to impose the maximum sentence should he feel it is necessary (and IMHO, in this case it is). In the end it won’t matter whether Paris Hilton goes back to jail or not: what matters is whether she learns her lesson--and we won’t know that for a long time--if she gets in trouble or manages to clean up her act.
-
For my part, I just wish Paris Hilton would go away. And take Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan with her . . .
-
So Paris Hilton managed to dodge the bullet (at least for a while) and snakes out of her 45 day jail sentence. She ended up there in the first place for violating her parole after being arrested for a DUI. Claiming her Publicist told her should drive for work-related incidences (she works???) and saying she “never reads” her mail didn’t go over to well with the general population OR the Judge in her case. Paris got the maximum sentence under the law and the Judge instructed she not be given “alternate sentencing” or early release. He further ordered "no work furlough, no early release and no electronic monitoring." Paris was given the option of "pay jail" for a better billet but she turned that down. At first she planned to fight the ruling but wiser heads prevailed and Paris sneaked into jail two days early. The story should have ended there but this being Paris Hilton there were still more to come.
-
After serving only three days (and being credited for five) of her 45 day stretch of “hard time” Paris is released at 6:00 AM Thursday June 7. A spokesman for the L,A. County Sheriff’s Department says Paris was being released for “medical reasons” (which were unspecified because of privacy laws.) Needless to say a lot of people are none-too-pleased with this turn of events. The City Attorney filed a complain so now Hilton's representatives will be in court today to determine if she should be sent back to jail. Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca may end up being charged with Contempt of Court for his decision to let her go.
-
Rumor has it that Paris’ “medical condition” was that she was near the edge of a “Nervous Breakdown” in jail. Aw poor baby! Going to jail--now that’s NOT hot! The icky prison food. Low thread-count cotton sheets. The fact that Giani Versace doesn’t design prison jumpsuits (in orange or any color for that matter)! Not being able to go out and party at the hot clubs with her “A” List friends. Quelle horror!” How can the poor girl stand it! Now that’s enough to drive any heiress to get repeated visits from her expensive Beverly Hills Psychiatrist. Paris--I’m sure every murderer, rapist and drug dealer feels your pain right now sweetheart.
-
OK, now that I’ve got my Paris-bashing out of the way (and boy was it FUN!) I have to admit that I’m a bit conflicted about this issue. I don’t like Paris Hilton: she’s pretty enough but she’s none too bright (even though she did manage to parlay being pretty and famous into a decent career) and honestly her celebrity sends an awful message to our young girls. Her defense was beyond ludicrous (not to mention frankly scary) and I think that, more than anything, is what got her in such deep trouble. That being said, we the Public made her a celebrity. The Average “Joe” or “Jane” in the same situation wouldn’t have gotten nearly the same punishment: the average non-violent first offender would get a couple of hours in jail (if that) and then released.
-
One also needs to consider the Sherriff’s Department’s position on the matter: Paris Hilton was a huge hassle for them: the hordes of Paparazzi and “legitimate” News Media made working around the Linwood jail difficult if not impossible. The inconvenience caused both staff and other inmates to resent Paris Hilton so I’m sure the Sherriff’s Department is happy to see the back of her. Add to this the fact that the Los Angeles County Jail system is hugely overedcrowded (one source claims it is desinged for 12,000 inmates but holds 25,000) so early release is common (but that's a Blog for another time). The Sherriff’s Department is caught squarely in the middle: I feel for them.
-
As for Paris Hilton, this is how it shakes out for me. Celebrity is a double-edged sword: with all the swag and privileges comes an equal amount of scrutiny. “S,O,P.” aside, the law is the law and the Judge is completely within his right to impose the maximum sentence should he feel it is necessary (and IMHO, in this case it is). In the end it won’t matter whether Paris Hilton goes back to jail or not: what matters is whether she learns her lesson--and we won’t know that for a long time--if she gets in trouble or manages to clean up her act.
-
For my part, I just wish Paris Hilton would go away. And take Brittney Spears and Lindsey Lohan with her . . .
1 comment:
RON ADDS: for anyone living under a rock--Paris Hilton was ordered back to to jail for the entirity of her 45 day sentence. She left the courtroom weeping, calling for her Mother and moaning "it's not fair. It's not right."
Post a Comment