THE MAKING OF a POSTMODERN CELEBUTANTE HOW PARIS HILTON’S PUBLIC PERSONA IS CONSTRUCTED = SỰ tạo THÀNH NGƯỜI NỔI TIẾNG hậu HIỆN đại HÌNH ẢNH PARIS HILTON TRƯỚC CÔNG CHÚNG

Through analysis of the reality show The Simple Life, I argue that Hilton’s “dumb blonde heiress” persona is a reinvention of the traditional dumb blonde stereotype: It is her wealth an

VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY, HANOI

UNIVERSITY OF LANGUAGES AND INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF LINGUISTICS & CULTURES OF ENGLISH-SPEAKING COUNTRIES

***

GRADUATION PAPER

THE MAKING OF A POSTMODERN

CELEBUTANTE: HOW PARIS HILTON’S PUBLIC

ĐẠI HỌC QUỐC GIA HÀ NỘI

TRƯỜNG ĐẠI HỌC NGOẠI NGỮ KHOA NGÔN NGỮ & VĂN HÓA CÁC NƯỚC NÓI TIẾNG ANH

KHÓA LUẬN TỐT NGHIỆP

SỰ TẠO THÀNH NGƯỜI NỔI TIẾNG HẬU HIỆN ĐẠI: HÌNH ẢNH PARIS HILTON TRƯỚC CÔNG

ACCEPTANCE PAGE

I hereby state that I: Lưu Lan Phương, QH2017.E1, being a candidate for the degree

of Bachelor of Arts, accept the requirements of the College relating to the retention and use of Bachelor’s Graduation Paper deposited in the library

In terms of these conditions, I agree that the origin of my paper deposited in the library should be accessible for the purposes of study and research, in accordance with the normal conditions established by the librarian for the care, loan or reproduction of the paper

Signature

Date

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Nguyễn Thanh Hà The completion of my paper would not have been possible without her unwavering guidance, invaluable insight, constructive criticism and unparalleled dedication Despite my severe lack of experience and knowledge about the field of qualitative research, she has always shown me unfailing patience, encouragement and kindness that have become one of my biggest motivations to overcome such a challenging experience Thank you for believing in me even when I could not do the same to myself

I would also like to extend my appreciation to my friends: Trang, Hà Anh and Hà Linh for their emotional support, tremendous assistance and positive affirmations Without their nurturing and sympathetic companionship, I would not have the mental strength to carry on with this research

Last but not least, I am deeply indebted to my parents as they have fostered

my resilience and determination ever since I was a child Despite our distance and generational differences, they have continuously provided me with the highest level

of compassion, faith and encouragement throughout this process

ABSTRACT

Paris Hilton, one of the most controversial figures in the American show business since the early 2000s, is commonly regarded as a “celebutante” – someone who possesses both fame and fortune with the absence of talents or achievements to justify her status Despite the skepticism and criticism, Hilton’s lasting appeal continues to exceed expectations and has recently brought about a reckoning of her role as a powerful cultural and media icon This paper examines the making of Paris Hilton as a postmodern phenomenon with a focus on the construction of her public personas Central to this study is the concept of postmodern identity, which is neither stable nor unified but multiple, fluid, even contradictory, and devoid of

depth Through analysis of the reality show The Simple Life, I argue that Hilton’s

“dumb blonde heiress” persona is a reinvention of the traditional dumb blonde stereotype: It is her wealth and status that makes her ignorant, which positions her

as an object of both scorn and envy Moreover, her robust presence across different types of media embodies an assemblage of contrasts, including both innocent girliness and hypersexual femininity, both a high-class, glamorous socialite’s life and problematic, scandalous, and publicly humiliating experiences Finally,

comparison of her 2004 memoir Confessions of an Heiress and 2020 documentary

This Is Paris suggests an evolution of a tenuous relationship with authenticity, in

which sincerity and vulnerability have now replaced irony and artifice but instead

of undoing the previous personas and revealing her ‘true’ self, they add another layer to the multiplicity of her public presentation Paris Hilton as a brand, which has been methodically crafted and thrived on audience’s emotions, has participated

in creating a new mode of celebrity and being in our postmodern media culture

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1 Paris Hilton in ODDA’s editorial 32

Figure 2 Paris Hilton with her pink Bentley 34

Figure 3 Paris Hilton’s photoshoot with David

LaChapelle for Vanity Fair

36

Figure 4 Paris Hilton’s cover photo for Runway

magazine

39

CHAPTER 3 ‘THE SIMPLE LIFE’ AND PARIS HILTON’S DUMB BLONDE

3.1 Reality television: History and characteristics 18

CHAPTER 4 PARIS HILTON AS AN ASSEMBLAGE OF PARADOXICAL

CHAPTER 5 PARIS HILTON’S RELATIONSHIP WITH AUTHENTICITY: A

5.1 Confessions of an Heiress and the rejection of authenticity 42

5.2 This Is Paris and the performance of authenticity 46CHAPTER 6 CONCLUDING REMARKS: PARIS HILTON PERFORMING

6.1 Postmodern media culture, the rise of Paris Hilton, and a new model of

6.2 Paris Hilton and the embodiment of postfeminism 57

CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the study

“Celebutante” is a blend between “celeb-”, as in “celebrity”, and “-butante”,

as in “debutante” While celebrity refers to a person or a state associated with fame and notoriety (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.), “debutante” alludes to “a rich young woman who, especially in the past in Britain, went to a number of social events as

a way of being introduced to other young people of high social rank” (Cambridge Dictionary, n.d.) The term “celebutante” was coined in 1939 by Walter Winchell

to characterize the infamous party girl Brenda Frazier as he described her social status and lifestyle (Brown, 2008) During the 1980s, newspaper articles and television utilized “celebutante” in reference to the “club kids'' whose undeserved fame in New York’s nightlife scene stemmed from their club appearances, party fashion, and drug use (Brown, 2008) This increasing media usage cast a disparaging overtone on the public’s interpretation of the term, which Winchell originally intended to be an “unambiguous praise” (Brown, 2008, p 316)

Such connotation remained during the term’s resurgence in the early 2000s

as it was used to criticize the growing notoriety of Paris Hilton following the release

of her reality show (Brown, 2008; Smith, 2005) By constantly addressing Hilton with this term, the media questioned her status, implying not only “unmerited fame but also vacuousness, misused privilege, hyperconsumerism” (Brown, 2008, p.317) This label has proved to be a double-edged sword On the one hand, it undermines Hilton’s potential and achievement, preventing her from being respected as a celebrity, an entrepreneur, and a businesswoman On the other hand, the “dumb blonde heiress” image that, according to her, is merely one of her meticulously crafted personas became the foundation on which she built her personal brand, and consequently, her multi-million-dollar business empire (Bell, 2020) Although in recent years, she has not been mentioned in mainstream headlines as much as she

did at the height of her career, Paris Hilton remains a fixture in American pop culture In addition to her frequent collaborations with the biggest social media influencers, her trademarked phrase “That’s hot!” has reemerged on Tik Tok in the form of lip-syncing videos, gaining a combined total of around 5.4 billion views as

of November 2020 She has amassed tens of millions of followers across all her platforms, on which various aspects of her lifestyle and unique aesthetic are constantly pictured and shared, inspiring the followers and captivating their interest After more than two decades since the onset of her career, the longevity of Paris Hilton’s celebrity continues to exceed expectations

On September 14, 2020, a documentary titled The Real Story of Paris Hilton

| This Is Paris was premiered on Paris Hilton’s official YouTube channel and

quickly took the world by storm It accumulated millions of views within days of the premiere and proved, once again, her lasting appeal The film starts with footage

of the pop culture icon as she walks into a recording studio, wearing her velour tracksuit and oversize sunglasses, holding several hot pink designer bags on one hand and her precious chihuahua Diamond on the other One merely needs to have the slightest interest in media culture to recognize such an aesthetic, as hundreds of thousands of Hilton’s images have been constantly plastered all over every media outlet for almost two decades This initial sense of familiarity intensifies when she records herself reading the documentary title in her infamous baby voice, which can

be described as a unique mixture of vocal fry and high-pitched valley girl accent During the forty-five-second intro, she swiftly switches between such a character voice and her adult voice multiple times to find the best-sounding snippet This can

be seen as a fitting metaphor for the multiplicity and complexity of her public personas

Despite the fact that Paris Hilton’s unconventional rise to fame and excessive media presence was initially the target of public criticism and scrutiny, during the 2010s the media started to acknowledge her monumental influence on popular

culture “Before there were influencers, there was Paris Hilton,” wrote Ilana Kaplan (2020) in a The New York Times article prior to the release of Hilton’s documentary

This Is Paris Kim Kardashian herself, Hilton’s former assistant, confirmed this in

the documentary, claiming “I wouldn't be here today if it hadn't been for, number one, her starting off in the reality world, and her introducing me to the world” (Dean,

2020, 0:24:44) Earlier, her massive success with The Simple Life highlighted the

considerably under-exploited potential of reality TV shows at the time, which urged

many major cable channels to join the field with their own versions, such as The

Real Housewives and Honey Boo Boo (Sunderland, 2015) Such popularization of

reality shows gave rise to a large number of reality stars, namely the Kardashians, whose careers, to a certain extent, follow the Paris Hilton blueprint

The media and the public’s reckoning with the complexity of Paris Hilton as

a media and cultural phenomenon would be incomplete and ineffective without considering the unique landscape of the postmodern media The rise of postmodern media was related to the ubiquity of television, and later, cable television, as the main source of information and entertainment and the emergence and popularization

of digital media and the internet (Harvey, 1990) The relentless reproduction and mediation of media images influence and shape media consumers’ perception of reality (Harvey, 1990) Jean Baudrillard, whose work is “foundational for postmodern analyses of media” (Harms & Dickens, 1996, p 213), in order to characterize postmodern media, coined the term “hyperreality” (1994), which refers

to the proliferation of manufactured signs or symbols that represent something simulated or inorganic, yet such representations are perceived as real and authentic

In other words, the distinction between reality and the portrayal of reality in the media, according to Baudrillard, has been significantly blurred due to the advance

in media technologies and the intensive exposure to a large number of media texts

on a daily basis (1994) Angus (1989) holds a similar postmodern view about the media, suggesting that rather than being reflected by the media, reality has become

blended with it Another frequently discussed aspect of postmodern media concerns the concept of self-reflexivity and self-referentiality (Harms & Dickens, 1996), which can be understood as the ability to not only acknowledge its constructedness but also make references to itself This makes room for the continual recycling, reproduction, and combination of mediated texts and images from a wide range of sources and genres (Harms & Dickens, 1996)

From a postmodern lens it is possible to appreciate both the complexity and multiplicity of Paris Hilton’s public personas without the impossible trappings of disentangling what is ‘real’ and what is ‘constructed’ In addition, although she has been credited by not only the media but also her successors with paving the way for the emergence of a new genre of celebrity and exemplifying it before its official term – “influencers” - was even coined (Goodman, 2011; Moran, 2018; Petrarca, 2017; Real, 2018), there have been few serious scholarly discussions about her Her name frequently appears in the titles of journal articles from different fields but as

a descriptive, supposedly self-explanatory term, such as in Mombrun’s (2007) articleLet's Protect Our Economy and Democracy from Paris Hilton: The Case for Keeping the Estate Tax, Chowdhury’s (2016) Is Bitcoin the “Paris Hilton” of the currency world?, or Redmalm’s (2014) Holy bonsai wolves: Chihuahuas and the Paris Hilton syndrome to name a few Interestingly, this serves as further evidence

of Paris Hilton as a postmodern phenomenon, who has transpired boundaries and become ubiquitous and a floating metaphor on which multiple meanings can be projected

1.2 Statement of research problem and significance

This study explores the making of Paris Hilton as a postmodern celebutante

To be specific, I attempt to investigate Paris Hilton’s public personas as they appear

in various kinds of media I start with The Simple Life, the reality show that turned

her into a household name and look across her robust media presence (including

fashion photography, advertising, film, and social media) to identify the manifestation and multiplicity of her image I also focus on her memoir published

in 2004 and her recent documentary to compare her modes of representation

Paris Hilton has been one of the most omnipresent and prominent figures in popular culture since the early 2000s She is often credited by several media outlets and fellow colleagues in the entertainment industry as the “original influencer” who created the blueprint for the new generation of social media influencers, especially

in terms of formulating and adopting public personas, an increasingly common practice in the age of user-generated content platforms By exploring different aspects of her public persona, this study provides an overview of Paris Hilton’s media presences, which can be helpful in the study of media personalities and influencers As this thesis starts from a postmodern standpoint, it also makes an argument that Paris Hilton has participated in creating a new mode of celebrity and being in our postmodern media culture

1.3 Theoretical perspective and mode of inquiry

This study views Paris Hilton’s construction of public personas through the postmodern lens There is no definite definition of postmodernism, as it is a broad term that has been applied in various disciplines It is a direct response to modernism and the Enlightenment movement To be specific, it rejects the notion of

“metanarratives”, which refers to universal belief systems that govern our society Postmodernists, namely Lyotard (1984), argue that there is no such thing as absolute and over-arching truth that can objectively explain reality for all groups, cultures,

or races Instead, from the postmodern perspective, the concepts of truth and reality are relative and socially constructed In a postmodern world, the concept of fame is

no longer strictly associated with talents or greatness Instead, due to the implosion

of the media, which intensifies the fading distinction between reality and mediated

images, everyone can attempt to achieve celebrity status by adopting suitable strategies to construct and present their public images (Harms & Dickens, 1996)

Central to this study is the concept of postmodern identity Traditionally, it was believed that identity was determined since one’s birth, and remained unchanged throughout their entire life (Kellner, 1992) In the late modern society, although it was allowed more mobility due to an individual’s increasingly diverse social roles, such diversity and mobility were centered around one fixed identity (Barron, 2018; Kellner, 1992) In contrast, identity, as perceived through the postmodern lens, “is a game that one plays, so that one can easily shift from one identity to another” (Kelner, 1992, p 153) Similarly, Stuart Hall describes the postmodern identity as a “moveable feast” (1992, p 277), as its construction and changes occur constantly to correspond to different social and cultural encounters (Hall, 1992; Kellner, 1992) From the postmodern perspective, the concept of identity shares a significant resemblance with persona, which is the representation

of self in relation to one’s experience of social interactions

In order to paint a comprehensive picture of the multiplicity of Paris Hilton’s public personas, I immersed myself in data and reflected on such information to build an in-depth understanding of this subject By examining media texts concerning her and postmodernism, I attempted to conceptualize and make sense of Paris Hilton as a postmodern media phenomenon

1.4 Overview of the chapters

The manuscript consists of six chapters The first one offers a brief overview

of the background issues, the research problem, theoretical perspective and mode of inquiry The second chapter introduces the phenomena of postmodern media and postmodern identity and situates Paris Hilton as a postmodern celebrity Chapter 3

analyzes Paris Hilton’s dumb blond heiress persona in The Simple Life in

comparison with the traditional dumb blonde stereotype Chapter 4 focuses on two

pairs of contradictions in her public personas: innocent girliness and hypersexualization; glamorous socialite and white trash Chapter 5 compares her

2004 memoir and her 2020 documentary to highlight the contradiction in style as well as the continuation of a tenuous relationship with authenticity from a postmodern lens Finally, Chapter 6 concludes the paper by highlighting how Paris Hilton has contributed to our postmodern media culture

CHAPTER 2 BACKGROUND ISSUES

2.1 Postmodern media

2.1.1 The rise of postmodern media

The postmodern media, according to Baudrillard, “carry meaning and counter meaning, they manipulate in all directions at once, nothing can control this process, they are the vehicle for the simulation internal to the system and the

simulation that destroys the system” (1994, p.82) In his essay titled Requiem for

Media, Baudrillard (1972) acknowledges the pivotal role of the media in

postmodernism and its impacts on postmodern identity formation The mass media

in the postmodern era is completely saturated with a prolific number of representations without any referent in the physical world, which seamlessly blend with reality as it has become impossible to distinguish between the two Hence, the consumers of such images are susceptible to the media’s influence (Kellner, 1992)

To be specific, the media holds the power to shape individuals’ perception of the world with the use of constructed and mediated images, since it is no longer possible

to tell reality and simulation apart

The rise of postmodern media can be contextualized by the two phases of postmodernity according to Harvey (1990) The first phase, as proposed by Harvey,

is from the late 1940s to the Cold War, during which television was the main source

of information and entertainment (1990) Individuals growing up in that early postmodern society “demand entrance into the political, cultural, and educational power structure”, expressing objection and rebellion against the status quo maintained by previous generations (Khosravishakib, 2012, p 1) In the second phase starting at the end of the Cold War, cable television was popularized and the new media with digital format emerged The rapid development of technologies introduced the words to innovations of digital communication such as the World

Wide Web This enabled the reproduction and mediation of media images to influence and shape the media consumers’ perception of reality (Harvey, 1990)

2.1.2 Baudrillard’s simulacra and simulation

Central to the understanding of postmodern media is Jean Baudrillard’s theory about the relationship between reality and images Simulacrum is defined as

an image or representation of something, while a simulation can be understood as a mimicry of a certain process According to Baudrillard’s theory, the simulacrum is not an imitation of reality, as the represented has neither substance nor original in reality In other words, it represents other representations instead of the real, while also being able to generate its own truth Baudrillard contends that there are three orders of simulacra, with each of which, the simulacra grow more distant from reality In the first order, despite attempts to accurately depict reality, the representation can be easily distinguished from the real In this way, the image is perceived as a mere place marker for the real In the age of mechanical reproduction, the second order shows a fading distinction between image and reality The proliferation of image and representation production, combined with the fact that the advance in industrial technology enables such quality replicas to be mass-reproduced, threatens to transcend the sign value of the original Lastly, in the third order of simulacra, which can be called simulation, Baudrillard highlights the precession of simulacra To be specific, this is when the simulacra no longer have any relation to the physical world Instead, manufactured representational images precede and constitute reality as they become reality in and of themselves The representation and the real cannot be distinguished According to Baudrillard, reality is now filled with mediated images, and consequently, originality is rendered

insubstantial This notion is emphasized at the very beginning of his book Simulacra

and Simulation, with a quote from The book of Ecclesiastes: “The simulacrum is

never that which conceals the truth—it is the truth which conceals that there is none The simulacrum is true.” (1994, p 1) Baudrillard periodizes these three orders,

associating the first to the Renaissance era, the second to modernity and the Industrial era, and the last one to postmodern society

In a postmodern world, the proliferation of simulacra in the third order gives rise to the phenomenon of hyperreality, which Baudrillard defines as “the meticulous reduplication of the real, preferably through another, reproductive medium, such as photography” (1976, as cited in Harrison & Wood, 2001, p 1048) Indeed, due to the development of communication technologies, postmodern individuals are offered the chance to enjoy a wide range of mediated experiences, which are arguably more intense and intriguing than other unmediated events in one’s daily life The incessant exposure to and immersion in such experiences, whether actively or passively, can lead to an inability to tell the difference between reality and simulation In other words, the hyperreal images, despite having no referent in reality, have become more real than reality itself

Jean Baudrillard’s theory of simulacra and simulation reflects central ideas

of postmodernism As the postmodern subject is surrounded by simulacra on a daily basis and the distinction between the real and the simulated is blurred, reality and the notion of truth is no longer perceived with the same amount of significance that

it used to be This resonates with the postmodern “incredulity towards metanarratives” as asserted by Lyotard (1984) In the spirit of postmodernism, modern ideas about truth and reality are questioned by the notion of hyperreality

2.2 Postmodern identity

2.2.1 Identity before postmodernism

To begin with, it is worth exploring both the traditional and modern perceptions of identity in order to understand more thoroughly how identity is theorized from the postmodern perspective

Preceding modernity, shared identity was upheld by the tradition of religion (Greenwood, 2012) As religions, to a certain extent, possessed prominent authoritative power that helped govern traditional societies, it allowed a common ground where members of the same community could assume a shared identity (Greenwood, 2012) Such collective identity, according to Edward Shils (1971), was constituted of individuals’ identities that were intermingled by their common practice of religious tradition The quest for self-discovery and individuation, therefore, was not prioritized, since group identity ensured stability and encompassed the members’ sense of self (Kellner, 1992) Similarly, Kellner (1992) and other scholars agree that in traditional societies, identity did not evolve throughout one’s lifetime As one was born into a community, their role and social status within that community were determined, and so was their identity They assumed such an identity as a member of their group without questioning or needing

to make changes to it

Next came the development of modernity, with which a different understanding of identity arose The stability of shared identity is diminished (Giddens, 1991) due to the modernists’ idea that one’s self, and by association, one’s identity, is independent of their community (Greenwood, 2012) and its “historical tradition” (Gross, 1992, p 29) This separation warrants individuals’ needs to seek and make sense of their own identity outside the realm of the immediate community around them The pursuit to discover, express, and actualize the individual self, which was rarely acknowledged during pre-modern times, is now emphasized as it has become one of the driving forces of existence (Greenwood, 2012; Kellner, 1992) However, despite being more mobile than the traditional identity, modern identity still has to conform to a set of social “roles, norms, customs, and expectations” in order to be recognized and validated (Kellner, 1992) In other words, identity in the modern world is still considered rather fixed and centered around a core self

2.2.2 The postmodern identity

According to Jean Baudrillard (1994), the concept of identity started to undergo disintegration in the 19th century Kellner (1992) explains that during this period, the self-governing subject in modernity became fragmented and dissipated

“due to social processes which produce the leveling of individuality in a rationalized, bureaucratized and consumerized mass society and media culture” (p 233) This gave rise to a new perspective, a new way to comprehend identity, which

is from the postmodern lens While modern theorists assert that there exists a fixed and coherent self, subjected to discovery and construction (Greenwood, 2012), postmodernism rejects such metanarrative In the postmodern world, the idea of identity itself can be considered an illusion (Kellner, 1992)

The postmodern identity is not stable or solid Instead, it is believed to be persistently unfolding and transforming, depending on different social contexts (Barron, 2018; Greenwood, 2012; Hall, 1992; Kellner, 1992) Such opposition to the notion of modern identity is further explained as Hall draws an analogy between postmodern identity and a “moveable feast” (1992, p 277) According to Hall, identity in a postmodern world is “historically, not biologically, defined” (1992, p 277) Not only are the multiple identities of a postmodern subject not centered around one unified self, but they also contradict one another, keeping the individual

in a constant state of alternation and dissolution Kellner (1992) describes this as a process in which role-playing and image construction continuously and repeatedly take place This perplexes the understanding of the postmodern self and identity formation (Lewin, 2015) According to Hall (1996), postmodern identity can only

be perceived when it is situated in relation to others Without being put into such comparative opposition, one’s identity is rendered incomprehensible In other words, it is through social encounters and interactions with others where an individual is recognized and validated that the postmodern identity is shaped and understood, making it fluid and ever-changing (Malpas, 2005) Consequently, as

Malpas states, “the possibility of ever fully knowing ourselves is forever denied” (2005, p.69) As Jameson (1984) argues, postmodernism results in a notion of identity that is devoid of depth Lewin (2015) adds that the sense of self in the postmodern world is introduced to the states of anxiety and self-doubt, making it impossible for one to determine their own identity.

2.3 Postmodernism and celebrities

2.3.1 The postmodern celebrity

The concept of celebrity in the postmodern world is often associated with well-knownness (Nayar, 2009) To specify, it is the level of media publicity and recognizability that qualifies someone as a celebrity in the public’s eyes Postmodern celebrities and the media are inseparable, as the latter provide the platforms and channels to dispense and circulate the representations of the former Celebrities achieve their status due to either the possession of certain talents

or achievements, which are often associated with the traditional notion of fame (Bartholomew, 2011), or the excessive reproduction, mediation and distribution of their images across media platforms, which distorts the audience’s perception and fuels the unfounded belief that there is some substance to these figures’ fame (Barron, 2018; Nayar, 2009) In the current celebrity scene, where broadcasting and publicizing oneself are now feasible with the help of communication technologies, the notion of fame is gradually detached from greatness, while it has become common that people can be considered “famous” solely by orchestrating “pseudo-events” and manipulating representations to attract publicity (Boorstin, 1992)

Barron (2018) characterizes some tenets of celebrities through the postmodern lens, which includes the fluidity of identities, excessive commodification of their life, and spectacle (Barron, 2018) Identities of the postmodern celebrities, similar to what has been addressed in the previous section, are ever-changing and adapting based on social contexts, encounters, and

experiences Regarding commodification, Turner (2004) contends that celebrities’ designated role is to generate capital Their name and images become either the products for consumption or the tools to market other products This financially benefits not only a wide range of industries but also the celebrities themselves Therefore, they are professionally inclined to construct and maintain appropriate public personas to appeal to not only their current fanbase but also new demographics, because their recognizability as a public figure correlates with their

“earning capacity” (Turner, 2004) Lastly, the discussion of postmodern celebrity would be incomplete without mentioning the concept of spectacle (Nayar, 2009) It involves the digital manufacture of mediated images and the audience’s consumption of said images During such a process, the representations of celebrities can be strategically manipulated and mass-produced to create a hyperreality where such images significantly influence the audience’s perception

On the one hand, media spectacle can work in favor of its subjects by making them appear more enticing and lovable, causing the media consumers to be intrigued and invested in them (Nayar, 2009) On the other hand, it can be weaponized by various stakeholders to spread propaganda, control the narrative or generate capital (Kellner, 2009) The concept arises with the shift in the media’s focus, from the report of news, information, and real-life events to “tabloidization” (Turner, 1999), which is characterized by the domination and visibility of celebrities in the postmodern media channels Since postmodern media is overloaded with celebrities’ images, they are considered more available and accessible, therefore, the masses are more likely to take interest in both their public personas and their personal lives (Nayar, 2009)

2.3.2 Paris Hilton’s career: An overview

Paris Hilton was born in 1981 in New York City to a famous and extremely wealthy family Her great grandfather was the founder of Hilton Hotels Paris established herself as a party girl during her early teenage years, after the Hilton

family moved to New York in 1996 (Smith, 2005) She frequented parties, events, fashion shows, and other social functions exclusively for the elites, where she caught the attention of paparazzi and landed several appearances on Page Six (Smith, 2005) However, it was not until September 2000, when Vanity Fair published a feature on the Hilton daughters’ interview, were she and her younger sister Nicky officially introduced to the celebrity scene (Smith, 2005) The article

titled Hip-Hop Debs, which characterizes Paris Hilton as “the very model of a

hip-hop debutante” (Sales, 2000, p 320), is accompanied by a risqué photo of her and Nicky, both of whom were teenagers, taken by David LaChapelle Such a controversial debut consolidated the public’s impression of her as a hotheaded and sultry socialite, consequently putting her on the map

In November 2003, around three weeks before the premiere of The Simple

Life, a reality TV show starring Paris Hilton and her former best friend Nicole

Richie, a home-made pornographic video featuring Hilton and her then old ex-boyfriend was uploaded on the Internet and received international media attention However, the nonconsensual release of such an intimate video, albeit

thirty-year-being one of the biggest scandals in her career, did not prevent The Simple Life from

achieving its imminent success, gaining thirteen million viewers on the first episode (Goodman, 2011) The premise focuses on Hilton and Richie as they struggle to

navigate life on a farm, without their money or cell phones It is The Simple Life that

marks the formation and introduction of Hilton’s most recognized public persona, which is a vapid, superficial, and spoiled airhead This would soon become her personal brand that most media consumers have familiarized themselves with, which she sustained and capitalized on for the majority of her career (Dean, 2020; Goodman, 2011) Following the hype of this reality show, Hilton’s autobiography

was published in September 2004, titled Confessions of an Heiress: A

Tongue-in-Chic Peek Behind the Pose, in which she reveals personal details about herself and

gives advice to embrace one’s inner heiress Besides being a reality star and author,

Hilton takes on several other roles in the entertainment industry, namely model, actress, singer, fashion designer, and music producer, while also building a business empire with a total of 19 product lines Despite her versatility and efforts, Paris Hilton has been heavily criticized for lacking talents to justify her celebrity The media considers her a “celebutante” – someone who is famous for being famous (Smith, 2005) Such characterization of the socialite dominated tabloid journalism

throughout the 2000s, and it was still echoed in the two following decades

2.3.3 Paris Hilton as a postmodern celebutante

Paris Hilton’s status as a celebutante reflects the essence of postmodernism and postmodern media in three different manners Firstly, her rise to fame challenges the conventional understanding of fame Traditionally, fame was generally associated with talent, accomplishment, or greatness (Bartholomew, 2011) In Hilton’s case, such association is barely present or acknowledged Despite her efforts to diversify her role in the industry, the general public has yet to be convinced that she possesses any innate gift Regardless of her lack of substance, Paris Hilton has managed to sustain her fame ever since the start of her career This can be explained using Wark’s idea that the constant and excessive media representation, circulation, and consumption of an individual in a media-saturated world largely contribute to their celebrity status (1999)

Secondly, in relation to Jean Baudrillard’s concept of hyperreality, Hilton’s celebrity is represented by a set of manufactured signs and images that have no referent in the reality As these signs and images are constantly promoted on various media platforms, they have influenced the viewers’ perception of Hilton as a public figure In other words, the representation of a mediated reality has substituted for reality itself Similarly, Hilton’s public personas are also examples of Baudrillard’s simulacra or the hyperreal Despite the fact that such personas are constructed and mediated, the consistent and ubiquitous presence of them in the media has created

a hyperreality in which media consumers are convinced to perceive these public personas as the real version of Paris Hilton Moreover, the self-reflexive and self-referential aspect of postmodern media can be seen in this case, as Hilton is able to acknowledge the constructedness of her own personas, openly engage in discussions about them, and refer to them in different media texts, namely interviews or documentaries Thus, this study considers Paris Hilton an epitome of the postmodern celebutante, as the representation of her personas carries the manifestation of postmodernism in contemporary media.

Finally, the manifestation of postmodern identity can be found in the multiplicity of Paris Hilton personas, as it challenges the modern perspective The term “persona”, which originates from the Latin word for mask, originally alluded

to “its function in dramatic productions” (Marshal & Barbour, 2015, p 289) Car Jung redefines the term as an identity that results from an individual’s accumulated experience when engaging in recurrent social interactions (1967) From the postmodernists’ views, identity is not static and stable throughout one’s lifetime, but rather, it is multi-layered, dynamic, and constantly evolving (Hall, 1992; Kellner, 1992), shaped by one’s social interactions and life experiences (Gergen,

1992)

CHAPTER 3 ‘THE SIMPLE LIFE’ AND PARIS HILTON’S DUMB

BLONDE PERSONA

Paris Hilton has stepped into the spotlight ever since she moved to New York

as a teenager However, it was not until the premiere of the reality TV show titled

The Simple Life that she first became a household name The show’s overwhelming

success, amassing over thirteen million viewers on the first episode (Goodman, 2011), introduced her dumb blonde image to the American and international audience Such an image, accompanied by conventions of the reality television genre, was precisely crafted to evoke specific emotions from the viewers and convince them that it is a reliable representation of Paris Hilton Indeed, it managed

to foster a long-lasting association between her and the dumb blonde stereotype that still works both for and against Hilton two decades later

3.1 Reality television: History and characteristics

As a genre, reality television has always been controversial in nature, especially regarding its outset Although scholars generally concur with the notion that this genre is a product of American entertainment, its origin remained a topic

of debate

Many academics agree that the history of reality television coincides with the rise of television and it is derived from documentary (Baker, 2003) Others theorize

that Candid Camera laid the foundation for reality television (Clissold, 2004; Wong,

2001) Premiered in 1948, the show consists of a series of footage in which ordinary people encounter unexpected and unusual scenarios For comedic purposes, these moments are mostly set up, with the help of props and actors to provoke reactions

of unaware participants Once the prank has been done, the show reveals itself with its famous catch phrase: “Smile, you're on Candid Camera.” The show’s premise was well received by the American audience as it debuted during the Cold War, when military espionage was causing public agitation (Clissold, 2004) The

combination of the hidden camera premise and elements of humor mitigated the concern about surveillance, making it “entertaining, less threatening and

ideologically acceptable” (Clissold, 2004, p 35) Candid Camera differs from

modern-day reality shows in one key feature: the participants were not informed about the filming until the pranks had been performed Nevertheless, the show can

be credited for opening up the first chapter in the history of reality television (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007)

Ever since the beginning of reality television, there has been a continuously growing diversification of the genre Despite such variety, the essence of reality shows can be captured by four main features (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) Firstly, reality television puts a focus on everyday people, making them the subject of the shows Although this particular selection of participants can be seen in other formats such as game shows or talk shows, reality shows often have a more drastic approach The participants are placed in unfamiliar environments where they have to compete for a prize or work towards a goal (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) It is a key feature that such environments are purposefully built to generate friction among those being filmed, leading to dramatic scenarios (Cummings, 2002; Kavka, 2003) Compared

to movies and series, the reality shows’ drama is much more effective as it does not cost as much to produce and the viewers are more likely to be invested in real and relatable people rather than fictional ones (Kavka, 2003) The way these participants act and react during the show can determine the level of support they receive Therefore, the common folks who become the subject of reality television stand the chance of becoming well-known in the public’s eyes without the need for any notable talents or achievements (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) This sends an underlying message to the viewers that they too can be the star one day, keeping them hooked on the shows (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) The notion of ordinary people

as the subject can also be applied to reality shows that feature celebrities, as the

focus tends to be their daily lives instead of their career as entertainers (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007)

The second characteristic that distinguishes reality television from other genres is audience participation, which has become a vital part of many shows’ premise (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) The involvement of the viewers varies on a wide spectrum, ranging from communicating with contestants to voting on important plot developments during the show This extends the aforementioned convention as the ordinary audience has a certain level of control over the ‘stars’ of the shows (Cummings, 2002) Interestingly, such active engagement in the show helps develop the viewers’ emotional attachment to the participants, prompting discussions about the show and its participants among those with the same interests, consequently forming fan communities (Foster, 2004; Jenkins, 1988)

The third feature of reality television, as highlighted by Penzhorn and Pitout (2007), is voyeurism The term voyeurism conventionally refers to the sexual desire

to observe people in their private lives (Hirschfeld, 1938) However, this term does not only concern the element of sexuality (Calvert, 2000; Dovey, 2000) but also addresses “the pleasure derived from seeing what one is not supposed to see” (Baruh, 2010, p 203) that all everyday people have to a certain extent (Metzl, 2004)

In the context of contemporary culture, reality television has proved effective in satisfying the public’s need for voyeuristic behaviors The constant surveillance of the genre offers its viewers the opportunity to become voyeurs who consume information about the participants’ intimate moments without the limitation of morality and social conventions (Calvert, 2000; Wong, 2001) Additionally, the voyeuristic element goes beyond the mere representation of the contestants’ actions,

as they are also directed to take part in confessional interviews where they reveal their thoughts and feelings about different affairs happening during the shows (Baruh, 2010)

Closely related to the voyeuristic nature of reality television is its claim to simulate reality The term “reality” itself has been a debated topic among scholars (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) While other genres such as movies are openly fabricated, reality shows, to a certain extent, are often marketed in a way that implicitly promises viewers a sense of authenticity This is fulfilled by the constant surveillance of the participants’ lives and the one-on-one confessional interviews, allowing the viewers to observe every aspect of the shows’ subjects The audience

of reality television is reported to prefer real situations unfolding and the participants’ natural reactions to them instead of directed events and interactions (Gardyn, 2001; Hill, 2005; Jones, 2003; van Zoonen, 2001) They, when turning to reality television, expect to have an insight into the lives and minds of those being watched (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) However, it would be unrealistic to believe that the people who are knowingly filmed within the confinement of staged environments can act in a completely authentic manner on camera Interestingly, the viewers are generally aware of the mediated nature of this genre (Hill, 2002; Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007) Despite that, they remain invested in reality shows due

to what Hill calls the “tension between performance and authenticity” (2002, p 324) It is the rare, unexpected, and unscripted instances of character breaks that the audience seeks, where the constructed and monitored environment fulfills its ultimate purpose: pushing the participants to expose every deep and vulnerable

aspect of themselves under spectacle (Penzhorn & Pitout, 2007; Scannel, 2002)

The Simple Life premiered on December 2nd, 2003 and continued for five

seasons The American reality TV show follows Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie as their privileged and lavish lifestyle is put on hold while they find themselves on a month-long adventure to experience life as ordinary people They have to work menial jobs to afford food, accommodation, and entertainment since they are denied access to their cell phones and credit cards Initially, the show’s producers intended

to cast a whole family to be the subject (Ryan, 2004) However, after a meeting with

Paris Hilton, the Senior Vice President of Fox’s casting department, Sharon Klein,

was intrigued by her charisma and interested in making her the star of The Simple

Life, stating that “She was so real She was funny At that first meeting she did not

come off stupid She was in her own reality and not embarrassed to talk about it There was a sweetness to her” (Ryan, 2004) Considering her extremely wealthy background, which grants her the privilege of not having to work a day in her life, Hilton is ultimately the perfect fit for the show (Ryan, 2004)

Central to this premise is the contrast between the subjects and the surrounding environment In the first season, the two socialites, who have grown comfortable with being in the spotlight and having camera lenses pointing at them since they were teenagers, are placed in a modest farmhouse with a three-generation family – the Ledings They, on the other hand, are a Southern American working-class household with no media presence While Hilton and Richie are accustomed

to the glamour and the pace of living in big cities, the host family leads a typical rural lifestyle, following a strict routine and occupied by agriculture-oriented activities They work hard every day to maintain their minimal living standard with little time and resources to enjoy the finer things in life, a concept that the heiresses could not comprehend and get used to, as their inherited wealth allows them to live lavishly without needing a real job The juxtaposition of these opposites gives rise

to various moments of conflict, which contributes to the special appeal of the show The premise, albeit simple, became a phenomenal success as tens of millions of viewers across the states were entertained by the heiresses’ struggles and failures to cope with the living condition on such a polarizing end of the spectrum compared

to their own From this series, especially season one, the American audience was introduced to Paris Hilton’s most iconic public persona – the rich dumb blonde which has been associated with her brand ever since

3.2 Dumb blondes in history

Blondness has been considered a standard of femininity, sexuality, and beauty in many cultures Throughout history, it has been associated with various

stereotypes According to Encyclopedia of Hair: A Cultural History by Victoria

Sherrow (2006), blond-haired women are often assumed to be more attractive and desirable to men This notion is perpetuated by several media texts, namely Anita

Loos’ novel Gentlemen Prefer Blondes in 1925 Other stereotypes include lack of

intelligence and being more fun-loving compared to dark-haired women One of its earliest portrayals can be traced back to Ancient Greece, as the Greek goddess of love and beauty, Aphrodite, is depicted with golden blond hair (Pitman, 2003)

In popular culture in general and in cinema to be specific, blonde stereotypes can be divided into three categories (Kuhn, 1994) The “ice-cold blonde”, Kuhn explains, appears to be cold and distant on the outside to conceal their internal passion The “blond bombshell”, such as Jean Harlow, is sultry and sexually available to men “at a price” (p 47) The “dumb blonde”, while also embracing her sexuality and beauty, is mainly characterized by her ignorance The second and third categories often overlap, challenging and discrediting women’s place in society

The first known dumb blonde in modern history is believed to be Catherine Rosalie Gerard Duthé (Pitman, 2003), a famous and talented courtesan living in

nineteenth-century French society In 1775, the play Les Curiosites de la Foire Saint

Germain featured her as the main character It portrayed Duthé as a beautiful yet

dull-witted blond woman who struggles to function like a normal and capable person This notion is enforced and exaggerated by the noticeable pauses every time the character utters a line This might be the first time blondness was associated with

a lack of intelligence (Pitman, 2003) Almost a century later, in 1868, a group of British entertainers, known as the “British Blondes,” started to perform burlesque shows at the Wood's Museum theater in New York City (Lapidos, 2010) These girls became a sensation among American men, while also causing outrage

Conservatives strongly opposed the rising popularity of the troupe as they were convinced that fame resulted from exploiting feminine sexuality, rather than actual talents, was unjustifiable

During World War II, American women started to join the workforce to support their families and country (Mcdermott, 2018) By the time the war ended, they were expected to return to their roles of homemakers, yet the chance to generate capital on their own and the newly learned skill set had brought women more confidence They began to gain more awareness about their value in American society and demand respect and equality, leading to the rise of second-wave feminism (Mcdermott, 2018) This development was reflected in women’s choice of self-expression, especially their clothing and hairstyles Dyeing one’s hair blond to feel more trendy, youthful, and desirable to themselves is a case in point, which was eventually considered “a symbol of women’s liberation for the early 1970’s” (Blackston-Cail, 2007, p 63) In this way, women were gradually taking control of their own image instead of trying to appeal to men White male domination and the status quo were questioned and threatened by not only this newfound freedom but also the Civil Rights Movement (Blackston-Cail, 2007) In retaliation, the pre-existing dumb-blonde stereotype was further exploited both in real life and in the media (Pitman, 2003) Similar to other stereotypes, it was pushed by and worked in favor of those who felt intimidated by the shift in the power dynamic of the current society (Blackston-Cail, 2007; Pitman, 2003) The perpetuation of this image with degrading connotation is an attempt to generalize and represent blonde women as dependent and intellectually inferior beings, depriving them of the respect and confidence that they rightfully deserve, and consequently, maintaining the status quo (Blackston-Cail, 2007; Pitman, 2003)

Marilyn Monroe is perhaps the most iconic dumb blonde persona of all time, despite the fact that her hair was not naturally blond Her dyed platinum blond hair, luscious red lips, voluptuous figure, breathy voice, seductive walk, and naive

manners made her the dream woman of many During her roles in the comedies

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and How to Marry a Millionaire (1953), her dumb

blonde persona was debuted, which was then perfected and brought to life Not only did she actively take part in and have control of the creation process of such a persona, but she also acted out this public image so brilliantly that the general audience, as well as media outlets, were convinced that it was in fact her real identity (Banner, 2012) Contrary to popular belief, the face of the dumb blonde stereotype was far from dumb, according to her loved ones and those working with her behind

the scenes Josh Logan, the director of Bus Stop (1956) which features one of

Monroe’s notable roles, commented: “She struck me as being a much brighter person than I had ever imagined, and I think that was the first time I learned that intelligence and, yes brilliance have nothing to do with education” (1978, p 43)

By deliberately exploiting the stereotype that was meant to oppress women’s power, Monroe became one of the most powerful names in Hollywood, inspiring many successful entertainers and artists of the following generations, namely Madonna

In a sense, having the agency and freedom to curate one’s public persona, taking advantage of the status quo, and building a career on the foundation of sexist stereotypes can be perceived as a source of woman empowerment

Ever since the rise of the dumb blonde trope, Hollywood has been tirelessly utilizing it as the ultimate laughingstock for profit, consequently contributing to the longevity of such a discrediting stereotype in popular culture However, efforts have

been made to counter this offensive cliché In 2001, the movie Legally Blonde

starring Reese Witherspoon tells the story of a beautiful, rich and naive blonde as she defies all expectations and skepticism to become a law student at Harvard University The character does fit in the mold of the familiar dumb blonde stereotype, which makes her journey all the more impactful as her thriving in such prestigious academic environment proves that the association between blondness and intelligence is an outdated myth (Blackston-Cail, 2007)

3.3 Paris Hilton’s in The Simple Life

In season one of The Simple Life, Paris Hilton is first and foremost associated

with wealth and privilege This is overtly displayed in the opening scene of season one which tells the story of Hilton’s last day in Los Angeles She is captured during her last shopping spree, spending thousands of dollars at a time without any hesitation The farewell party filled with esteemed and famous guests is beyond extravagant, with a helicopter solely intended for Hilton’s grand entrance Later, she and Richie, her co-star, leave behind their phones, money and the aristocratic world, take off on a private jet, and venture into life on a farm There is a sudden change

of scenery, from the modern and sophisticated Beverly Hills landscape to the peaceful town of Altus, Arkansas From the private jet, the girls have to drive an old pickup truck to the Ledings’ farm The show did a brilliant job by putting these contradicting images in juxtaposition, subtly yet effectively highlighting the sharp contrast between the two worlds Paris Hilton has a hard time getting used to her new life, as evidenced by her condescending attitude Besides complaining about the living situation, she also makes fun of Altus’s lifestyle, namely the food they eat and the lack of entertainment Being forced to adjust her lifestyle “from fur collar

to blue-collar”, Hilton’s sense of entitlement becomes apparent in the new environment She claims that “We're adults, we should do whatever we want,” including ignoring the house’s rules about chores and curfew, neglecting their jobs, and sneaking out at night to go clubbing The two spoiled girls constantly blame others for being harsh on them instead of feeling remorse and taking responsibility for their recklessness They act as if they are still living in their Beverly Hills mansions, completely protected by their rich families from any consequences of their actions, which continuously creates tension and drama during the show This notion of wealth and privilege plays a vital role in the characterization of Paris Hilton’s reality-TV persona, helping to distinguish it from other iconic dumb blondes in history

As a typical dumb blonde, Paris Hilton’s persona in The Simple Life is known for her ignorance and lack of common sense This notion is best demonstrated by one of the show’s most viral lines, uttered by the socialite herself during the first dinner with the Ledings: “What is Walmart? Is it like they sell wall stuff?” As Walmart is among the top retail corporations in the United States, Hilton’s oblivious question takes everyone by surprise, including Nicole Richie Another similar instance occurs during her job at a fast-food chain called Sonic Burger When the supervisor instructs the two girls to fill in a form before getting

to work, they become confused when she asks them to write down the amount of money that they want to claim on their taxes Apparently, when it comes to the concept of tax and tax deduction, one of the most common pieces of knowledge that the average American adult has to learn, heiresses like Hilton are fully uninformed

In both situations, the response to her confusion is laughter as people are stunned and feel pity for her lack of awareness Such a scenario is a recurring theme in the shows because it adds the element of humor without much writing effort The persona’s ignorance is also manifested in Paris Hilton’s incompetence when working She is late for work every day, and she refuses to take her jobs seriously Hilton and Richie constantly ignore instructions and deliberately cut corners so that they can work with a minimum amount of effort Their first job on the dairy farm is

a case in point They are tasked with pumping milk into 200 glass bottles, and the only requirement is that these bottles must be filled to the top Unexpectedly, they fail miserably to fulfill this simple task Not only do they spill a lot of milk on the ground and pour water into the bottles while trying to cover it up, but they also hide empty bottles to reduce the workload, play with the dispensing hoses to splash milk

on each other and contaminate both the equipment and the milk in the process Similar instances occur throughout the season, costing businesses precious time and money

It is important to note that Paris Hilton’s dumb blonde persona is different from other icons of this stereotype in history in one key element: her position of privilege Conventionally, dumb blondes like Marylin Monroe’s public persona are characterized by a lack of natural intelligence When it comes to Hilton’s persona

in The Simple Life, however, she is not necessarily simple-minded or dim-witted in

that traditional sense Rather, it is her wealth and status that makes her ignorant In other words, as she grows up in a world where money makes everything readily available and accessible to her effortlessly, she inevitably becomes out of touch, completely unaware of how the world works outside of her environment Hilton’s inheritance allows her to be so overwhelmingly incompetent in her twenties, without any financial worries that burden the average citizens on a daily basis This key difference indicates that Hilton’s persona is not merely created for humor effect It offers an opportunity to reflect on the significantly growing gap between the 1% and the rest of the population By focusing on Hilton’s ignorance about the world and the lives of everyday people and making it the main source of conflict, the show provokes a feeling of frustration and resentment from the audience It offers the watchers the chance to ridicule and judge the privileged and seemingly untouchable heiress, further fueling the belief that Hilton does not deserve her fame and fortune Additionally, there can be a sense of satisfaction to observe Hilton and Richie receiving punishments for their entitlement and recklessness It is also undeniably amusing to watch these heiresses, who never have to work a day in their lives, attempt and fail to do the most tedious and menial tasks only to be paid minimum wages By putting them in challenging situations to make them flounder and reveal their most questionable and undesirable personality traits, the show has succeeded

in creating an outlet for the viewers’ class resentment, allowing them to find enjoyment and entertainment from the rich’s struggles

Apart from the element of wealth and privilege, Hilton perfectly embodies the trope with the way she presents herself during the whole journey She and Richie

are openly obsessed with their appearance They are both artificially tanned and always wear makeup whenever they leave the house They arrive at the Ledings’ farm with “twenty bags of luggage,” as described by Justin – the family’s oldest son, which is a slightly exaggerated yet appropriate comment These suitcases are filled with clothes that typify Hilton’s iconic aesthetic, namely low-rise jeans, short skirts, tank tops or spaghetti strap tops, mini dresses, and high heels, most of which are in bright pastel and decorated with rhinestones or glitters In contrast, the people

in the small town of Altus, including the Ledings family, are dressed in modest and minimalistic clothing, which is suited for their agricultural lifestyle As a result, Hilton immediately stands out and attracts the attention of the town’s people This flamboyant and revealing style is inevitably faced with mixed reactions While the men, especially teenagers, are fascinated and even enchanted by the socialite’s appearance, the women are understandably concerned In the confessional interviews, they describe her style as “a little different than what most girls wear around here," “skimpy” and compare it to how “walkers” and “hookers” tend to dress In addition, Hilton’s overt sexuality is also openly and shamelessly exhibited through her actions She constantly flirts with men of all ages, including the customers and coworkers at her jobs During the many clubbing scenes throughout the season, she is either dancing seductively with movements that accentuate her body and make her the center of attention or kissing and being physically intimate with strangers in the clubs Hilton appears most comfortable and confident in these moments, indicating that she has grown accustomed to sexualizing herself in the public’s eyes since the beginning of her career People in Altus, especially women, are understandably uneased by her open display of femininity and sexuality, since they seem to be quite conservative and unfamiliar with such a concept It is worth noting that Hilton’s insistence on her glamourous and sultry lifestyle despite the fact that it is extremely inappropriate in the rural environment can be implied as an attempt to uphold her social status In other words, maintaining her normal lifestyle, whether unconscious or calculated, helps prevent her from blending in with people

of the working class, which can be a threat to the perception of her own privileged position in the social hierarchy