THIS IS PARIS

BY: Sarah J. Kings

We all remember when The Simple Life premiered in 2003. Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie left their cellphones, platinum cards, chauffeurs, and miniature dogs in Beverly Hills and ventured into uncharted territory. For five seasons, they brought Gucci and Prada to the “farm” and it was “so hot!”

 

The Simple Life is a landmark in Paris Hilton’s journey toward the invention of the celebutante archetype. She changed the entertainment industry as we know it, and paved the way for many celebrities who came after her. With a current net worth of 900 million dollars– Paris’ former assistant– Kim Kardashian comes to mind! Paris virtually created the notion that one could be “famous for being famous.” From it, she has built an unbelievable empire. 

Paris has 53 acting credits, ten producing credits, a designer label, and don’t forget her billboard topping music career. Her perfume line alone–  of which there are 26 fragrances–  earns her a whopping 10 million dollars per year! Over the years, though, Paris has made several attempts to show us that in creating her empire and “brand,” the person we believed her to be, was manufactured. In a 2016 interview with Access Hollywood, Paris said that she played a “ditzy airhead,” and “parlayed it [the character] into a huge business.”  

In her upcoming YouTube documentary, This is Paris, Hilton is setting the record straight. She says, “I feel like the whole world thinks they know me. No one really knows who I am. I’m so used to playing a character, it’s hard for me to be like normal.” More than merely exposing the brand marketing behind the rhinestone and Von Dutch clad Hollywood princess; the documentary is expected to dive deep into what led Hilton to adhere so tightly to the false persona for so many years. 

The official trailer hints at a childhood trauma that has haunted Paris for years.  In an interview Paris had with The Talk, she describes the processes of creating the documentary as being “therapeutic,” saying, “I really learned a lot about myself through this film.”

The trailer shows clips of Paris at her boarding school, Utah’s Provo Canyon School. It seems innocuous until you do a little research on the institution. It turns out that the so-called ‘school’–  which houses children ages 8-18–  was founded by followers of Synanon, one of America’s most infamous cults. 

According to Distractify, Paris also attended another Synanon “therapeutic behavior modification” boarding school for two months before attending Provo Canyon. These “behavior modification schools” are called CEDU schools, and they have faced allegations of abuse, violence, and even murder. Paris says that she “still has nightmares” about her time there. In an interview with the New Zealand Herald, posted on September 4th, Paris said she was “so lost” after her time at the school.   She also says that her traumatic experiences led to the making of her infamous sex tape in 2003. 

You may be disappointed if you hoped for a parade of self-idolizing selfies and a barrage of clueless one-liners.  However, if you want to see the real Paris Hilton, and uncover the dark truth about CEDU schools, make sure to watch This is Paris when it is released on September 14th.