Profile: The genius of self-promotion that is Paris Hilton
At a dinner party last week, my guests gasped in horror when I said that I view Paris Hilton to be a genius. Their faces turned ashen and one asked if I had lost the plot. In the ensuing discussion, several described her as the personification of vulgarity and tastelessness. Others complained that Hilton had achieved nothing with her life and one went as far as to say that this young lady was notable for nothing other than an appearance in a sex tape in 2003.
For the few who don’t know her, Miss Hilton is the 31-year old great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. On her official Twitter account she describes herself as a: “Model, Actress, Singer, Brand, Business Woman, Fashion Designer, Author, Philanthropist and Empire.” That, indeed, is certainly quite a collection.
“Life is too short to blend in,” said Hilton in an interview and her philosophy is indeed one that I’d agree with. Hilton may have done some pretty tasteless and silly things over the years and her shows Paris Hilton’s My New BFF and The Simple Life were not my kind of viewing, but her brilliance is that she knows how to turn publicity into dollar returns. Now worth some $100,000,000, she’s the one who is having the last laugh.
In a 2006 interview for Guardian Unlimited, Hilton aptly summed up the reason for her success:
“People can’t believe how hard I work…. I love it. I think it just runs through my veins. My great-grandfather was a bellboy and had a dream to do a hotel chain, so I think I get it from him.”
Like or loathe her, the determined Miss Hilton’s achievements are impressive and I’ll leave her the final word:
“I don’t think there’s ever been anyone like me that’s lasted. And I’m going to keep lasting.”
View Paris Hilton’s official website at: http://www.parishilton.com
Follow Paris Hilton on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/ParisHilton