Two Things:
1) All that's standing in the way of me and "summer" are three papers, a final, and grading. I can't seem to care enough to do any of the above. So pathetic.
2) Equally as pathetic, as we drifted off to sleep last night, my husband and I couldn't stop obsessing about Paris Hilton. We stayed up later than we should've and watched her captivating (sarcasm) interview on Letterman. One question, I'd like you all to weigh in on: Is it actually possible that she is really that phenomenally stupid???? Josh's theory is that she is a puppet - someone is taking advantage of her for her profit making potential and training her to tell talk show hosts that "really, [she's] a business woman." My theory is that she is either actually depressingly, mind-blowingly dumb or that she's faking to be so dumb because it somehow benefits her.
There you have it, folks. The two things that have been on my mind today. I must admit, I'm so tired and I don't feel like being a sociologist these days. I just have to fake it through three more papers....and then I can relax slightly and fall back into the natural rhythm of being a sociologist...when it's not required of me (which is when it is most fun).
5 comments:
Regarding 2)
I'm convinced that PH and others are in a class of their own-- a class that is both appealing to some and disgusting to others. This has the effect of making them popular and morbidly repulsive-- so much so that everyone watches them and pays attention to their lives. Since Viacom doesn't care *why* you turn on your tv, they feed you as much 'simple life' as you can handle.
I guess what I'm saying is "If everyone ignored her, she would go away". This is less profound than I intended.
My major peeve right now is reality tv. The basic formula is:
a) people who are either attractive or repugnant enought to be fascinating
b) Source of angst/stress (eating brains, group living, competition)
c) Enough footage to provide a 'cliffhanger' every time there's a commercial break.
OK, so America loves its movies. It looks like tv producers just wanted to take the movie formula and compress it to 22 minutes. I just don't see how we can possibly get anything out of watching these shows-- there's nothing redeeming that they can put in 22 minutes without sacrificing you-wont-believe-your-eyes action.
At this point in the conversation, I step back and realize that I'm waxing (not so) eloquently about things sociological on a sociologist's blog. I shall beat a hasty retreat.
Oh, and good luck on the last papers, etc.
-k
K - your sociological commentary is much appreciated and quite good. I have to say, though, that Josh and I are pretty much hooked on The Amazing Race right now. It has almost moved me to tears on several occassions (by almost, I mean...it has.) Embarassing, I know.
As for Paris, it is sort of like the way we are compelled to slow down and gawk at traffic accidents. Humans are drawn to tragedy, especially when it is in the form of a hot little tart who has more money than she knows what to do with.
Thanks for reading and commenting!
I actually believe that Paris Hilton is quite smart and has a good deal of business savvy. She knows what it takes to market herself and has done so very successfully. When she wrote her book, she had all the photos retouched to make her eyes look bluer. She wears extensions 24/7. She knows her looks are her livelihood. Superficial as it is, she's doing quite well for herself! True, she may not know how to make a bed or cook a meal, but she's making tons of money, and that's what our society sees as success.
i *heart* reality t.v.
without shame, i might add.
i've never found, nor tried to find, anything 'redemptive' about standard television. i watch it because it entertains. nor do i find reality television voyeuristic because those on the program know there are cameras. i'm not spying. i'm watching network produced home videos.
Business savvy? Yes. Smart? No. A timely addition to this conversation was published this morning in the NYT:
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/05/02/arts/02pari.html?pagewanted=1
She may know how to get attention (which, in her "business" means knows how to make money), but that doesn't mean she is smart. I would wager that most attractive women with her bank roll could do equally as well, if not better. So, without denying the fact that she has made herself into a brand with remarkable success, let’s not overstate the case by calling her “smart.”
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