by Darren Franich
Image Credit: Ken Babolocsay/Globe Photos/ZUMAPRESS.com
There was a time when it seemed like Paris Hilton was one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. She may not have invented the notion of “famous for being famous,” but she perfected it, running roughshod over the first decade of this brave new millennium. She was inescapable. She had a reality show, or two. She had a music career, and I use both terms loosely. She was on the cover of classy magazines and tabloid magazines, thus shattering the difference between the two, until the very definition of “quality” began to seem fuzzy. She was at the center of the Lohan-Spears-Hilton party girl continuum which threatened the very fabric of our nation, apparently. But time rolls ever on. Seasons pass. Things change. And, despite ourselves, we learn from our past mistakes. Thus, The World According to Paris — Hilton’s new reality show about the perils of being Paris Hilton — debuted to blessedly low ratings on Wednesday. Congratulations, America! It only took eight years, untold millions of dollars, a relentless onslaught of media gasbaggery (that’s us!), and the entire career of Nicole Richie, but you have successfully weaned yourself off of your Paris addiction. (Don’t worry about Ms. Hilton: Something tells me she’ll be just fine.)
