American Role Models

So Paris Hilton is going to jail, lest her legal team and millions don’t save her first. The range of opinions in this country is clearly defined and sharply divided. Raging from “Hang the bitch” to “Goddesses don’t belong in Jail” to “Who are you and why are you asking me this stupid question”. But this brings up a good point; why the fuck do we care?

Answer: Because Paris Hilton is the byproduct of the American Dream.

We care about these people and what goes on in their life because they are walking manifestations of what we want to be, as horrible as that sounds. America was built on two phrases; “Don’t Tread On Me” and “Fuck You, Pay Me”. This is the only country in the world where you can be nothing and become something through hard work, determination, or maniacal backstabbing. Paris Hilton is the reason why Conrad Hilton decided to become a successful businessman and make millions of dollars; she is the byproduct of Conrad’s hard work and backstabbing. We would like to think that if we became obscenely rich, that our kids and kids of kids would never have to work, much less obey laws. So by default, Paris becomes a role model.

This has re-shaped the “American Dream” from “work hard and you can be what you want to be” to “working is hard, who or what can I mooch from to get as much as possible from doing as little as possible”. This is why we have more kids wanting to be pop stars, rap artists, and pro athletes, instead of scientists, engineers, teachers, and other high-work to low-pay ratio jobs. This nation rewards the beautiful and the hustlers, not the virtue of a work ethic.

Can we blame it? Probably. But then we would have to think, and thinking takes too much work. Where’s my ice cream?