This Is Paris

I've long thought Paris Hilton was an intriguing character of modern Hollywood, and this documentary gives us true insight behind the curtain. Trailblazer of 'new fame' as we know it today. Paris' life - from abuse; to rebellious club kid; to the socialite and head of a multi-billion dollar conglomerate - is heartbreaking, inspiring and controversial.

Well worth a watch, for fans and haters alike.

Ive never enjoyed shows like simple life or the characters that come with them... One thing I have always thought though, was that they are just that... Characters...

Paris hilton is relatable and likeable... She's just a female adult who has past trauma and trying to make her best life... Unlike a lot of celebrities she does not appear to be self obsessed (refer to the lady gaga documentary for a perfect example... Just annoying) she clearly has a good soul and a heart of love... Sometimes I felt like giving her a cuddle. I'd be proud to someone like Paris as a friend or daughter...

This was an interesting documentary but the bit about where her trauma came from should have been closer to the beginning.

She comes from a rich family and like any family it has it ups and downs. Paris as a child always wanted to be in the limelight and over the years this has not changed. Contrary to what she says, she is still feeding her brand, this time seeking sympathy by telling the hard times she had as a child. But let's face it, Paris was out of hand and any parent would have taken steps to curtail this behavior. Perhaps Paris was badly traumatized at Provo and is reliving this to this day, but for sensation and dramatization, this viewer does not buy it.

It is obvious looking at her over the years that she loves the attention and will always do as Paris does.

While the title is somewhat unflattering, it's my perception of what Paris Hilton was and perhaps still is. Admittedly, it's a little hard for me to take anything Paris Hilton says at face value--at first.

However, perceptions change. This was a revealing documentary, revealing in the sense that she suffered trauma and abuse as a young girl and then teenager, that she put on a public false front to conceal the hurt, that she surrounded herself with yes-people who catered to her every whim, and that part comes through quite well in this film.

At the same time, though, what we see in her public face is that which we remember. And what we remember more than anything else is an image of a vapid, spoiled, not-too-bright socialite who comes from old money, who doesn't have to worry about where her next dollar is coming from, who flaunts her success to everyone willing to listen to her, and who makes it appear that she doesn't care what anyone else thinks because she's rich, rich, rich!

Still, she likes animals, so that's one point in her favor.

Yet...after watching this documentary, in spite of some of the revelations of her friends, her entourage, her relatives, and her own observations, I never really caught who the real Paris Hilton was and is. She's always come across as the living embodiment of spoiled WASPy privilege, and revelations in this documentary aside, she's not done much to alter my perceptions of her. I don't wish her ill; I wish that on no one.

But I have a feeling that this youtube flick is simply another way for her to reinvent her public persona, to gain more followers to someone who should have grown up years ago, and to show another side of her personality without ever revealing who she truly is.