[quote name='Apossum']well, it's nice to see you post up some good debate
This is about a judge finally putting his foot down on a celeb case. I wouldn't call people's reactions an "overwhelming" degree of outrage. Holding a celeb accountable is just something very interesting and long over due. If it were any high profile celeb, I would be supportive of the judge.
Believe it or not, her highly publicized life does have an impact on society. First off, 1000s of hours of media coverage have been devoted to her and for what? That time could've been used for better coverage of the Iraq war, world politics etc. I'm not going to get in to the things she symbolizes, since I will sound more conservative than I am. I'll just say that some idiotic rich girl selling her body for popularity is not a good role model for anyone. At the very least, her lifestyle promotes aspirations to the highest order of materialism and apathy.
I feel it's ridiculous that I'm even thinking about it. Part of my elation is that I've had to put up with this empty celebrity (she doesn't do anything) on a daily basis. That sounds more dramatic than it is, but you know what I mean--she gets too much attention, people discuss her antics too much, so it's nice to see a wrench get thrown in her system. I hope it slows down coverage of her life, though they say there's no such thing as bad publicity

My greatest hope is that this somehow influences her to use her celebrity for the cause of good, even if it's just for some shallow awareness of some worldly problem.
If she hadn't gotten convicted, it's showing that when you're filthy rich, it's ok to do what you want. Though this concept is affirmed on a weekly basis in the media, this time it wasn't, which is great. Hopefully this judge will influence other judges.
edit: though I sympathize with your point about Bush and Cheney, I feel throwing presidents in jail would do more harm than good. Hopefully something bad will happen to both of them after they're out of office (or something bad in office that doesn't cause chaos...)[/quote]
I don't think it's Paris's fault that so much attention is placed upon her.
The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our celebrity stars,
But in ourselves..."
- Julius Caesar, Shakespeare
I would have thought Martha Stewart had slaked the anger that occasionally overtakes the average American when a woman gets a little too out of her place, but I guess that is asking too much.
As for role models, why is Paris such a bad influence, but anyone here would groan if Jack Thomson came online and started attacking "50 cent's" game, or that fighting game with the rappers?
I don't think it's fair to say that the public having to put up with Paris publicity has anything to do with the virulent nastiness, venom, and cruelty being displayed. She's such an easy target that people think it fine sport to give her the finest kick they can while she is down.
LoL - and I don't advocate putting the prez in jail for DUI - I'm just trying to show how differently society treats a powerful male politician who they perceive as having moral values similar to their own, as opposed to a young spoiled rich girl who flouts her promiscuity and use of alcohol/drugs.
I just don't understand America anymore - I thought the closeted meth-snorting gay evangelical leader would be huge news - but Paris eclipses that easily for something (while illegal, dangerous, and deserving of punishment) that any normal person would have half-expected.