A Flight To Paris
Never say never, eh?
Last night, "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric uttered the dreaded two words that she had vowed never to speak on the show: Paris. Hilton. In Boston a month ago, Couric had said, "We have a precious amount of time on the CBS 'Evening News' and I don't think we need to ever utter the name Paris Hilton."
Last night, however, Hilton took up a fair chunk of that precious airtime. (The reason, of course, was the heiress' early release from jail.) The "Evening News" story, it's only fair to note, was less about Hilton than the reaction that greeted her release. "The bar for outrage over celebrity behavior is set pretty high in Hollywood these days," Couric said by way of introduction to a Bill Whitaker report, "but Paris Hilton's very early release from jail has brought howls of protest and cries of a double standard." Click on the video box to watch the report.
America's not-always-equitable justice system, of course, is a worthy topic for a news show, and if it takes the release from jail of a celebrity to get it on the news, it's hard to be too upset. But the nature of the Hilton coverage has been downright embarrassing. Instead of looking at the reality of the situation – and segueing into a discussion of the loopholes, double standards and arbitrariness one often finds in the legal system – most media outlets are pandering to news consumers' class resentment.
"Do not cell-ebrate just yet, Paris, dear," the schoolmarmish New York Daily News proclaimed, while the New York Post gave us "Poor Li'l Rich Paris Is Free…For Now." (And there are about a million other examples along these lines.) What gets lost in all this finger wagging is that Hilton probably shouldn't have been sentenced to such a long jail term in the first place – and only got such a harsh punishment precisely because of her celebrity. Driving with a suspended license is not the type of crime that typically earns a first-time offender 45 days in jail – or even the 23 days that the sentence was eventually reduced to. But the judge wanted to punish Hilton severely to make an example of her. As Andrew Cohen noted over at Couric & Co:
© 2007 CBS Interactive Inc.. All Rights Reserved. Last night, "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric uttered the dreaded two words that she had vowed never to speak on the show: Paris. Hilton. In Boston a month ago, Couric had said, "We have a precious amount of time on the CBS 'Evening News' and I don't think we need to ever utter the name Paris Hilton."
Video: Last night, however, Hilton took up a fair chunk of that precious airtime. (The reason, of course, was the heiress' early release from jail.) The "Evening News" story, it's only fair to note, was less about Hilton than the reaction that greeted her release. "The bar for outrage over celebrity behavior is set pretty high in Hollywood these days," Couric said by way of introduction to a Bill Whitaker report, "but Paris Hilton's very early release from jail has brought howls of protest and cries of a double standard." Click on the video box to watch the report.
America's not-always-equitable justice system, of course, is a worthy topic for a news show, and if it takes the release from jail of a celebrity to get it on the news, it's hard to be too upset. But the nature of the Hilton coverage has been downright embarrassing. Instead of looking at the reality of the situation – and segueing into a discussion of the loopholes, double standards and arbitrariness one often finds in the legal system – most media outlets are pandering to news consumers' class resentment.
"Do not cell-ebrate just yet, Paris, dear," the schoolmarmish New York Daily News proclaimed, while the New York Post gave us "Poor Li'l Rich Paris Is Free…For Now." (And there are about a million other examples along these lines.) What gets lost in all this finger wagging is that Hilton probably shouldn't have been sentenced to such a long jail term in the first place – and only got such a harsh punishment precisely because of her celebrity. Driving with a suspended license is not the type of crime that typically earns a first-time offender 45 days in jail – or even the 23 days that the sentence was eventually reduced to. But the judge wanted to punish Hilton severely to make an example of her. As Andrew Cohen noted over at Couric & Co:
I think it is inevitable for judges or prosecutors to see high-profile defendants not just as individuals but as means to an end—the end being some sort of deterrent to others to avoid certain conduct. The judge hoped he would not only teach Hilton a lesson—and who among us wouldn't want to do that?--but also teach everyone else out there on probation to get their driver's licenses updated.The story here isn't as simple as media outlets seem to want it to be, but since outrage sells papers and drives ratings, much of the media seem to be saying, why bother with context? Hilton's release could provide an opportunity for the press corps to examine the pros and cons of a legal system in which celebrity (and a million other factors) can be a plus, a minus, or both. But instead it's being used as an excuse to fan anger towards a woman who has become a symbol of a culture that both attracts and repels many Americans. And as much as we might want to, we can't blame Hilton for that.
parishilton.snagapic.com
Blame it on her parents. Don't feel sorry because the kid broke the law. Feel sorry for her for the parents that she has!!!
Whether or not she has mental problems in additon to this state of affairs and needs medication the inmates usually dont want to cope with someone elses abreviations as they have enough of their own.
These types have so much money and so much social position that they are easy prey not only for the illegal drug runners but from unscupulous pill pushers who will give them anything to make a big buck. Look for instance at our recent snow white mom Anna Nichole Smith and what has happened to snow white out ther in greater los angelses? judi ann part 3
OYE VEY !
We have freedom of speech and time limits and charater limitations in this country we arent used to editors charter and time limits. jd
This should be standard policy by the Courts for all misdemeanor offences with sentances of 6 months or less. Rather than the press and the previously abused and the poor being so hot to phyically punish another because they had this punishment smakes more of the jacquire of our dear friends the French during their revolution of 1789. demandnig liberte equalite fraternite while on the way to the guillotine.
As the jails are out of control and 75 percent of the inmates are there for non violent misdemeanors it seems punitive to me to single out a pampered and unharded starlet to suffer the same abuses the rest have suffered.
In all probality this person could not be kept in the normal prison population by her celebrity and beauty she would be attacked within This presents to the sherrifs deputies a security problem right from the outset. Why should she be held in isolation for 45 days simply because she is a working girl who doesnt need to work?
part 2 jd
Rather than the mob psycology that demanded the re arest of this person for a minor offence it might better have been applied that the policy of keeping minimal non violent offenders in jail when they could just as easily be corrected by house arrest electronic monitoring restitution and other forms of public service.
This should be standard policy by the Courts for all misdemeanor offences with sentances of 6 months or less. Rather than the press and the previously abused and the poor being so hot to phyically punish another because they had this punishment smakes more of the jacquire of our dear friends the French during their revolution of 1789. demandnig liberte equalite fraternite while on the way to the guillotine.
As the jails are out of control and 75 percent of the inmates are there for non violent misdemeanors it seems punitive to me to single out a pampered and unharded starlet to suffer the same abuses the rest have suffered.
part 1
Some foreign born immigrants have lived, worked, paid taxes, and raised children as Americans for over 15 years. Some immigrants have just started working and maybe haven't completely learned the English Language, but are literate in Spanish, have a trade or skills, and work ethic. Some immigrants are completely illiterate in any language, don%u2019t have any skills, and aren't really motivated to be properly trained, or they're just content on living as PARIS-sites on the back of America.
We must look at the complex and diverse status of undocumented workers and immigrants to reach an equitable adjusted treatment to write into law as immigration reform.