So, Paris Hilton wrote a memoir. And I read it. And I loved every single page of it. Just ask anyone who had any contact with me while I was reading it, and they will tell you that I’m a fan. Genuinely, I was not expecting myself to like this book, but I finished it as a changed woman. After reading this book, I have nothing but respect for Paris Hilton, and I will defend her until the day I die.
For context, I have this weird bone to pick with celebrities writing their own books, especially nepotism babies. Because like… babes you’re 25 years old and have enough life experience for content to write a whole book about? I find that hard to believe. On top of that, sometimes when I read celeb memoirs, I find that a lot of them feel incomplete, with no lesson to be learned or thought to reflect on; they’re kind of just recollections of life events. That’s totally cool if you’re into that, but I’d like a little more. Call me a tough critic, I don’t care. Neither of those things proved to be true in this book, as 1) Paris is 42, and 2) her thoughts and narrative were so well articulated, it moved me to tears.
Enough about me, Paris, and why I loved this book. Let’s get into it.
For those who might be unfamiliar, Paris’ great-grandfather was the founder of Hilton Hotels, essentially making her American royalty. To say that Paris grew up privileged would be the understatement of the century. One of the first points she makes is her acknowledging her privilege, which she continues to do throughout the book, but what I found to be especially refreshing was the way she embraces her privilege, explicitly stating that it made her who she is, and expressing gratitude for the hand she was dealt, because she knows it made things a lot easier for her in both her personal and career life. I find this to be oddly humbling, as a lot of nepo babies are quick to say that having famous parents made their lives so much harder because they had to prove that they could work on their own and blah blah blah… In Paris’ case, she claims to never have taken a cent of her parent’s money but did make good use of their connections and the platform given to her by being her, which I love.
As I said before, this was an incredibly emotional book. It made me cry. The content discussed is pretty heavy, mentioning accounts of abandonment, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, and PTSD, all of which Paris had endured at various points of her life, that have stuck with her until this day. Again not light stuff, and I have so much respect and sympathy for her for coming out and sharing her story, which is never an easy thing to do. But it’s the way she talked about it that really did for me: it humanized her.
I think sometimes we forget that celebrities are people too, and reading her story reminded me of that. She shared a narrative with insight and thought, explaining how the events in her life affected her and shaped her into the woman she is now. She really took the memoir as a chance to be vulnerable with her audience, and that’s not only talking about all of the trauma she’s suffered. She talks a lot about how throughout her life, she made her fair share of mistakes, owning up to them. But what really resonated most with me was that she didn’t ask to be forgiven for them. The memoir was more about coming to terms with the fact that, yeah, she did something stupid and maybe it wasn’t a good idea, but she doesn’t regret any of it, because it’s all part of being human.
“As you wise up, you realize that all the stupid things you didn’t do — those are the regrets. My twenties were like, damn girl, leave no stupid behind.”
Paris Hilton, “Paris: the Memoir”
Again, how insightful. So much of her character is embedded in the pages of this book: so much character that we as consumers of the media have never seen. Another thing that really got to me was the way in which she forgave all of the people who genuinely did her so wrong, which to me, shows so much strength and emotional maturity. The press and the paparazzi. The people in her personal life (I really want to name-drop here but I also really want you to read the book and have the same reaction as myself when you find out). The media. She found it in herself to forgive all of these people for all of the horrible things they put her through. She also tried to rationalize their actions, seeking to understand why they did what they did. Genuinely, this was a humanizing read.
conclusion
Other than being incredibly emotional and insightful, the book was also pretty funny. You could hear Paris’ voice and personality seeping through the pages, with references to iconic moments in pop culture, as well as interjections during deep accounts of her trauma of random unfiltered thoughts. Reading through some of the pages felt sort of like I was listening to her internal monologue, which made this book all the more enjoyable for me to read. I can go on and on about this all day. Text me, and I’ll talk your ear off about it. My parents and friends have already heard it all. The bottom line: read the book. Read it. Read it, it will change your life, oh my God, READ IT.