Sunday, June 10, 2007

Paris & OJ

Up until now, I have found the antics of Paris Hilton to be a harmless diversion from the Bush body count. I admire her for being someone with no discernible talent, other than for "making the scene," turning the media frenzy over her into a cottage industry including a TV reality show, commercials, fashion, and fragrance. Of course, I may also be the last computer-owning male who has not seen, nor has the desire to see, the Paris Hilton sex tape. I'd prefer for her naughty parts to remain virginal in my imagination, and consider the whole thing grossly ungentlemanly for some swine to take advantage of her in that way. I also think she's sweet, but then I made the terrible mistake of voicing those opinions to my wife, Melody. My sweet God! I lit the shortest fuse since the cannons fired on Fort Sumter.

Everyone recalls the huge racial chasm uncovered by the OJ Simpson verdict. The Paris Hilton case has revealed similar raw reactions, only along gender lines this time. While male talking heads have mostly discussed the merits of another wacky judge's decisions, women commentators have verbally torn Ms. Hilton limb from limb. I was shocked, shocked, at the venom directed toward her, and the glee with which some have greeted her predicament. I haven't seen the desire for stark female vengeance like this since Linda Tripp. Women seem to hate her guts. Melody says she brought it on herself and could have killed someone while drunk behind the wheel. But that's not what she was incarcerated for. Celebrities get stopped for DUI every night. How else are they going to get home? I would be more afraid of Lindsay Lohan crashing into a tree and fleeing a cocaine-laden vehicle than Paris Hilton at point 08. But Hilton was given the 45 day sentence for driving on a suspended license. The last person that happened to was Ted Bundy. Hilton did everything asked of her by the courts. She surrendered herself and was photographed, fingerprinted, and booked. If the Sheriff cut her loose, it's over. But the public's hatred and hysteria over the young heiress, colored the judgement of another Anna Nicole-like raging and arrogant jurist, just enough for him to commit double jeopardy. Paris Hilton is now a political prisoner.

What might have been just a show-biz footnote, has morphed into yet another case of a Los Angeles judge attempting to make a name for himself at the expense of this young girl, and she is a girl. If Paris Hilton bred puppies for slaughter, she wouldn't deserve to be caught in a power struggle between an angry judge and the sheriff in this way. She is not just being made an example of by the appropriately named Judge Sauer, she is being punished more severely simply because of who she is. But women commentators, including many attorneys, say she is being justly punished for flaunting the law. Sheriff Lee Baca says that justice would be better served without the world's most famous woman losing her sanity, like Frances Farmer, in his jail. Let he who is without sin cast the first ankle bracelet.

Meanwhile, I have learned to temper my remarks about Paris around my wife. She wants her drawn and quartered before she parties again. But Nancy Grace, Jane Velez-Mitchell, the woman's round table on CNN, and others, want to see her under the jail or on a chain gang, and I can't quite figure out why this is. The women seem to want to see Paris Hilton suffer in jail as much as I'd like to see Bush and Cheney in there with her. Melody says she's a frivolous person who wouldn't be concerned about me were I in the same situation. That's the point; I wouldn't be in that situation. In my wildest youthful transgressions, a reckless driving charge or driving on a suspended license, would have gotten me a fine, probation or community service. No one is sentenced to jail for 45 days for a misdemeanor unless the judge has a point to make. I believe Ms. Hilton will get the last laugh, however, when her lawsuit against L.A. County and Judge Sauer results in her owning the correctional facility in which she was housed. It can become the Hilton Lockaway.

Having said all that, there is a war going on and soldiers and civilians are still dying. Whatever happens in the Hilton case is no longer a harmless diversion, and I hope it passes from the public's attention quickly. But I don't expect it will. Should Paris wish to repair her tattered image after her release, I suggest she make a USO trip to the Green Zone in Baghdad to visit the troops. She would be welcomed like Betty Grable in Berlin after the blitz. And it would give the women another reason to hate her.

16 comments:

Anonymous said...

You see clearly my friend, and as usual, have the balls to report what you see. Paris' situation is born of envy. For some reason in our culture there are those who enjoy seeing successful people suffer...especially beautiful successful people. Paris could have lived off of her family's money, but she had the gumption to try to make something of herself even though she doesn't have much talent. She took what she does have and she has parlayed that into some millions. And so what if she parties a little? Commentators hyperventilate over the fact that a few hundred (more or less) young Hollywood folks are out boozing and doping it up. Not too many years ago there were millions of young folks out partying all the time. In fact from the mid-60's to the mid-80's America was involved in one big coast to coast party. Comparatively speaking, we live in a pretty sober society now. What's all the fuss? Have we so soon forgotten our recent history? Paris is being punished for being, beautiful, successful (without any discernable talent and that really ticks people off), and naughty by our newly prudish society. I hope she comes back stronger than ever. She should get a chauffeur and party as long and as hard as she wants to. Eventually, she will tire of it and become respectable. But, let her have some fun while she is young.

Anonymous said...

Alrighty then,first let me just say that having three children of my own I feel that any a--hole that drinks and drives in this day and age,when you can call for a car and driver as easy as picking up your $500 cell phone, should be put into the jail or some just punisment. Having said that I do think this whole Paris thing has been blown way out of proportion. Give the child some "hip" comunity service or whatever but for gods sakes let's get over this. I hear that's what Paris wants. SHE'S HOT!!!!! Melody

Anonymous said...

Randy, it's refreshing to see that you are branching out into different areas for commentary. I have always thought that this forum could be a very interesting sounding board for aging hippies and other old countercultural types to voice opinions and share their experiences on a range of pertinent cultural topics. The blog tends to be one dimensional...almost exclusively Bush-bashing. I would say that the mission has been accomplished. Nobody believes that he is an effective leader anymore. He has even lost most of his base. He probably wouldn't get 10% of the vote if it were possible for him to run again. You are preaching to the choir and beating a dead horse. I hope that you will continue to have a variety stimulating cultural topics for your tribe to hash out. Personally, I would like to hear more of your personal views on a wide range of subjects. You are highly intelligent and a very effective communicator. Let us learn more from you and from others who post in this blog than just political issues. It could only result in more participation.

Anonymous said...

Well, it finally had to happen. And, I for one, am pretty glad that it did. For quite a while there has been this lurking social scientist, this compactor of words, this clear head always with the ready cleaver of sanity..................I wait for the chop..........no chop..........I wait a bit longer.......no chop. Then, this morning, a little bleary eyed from staying up too late with my little baby sister's crazed teenage genius in New Jersey, I was able to find my way to his computer to do a little checking on events of the evening, checking for any overnight coups, Sumarian election results, and to see if the Yankees had indeed reemerged as the team of whom those with high intellect know them to be...... and there it was...............blood everywhere. The virtual keys that hit the url of truth and poignancy had obviously been struck.

Let me take you there. I had been fortunate enough to have scanned my email not knowing how lucky indeed I would be, for it was a new edition of BAH. "Yay!", the part of me that is sometimes smart and loves to be provoked said... almost out loud. I read the usual penetrating look into a subject that in other's hands might have been droll but from under the fingertips of RJH is focused, pointed, revealing, and then saw that two comments had already been laid in. Hungry to continue in the give and take that has recently become a part of Master Haspel's rag I read the view of Anonymous but I didn't spend any further time on it as then I saw the name on the second comment. Ms. Melody had been mentioned as the ultimate provocateur of the piece in the first place and to see Our Lady Of The "I'll spend the rest of my natural life with the wacked out old man" , a tradition likening her to Joan of, and Helen of, I felt a rush of "oh, yeah" build up in the center of my brain. I sat back for a minute, like I was going to just wait a minute before finally tasting the dessert that won the intergalactic pie contest. I sat up and then there it was....right there at the end. "SHE'S HOT!!!!!"
Nothing else needs to be said. I've seen the knowing look on her face before. I've seen the restraint when with one deft blow she could have finished once and for all.....an argument, a polemic, a war...........but so clean, Mel. So efficient. Yikes! Goodbye Paris. Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye. Jesus, Mel!!

Girl. Give the old man a kiss for me....and tell him how lucky he is. Yikes.
And a smooch from me, too.

Anonymous said...

Ludor would like you to compare and contrast the fate of Paris vs: that of Mary Winkler. Perhaps if Paris had Leslie B. on her side she'd still be drivin!!

Anonymous said...

too small an item to comment on.
FUCK EM ALL. Get back to Bush Admin. bashing. People are getting killed.
dfromtenn

Anonymous said...

Mary Winkler's situation is a perfect argument that there really is 'white man's justice' in this country. If she had been a black ghetto mother and had done the same crime, she would have received life without parole at the very least. It doesn't get much worse than shooting a man in the back with a shotgun while he is sleeping. Did she stop to think...'Hey, this guy is a bum, so I'll take the kids and move in with my folks and then divorce him'. No, she decides to take all of his tomorrows just because he is an a_hole. There are a lot of a_hole husbands who had better start sleeping with one eye open. This is not a good precedent.

Anonymous said...

'dfromtenn'...Bush-bashing on this site is preaching to the choir. If you want to reach the 10-20% of people in this country who still support Bush (this is where your Bush-bashing may acquire some new converts), you first are going to have to hire a private investigator to find them for you. It's hard to find folks these days who will openly admit to supporting him. Maybe Randy could do something like the old circuit riders used to do. Go from town to town with a large tent and have Bush-hating revivals. That way you wouldn't be wasting your breath...you might actually convert some of them. Nobody that reads this blog likes Bush anyway. In fact I'll bet that no one who supports Bush would read this blog more than once or twice.

Anonymous said...

Ramdy, you are right on target. If my friend Melody had been stopped for having an extra glass of wine she would never have been stopped. It is only because Paris is who she is that she is being treated the way she is.

Refreshing to see a topic from the born again hippie other than the usual brilliant ones.

Cheers to both of you, jspv

Anonymous said...

Randy.Hi, I always knew that Melody was Queen for the rest of your life..
If Paris Hilton is "the News" today maybe the other news is too much to bear? My sister wrote to me that Seattle is becomming overtaken with Coyotes roaming the streets in the wee hours of the morning. Keep you doors closed and the cats and dogs,,,small children too,within sight at all times.
It's all too much and at the same time..not enough.
Will you ever come back to Oregon for a visit? We miss you both.C

Anonymous said...

Don't fight nature. After the coyotes eat your pets and your children, just accept the coyotes as your pets. Go with the flow. Everything dies and is consumed by something else in the end. It's the resistance that makes things seem difficult. Don't fight entropy...it is a losing battle.

Anonymous said...

Lock her up! I've been hit by a drunk driver, head-on. It's time people figured out the fact that a vehicle is a deadly weapon and should be operated as such. She can't get away with treating the law and society as a mere burp in her otherwise busy day. Give me a frigging break. I, for one, have enjoyed her plight, and 45 days is an easy walk for Paris or anyone else behaving badly. She showed a complete lack of respect for the law and maybe, just maybe, she'll use her resources and hire a driver! It's easy, Paris, do the right thing.

Anonymous said...

Maybe you should see the Paris Hilton Sexual Exploitation Video, that should open up your virgin eyes..possibly you'll be able to understand the law a bit more clearly.
Remember, Paris is not Paris until you have Paris London toss'in Paris Hilton's Salad around Cross-Bar Hotel!!

Anonymous said...

I JUST THINK SHE WEARS TOOOOO MUCH EYE MAKEUP. ALSO I HEAR SHE HAS REALLY BIG FEET. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? REALLY BIG SHOES? ETC........
I HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY AND I FIND HER PITIFUL AND BORING. BESIDES I'VE BEEN MARRIED TO TWO BLONDES ALREADY AND I NOW PREFER BRUNETTES WITH FULL ADULT FIGURES AND SOMETHING TO SAY.
USUALLY ON THE PHONE.

Anonymous said...

You used a bunch of words saying something. I got bored.

Anonymous said...

thanks for the intelligence, reason, courage and humor. in this republican world of lies and deceit, your words are needed more than ever. thank you, please continue.