Paris And Lindsay: Is The Party Over?

(CBS)  This story was written and reported The ShowBuzz's Caitlin A. Johnson.

It seems like every week some Hollywood party girl is entering rehab, going to jail or overdosing. Are they just driving themselves in to an early career grave?

Considering the way people like two-time rehabber Lindsay Lohan and jailed heiress Paris Hilton have harmed themselves by their behavior, one might think that Hollywood might quiet down for a little while.

But rumors of an eating disorder or drug problem continue to swirl around Hilton's "Simple Life" co-star Nicole Richie, who also faces possible jail-time for a DUI. "OC" star Mischa Barton was rushed to the hospital from Richie's Memorial Day party for what she said was an adverse reaction to alcohol and antibiotics. Reports have said it was really a drug overdose. After her head-shaving meltdown and stint in rehab, pop singer Britney Spears' hair is growing back, but questions about her stability remain. Photos of Lohan and MTV personality Vanessa Minnillo posing seductively with knives have also raised concerns.

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Photos: Celebrity Mug Shots

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Before bloggers, celebrity weeklies and 24-hour cable news networks, celebrities could short-circuit in private, and some did. Veteran Hollywood publicist Howard Bragman who recently parted ways with "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul, said he once had a client die in a bad situation. He said he has fired celebrities for being out of control and that he refuses to be "the enabler."

Matters are made worse for the famous and troubled because Bragman says the wall between public and private is nonexistent.

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Timeline: Britney's Meltdown

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"I think the media interest is greater than ever, and I think sometimes we confuse the public interest with the media interest," he told The Showbuzz. "I know from my work at CNN and my friends at magazines that these girls sell magazines and get eyeballs to TV sets."

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Photos: Paris And The Police

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Perhaps more important, women like Paris, Britney and Lindsay highlight society's hypocrisy, says professor of pop culture at Bowling Green University Becca Cragin, because they "can be so celebrated, and then reviled."

"We have a lot of ambivalence about these kind of female figures in the media — our norms of femininity are fairly shallow," she said. "We expect women to be catty, materialistic, pretending to be dumber than they are — then we mock women who do those things we expect them to do."

Bragman, who represents former "Grey's Anatomy" star Isaiah Washington, says there have always been stars who behave badly, but the excess has reached new levels. Pretty soon, some will face the consequences. Lohan, he said, might be at the point were she is "uninsurable."

"They don't want to put her on movies because she's bad for business," he said.

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Photos: Lindsay's Crash

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Meanwhile, Hilton seems to have had a "jailhouse conversion." On Sunday she told Barbara Walters she would stop acting dumb. "That is no longer cute," she said from jail. Hilton doesn't quite face the same career ramifications as Lohan because as a reality star, outrageous behavior is encouraged, Bragman said. But she is starting to get older.

"This crop maybe getting long in the tooth. Paris is already 26," he said. "We can bet there will be a new crop out there ready to take their place at the velvet rope."

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Timeline: Paris' Predicament

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The question is, how long will the consumer allow the party girls to carry on. Cragin said an extreme backlash seems to be gaining steam.

"I do think that this kind of stupid girl," she said, "maybe there will be less attention to that kind of a figure in the future."

[jetranger7]

ALL I KNOW IS I BETTER BE INVITED TO PARIS'S PARTY BASH,,, OR I'LL NEVER SPEAK TO HER AGAIN,, NOT THAT I EVER HAVE ANYWAY,,, DON'T FORGET TO INVITE ME TOO !!!!! I WANNA COME,, AND PARTY TOO, CAN SOMEONE PLEASE BUY MY AIRLINE TICKET, FOR I HAVE NO MONEY !!!

[Netterz]

About time, I think the people have had enough of watching these twits ruin there incredibly privledged lives with stupid actions, that make them look like mindless idiots. The behavior overshadows any talent they might have, with all that money they make, seems like they should be on track to do something better for themselves, and the people who support there so called careers, intead of laying passed out somewhere, getting into trouble over there stupidity, and the danger they pose to themselves, the people in other cars, or walking around them, no regard for the others they may kill or maim for life, because they are completely self centered. If there chosen career causes so much stress that they cant handle it, get out of the business, they have no place in the public eye, where they are an influence on the young people who idolize them. There are alot of other celebrities who easily manage there careers and social lives, instead of having to go hide out in some so called rehab, till there attention level goes down, and what they have done, calms some. Was never heard of 20 yrs ago, learn to keep some privacy, and stop being such idiots. NO one thinks your cool, hip, or whatever, because your in jail or rehab.Just maks it more apparent, how big of a fool you really are.

[c1rodz]

Awesome article. I bet all the bra burning feminists from the 60's and 70's are probably thinking god we did all this and these girls are here overshadowing all the hard work we did by acting this foolish. Made them feel like they wasted all their time. There are many hard working single women out there and they are these mindless shallow twits out there that give women a bad name. Time for them to take control and empower themselves.

[jnepo1771-2009]

Now it's time to give the spotlight over to the smart women who far represent women in a much better light. Let these dumb Hollywood snots fade away into the pink oblivion where they should all vanish into...they're complete embarrassements to the female gender...

[samthetvcat]

Great article :)