Paris Hilton: a woman of wealth and taste
Who would guess that Paris Hilton knew a thing about being classy? She seems to think she does. And poor Hilton seems to be under the delusion that Las Vegas strives to be classy as well. Everyone who comes to Las Vegas for the classy experience, please raise your hand!
Then again, it is also possible that Paris Hilton is a brilliant satirist, this fully on display by offering this sentence to reporters while promoting the Dubai version of Hilton's television show:
“I respect the culture in Dubai — it’s much classier than Las Vegas."
Ah, to run through all the classy things Paris Hilton has done in Las Vegas over the years would wear my fingers out. There was the night I watched her walk into a wall at a nightclub. Oh, there is also the infamous night at another nightclub where she used a pot to .... Oh, there I go.
Anyway, part of Hilton's satirical genius in this quote, perhaps inadvertent, comes from the fact that these days Dubai actually owns a large chunk of Vegas, having bought stakes in Cirque, a nightclub and restaurant company (Light Group). Its biggest commitment of all is partnering with MGM-Mirage for the massive CityCenter development of hotels, condominiums, stores and casinos on the Strip.
If you are interested in some of the classy things Dubai does when not buying chunks of Vegas and wowing Paris Hilton, check out Amnesty International's site. One of Hilton's claims to fame, for example, would be eligible for capital punishment from the classy rulers (What? You thought this place had elected leaders?) of Dubai.
But this is really the key: Vegas has never striven to be classy. That is why the companies here don't think twice about doing business with places like Dubai or places overseen by the government of China. Las Vegas can create the illusion of class in a restaurant or within a hotel room for sure; class can definitely be rented or purchased here. But that is only an illusion. Las Vegas isn't at all about class; this city is about conspicuous and unnecessary consumption. That classless and class-free dedication to embarrassing and shameless excess is exactly why Paris Hilton has always been popular in Las Vegas. She totally lacks class, and Vegas embraces her for that. Doesn't she know? Hasn't anyone told her?
Photo: Paris Hilton in Vegas in September 2007. Credit: Sarah Gerke
Nice article again, Richard. Maybe that's the last of her in Las Vegas. For sure, if she shows up here, she's going to have to explain that lame comment.
Like you, I see how totally see through the personae of Paris Hilton is. No talent at all, but has the ability to get her mug with expensively coifed hair plastered all over the place. I go one step further though: The highest bidder gets her. Dubai has thrown money at her. Las Vegas don't pay her the big money to stand around night clubs, look demure, do stupid poses and act bored anymore like they used to. Those days are over. She found a "cash cow" in Dubai and she will suck up to them to get their money from now until it dries up, or until they realize she has no talent at all and is just using them. They paid for her and she pulls through for them....just so long as the money flows her way, they have her loyalty to say stupid things like that.
And don't worry about her reading this article and blacklisting you, Richard. Because she already has went on record before that she don't read articles at all. She only scans it to see the accompanying picture to ensure she looks good in it. That's a further example of her total transparency and plasticity.
Posted by: ColinFromLasVegas | June 19, 2009 at 10:44 AM
Great post, Richard.
Posted by: Chuck | June 19, 2009 at 12:34 PM
She wouldn't know class if it bit her on the lips
Posted by: DickNasty | June 19, 2009 at 02:32 PM
This is an interesting article about Dubai. Maybe Paris should read it (from The Independent - UK):
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/the-dark-side-of-dubai-1664368.html
It's long, but to the point.
Posted by: maduceone | June 19, 2009 at 04:01 PM