Posted on 06/01/2005 9:27:48 AM PDT by UltraConservative
Paris Hilton is at it again. The 24-year-old hotel heiress is the feature attraction in Carl's Jr.'s new Spicy Burger ad campaign, aimed at the horny male TV-watching population. Scantily clad in a one-piece leather outfit plunging down to below her navel, Hilton struts into an empty warehouse, licks her finger, then suds up herself and a Bentley automobile, as a stripper-styled "I Love Paris" rendition slowly plays in the background. At the end of the spot, Hilton bites the burger and sucks her finger clean. The commercial closes with Hilton's tagline flashing across the screen: "That's Hot."
The spot is pure, soft-core pornography, beginning to end. The website for the commercial, spicyparis.com, touts the "too-hot-for-TV spot." And while Carl's Jr. CEO Andy Puzder defends the ad as "a beautiful model in a swimsuit washing a car," it is clearly designed to capitalize on Hilton's target audience -- porn watchers.
As I explain in my upcoming book, "Porn Generation: How Social Liberalism Is Corrupting Our Future," the plain truth of the situation is that Paris Hilton would be a relative nobody today were she not incredibly rich and profligate with her favors. Hilton made perhaps the most infamous porn video outside of Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee. That hard-core work, starring then-boyfriend Rick Solomon, brought her international fame. At least nine other sex tapes are said to be floating around somewhere, including a lesbian sex tape with Playboy playmate Nicole Lenz. The sexually uninhibited Hilton became a target for Larry Flynt of Hustler fame, who released pictures of Hilton sharing some lesbian tongue at a nightclub. As Conan O'Brien observed, "Hustler magazine announced that it will feature photos of Paris Hilton making out with another woman, while the woman fondles Paris' breasts. So the search continues for a photo of Paris Hilton not having sex."
Because of her pornographic involvement, Hilton has grabbed an endorsement deal as the Guess? Jeans girl (the New York Observer reported that "her bad-girl image jibes with the clothing company's porn-lite ad campaigns"), endless tabloid headlines, and now, this deal with Carl's Jr. As Brad Haley, marketing chief for Carl's Jr., stated, "Paris was chosen to star in the ad because she is an intriguing cultural icon and the 'it girl' of the moment."
Here's the big question: How, as a society, did we allow Paris Hilton to become a cultural icon? Clearly, no one likes her very much. Liberals and conservatives alike agree that she is vacuous and silly. Media commentators all over the map label her "spoiled" and "stupid." Maureen Dowd, hardly a cultural right-winger, lumps Hilton together with "vacuous, slutty girls on TV sitcoms."
No, Hilton is today's "it girl" for one reason and one reason alone: Individual scorn, though that opinion may be shared by a vast majority, does not control the river of a culture. It is those who push the envelope who do. Over the past few decades, we have implemented a "live and let live" culture whereby abhorrence for immorality is seen as illegitimate if promoted through governmental means. Instead, we are supposed to let our culture be poisoned slowly -- and if we protest, we are told that as long as we turn off our own TV's, all will be well.
That's why it should come as no surprise that Hilton's spicy ad has ardent defenders, who proclaim that just because you don't like pornography doesn't mean that it can't make someone else very happy. One man's pornography is another man's means to happiness. And so Keith Olbermann of MSNBC ripped the ad's detractors: "I'm reminded tonight of H.L. Mencken's definition of Puritanism: the haunting fear someone somewhere may be happy. Is that at the bottom line here, I mean, that the people who have to protest crap like this ad -- and it's crap -- but are they afraid it will corrupt somebody, or are they afraid somebody will enjoy it?" Paul Begala labeled the offended "the sanctimonious Republican right." And Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times simultaneously condemned the commercial as "a new high (or low) in television crassness" and slammed the ad's opponents as members of the "manufactured outrage industry."
This is the new pattern: individual condemnation and societal acceptance. The moral among us have been forced into tolerance of immorality. Paris Hilton is a cultural icon because of it. As long as the moral majority is impotent, the lowest common denominator will continue to define us.
©2005 Creators Syndicate, Inc.
Here's another interesting one, Cy.
A libertine culture who enjoys the tyranny of the pretty people embraces Paris Hilton. Paris Hilton is every guy's 'dream',a bubble headed blonde who is thin and a slut.
It'll be interesting to see what she looks like in 20 years, once the fast-lane life has taken its toll.
There is also an internet video of her wearing a very short skirt, getting out of a car and making it VERY obvious that she wasn't wearing knickers. I think I saw little black bugs crawling around in there.
EW!
Hey, it's a culture that understands a blond's needs.
"Paris Hilton is every guy's 'dream',a bubble headed blonde who is thin and a slut."
Well said.
The founding fathers set up the American Constitution to prevent the tyranny of the majority.
There are some things that the community simply cannot do when it comes to curtailing the liberties of the minority. Even if everyone else in your community does not like what you have to say, they still cannot silence you.
I agree with you to a point. But the individual cannot hold the community hostage. And my argument is that if two individuals are on opposite sides of an issue... which individual is the one to prevail? Is one not to prevail because the community agrees with his position?
Depends on the situation. When it comes to rights, having the majority disagree with you doesn't really make a difference.
What sort of culture would embrace Marilyn Monroe?
...great ambassador to UNICEF under the Clinton years...
&&
I'll bet I-X42 has had a fling with her. Vacuous and slutty - his favorite flavor.
You're soaking in it...
***
LOL!
You're old enough to remember that one, eh?
Perfectly said. There have been sex goddesses in our culture for years. This is part of a evolving cultural heritage. Those who can't see it have not studied history. I remember when Jackie Kennedy was the thing. Does anyone remember Mae West?
I've been looking fruitlessly for southern belles at the orgies I attend. Now I know why.
What sort of culture would embrace Marilyn Monroe?
***
Marilyn had a lot more going for her upstairs than did Miz Hilton. Just too bad she snuffed it at a young age. Or according to some -- she was snuffed.
And all this time I thought it was about a hambuger.
I heard a couple of kids on the radio talking about the new Paris ad. Apparently, she is extremely popular with school aged boys and girls alike. As the boy put it: "girls want to be her and guys want to be with her."
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