It's not easy being THE

Sitting in traffic on the way to work this morning, at that moment when the hot brewed liquid of life I so greedily consumed released its magic into my bloodstream and my eyes opened, I had a realization. I owe Paris Hilton an apology.

You see, I've been hard in my comments toward the rich little hotel heiress. In an obsessive manner befitting a restraining order, I've ranted to everyone from a college tour group from Paris, France to a bartender in Paris, Texas about how the dead between the ears spoilt one was amazingly,famous for being famous and that I wished all manner of pestilence would rain down upon her. Yeah I was vicious in my distain.

Was I jealous of her fame or was I morally outraged at the “one night” (WARNING: this link contains adult material) that it took her to, pardon the pun, rise to it? I mean, surely it isn't her fault that the press began its fawning. Is it? Did she ask for it by placing herself in the public eye? It's not like she could control the photographers at the many runways she walked down or the night club openings she so often attended. She was just being her and the press forced itself upon her and then her upon us.

She's just a poor little rich girl after all. One the world seems to love, adore, admire and to which they ascribe talents well beyond any she has exhibited.

It could be worse couldn't it? It's not like the media helped her, as someone without demonstrated leadership skills, to be put in charge of anything important right? As I sat in my car under the Red Roof in which I was driving down the road, I though about the power of celebrity and that given enough of it, someone could go far. Farther than anyone could imagine: from relative obscurity to “king of the world; in a meteoric rise that begins One night in Boston and culminates one hot night in Chicago with a sycophantic crowd of devotees chanting in hysterical euphoria like underage girls at an Akon concert. Or even like Akon chanting hysterically for underage girls!

The Courtyard near my office is a place of gathering where conversations range from the latest movies to the Best Western swing dance club in town. Political discussions where being good at being elected is touted as a reason for being elected. Where community organization demonstrates leadership and questionable associations don't require questioning. Where celebrity instills confidence and greatness seems destined. There seems to be the joy of a Holiday in everyone's mood regarding political futures while doubt and skepticism clouds the financial outlook. It's amazing what celebrity can do.

We talk about Paris too. Not the city of lights Paris. We talk about THE Paris. You know THE ONE. She just broke up with her boyfriend and is back on the market. She'll find the right one someday. The one she is to Marry Ought to be sure to get a pre-nuptial agreement.

The fickle press can turn very quickly. Well maybe not but hopefully soon they will examine more closely the real person. We will find the things we should have known before anointing her to a position of social influence.

She is now hunting for a BFF and many in the running are retreads and throwbacks to previous times. We've seen them before. If she isn't careful the bloom will fall from her rosy glow and she'll be exposed for who she is. Once that happens and we see the real ONE, we will have to decide if the devotion afforded her is warranted and should continue. Eventually she will have to do something! Pray it is the right thing.

I feel just a little bad for judging her harshly. I suppose it was a knee jerk reaction to having an onslaught of one sided, biased media stories thrust on me in an effort to promote her. Then again, it could be that I saw through the veiled coverage to the real person and didn't allow myself to be influenced. All I can do now is watch and Hope for the best along with the devotees.

Oh well, I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

S2