When I received Paris The Memoir by Paris Hilton from Jonathan Ball Publishers in April this year, I must admit I was initially somewhat reticent to delve into its pages. My preconceived notions of Paris Hilton were limited to her being a stunning and affluent heiress of the Hilton empire who had leveraged her privileged background to ascend the ranks of celebritydom. However, as someone with a keen interest in memoir writing, I felt compelled to read her story and observe how a relatively young socialite would treat this particular literary genre.
I am thrilled that I took the plunge because right from the start, even if Paris’s writing reflects her typical way of speaking, it becomes clear that Paris Hilton is far more than the image I had constructed of her – a celebrity-focused, brand-driven entrepreneur deeply entrenched in the realm of social media. In her memoir, Paris reveals a side of herself that goes beyond these superficial labels.
She also discloses her ADHD diagnosis, which came much later in life, and she candidly acknowledges her ‘scattered brain’, embracing run-on sentences, dashes, and sentence fragments and attributing them to her hyperactive mind. She says her motivation to write the book is to try to understand her place in what she calls a ‘watershed moment’ – a rapidly evolving technological renaissance intertwined with the complex era of influencers.
Naturally, cynics will be poised to ridicule this memoir, dismissing Paris Hilton's truth solely based on the prevailing prejudice against women in modelling and brand-driven industries. Such biases often portray these women as superficial, blonde, and vapid sex symbols. However, Paris defies these stereotypes in her memoir and demonstrates how she has learnt to confront and overcome ridicule. With remarkable courage, she opens up about her life, perspectives, and business achievements, as well as her vulnerabilities and mistakes. I admire her brave pushback against being typified and patronised. She also reveals parts of her life that many people may be unaware of, including the activist role she played in exposing malpractice in CEDU schools, which led to the closure of many of these institutions.
I was shocked to learn that her daddy’s-little-rich-girl upbringing was, in fact, fraught with difficulty, abuse and rejection. She unpacks the trauma she experienced in her teens when her parents, trying to ‘save’ their delinquent daughter, enrolled her in Provo Canyon School, a CEDU boarding school in Utah. These schools – founded in 1976 by Mel Wasserman, a disciple of a violent cult and associated with the troubled teen industry – were sponsored by large American corporates with millions of dollars. Paris recounts the almost unbelievable verbal, psychological, emotional and physical abuse she suffered during the years she spent locked up there.
I believe Paris The Memoir is an authentic reflection of Paris Hilton’s life, shedding light on her unwavering determination to accumulate wealth, driven by a desire for security following her tumultuous teenage years. The memoir not only offers a glimpse into the person Paris has become today but also delves into her past, exposing the persistent cynicism and societal mistreatment faced by women in the realms of branding, entertainment, and beauty – within which she built a multi-billion-dollar business through sheer hard work and business acumen.
It presents Paris ‘warts and all’, resulting in an engaging read that captivated me with its honesty and transparency.
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