There is only a hand full of celebrities throughout history who have crafted a public image for themselves so well, to the point where their public persona has become ingrained into the public conscience.
These celebrities range from generation to generation, and each of them goes on to define a particular era in popular culture history. We can think of names such as Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe for the 'classic' Hollywood era, and perhaps Kim Kardashian, and a countless number of social media influencers represent the modern era.
There is one name, known for bridging the gap between the 'classic' and 'modern' era of celebrities who have crafted a culturally defining public image so skillfully, to the point where it difficult to separate the creator from the impact they have bestowed upon history, and her identity and influence have both been taken out of context countless times through the years, to the point where her status as a trailblazer has often been wrongly diminished and ignored; Now, she is here to take a stand and break her silence, and to show the world exactly what she has contributed, and how much she has endured. The time has come for the world to see Paris Hilton as the dynamic powerhouse and unbreakable figure, responsible for shaping society in the modern era as we know it.
Taking The Filter Away: Paris Hilton, Uncovered
For months leading up to the exclusive premiere of Paris Hilton's documentary This Is Paris, fans were promised they were going to see a brand-new and never-before-seen side of Hilton.
Hilton's public image has been universally identifiable, since the very beginning of her career, where she gained worldwide attention for her 'dumb blonde' persona, and her seemingly never-ending devotion to bringing the often-criticized interpretation of a spoiled blonde socialite to life both behind-the-scenes and in front of the camera on The Simple Life, the pioneering reality TV series Hilton starred in alongside fellow model and early-aughts paparazzi fixture, Nicole Richie. The premise of the series brought Hilton and Richie face-to-face in confrontation with their socioeconomic status and put a great emphasis on painting the girls as airheads who had no contempt for any lifestyle or person except for themselves.
The overarching theme of This Is Paris calls for the viewer to understand that the documentary will be built around candid revelations, of which there are many, but the first one fans must understand is Hilton manufactured her on-screen persona; She is extremely clear from the beginning of the documentary that the Paris we all think we know, is a product built and expanded upon by Hilton, herself, for nearly two decades in the spotlight.
In fact, Hilton is so adamant in drawing attention to the creation of her persona, that she emphasizes several times throughout the documentary she has been playing a character for many years, carefully pointing out the characteristics, like her signature "baby voice" she became well-known for using. The public eye was Hilton's metaphorical chessboard, and the camera has served as her powerful pawn piece.
Hilton's sister, and frequent club companion Nicky Hilton-Rothschild, is frequently featured throughout the documentary, claiming she is the one who knows her sister "the best" out of anyone in their inner-circle. Rothschild is the source for many of the documentary's insight into her sister's personality, describing Hilton as being "Addicted to drama," and making a point to emphasize her sister's brand is "Much more glamourous" than Hilton's actual personality.
Hilton's 'actual personality' is brought to life on screen both through stories and footage. Underneath the well-crafted public persona, lives a woman who has had to create countless layers of protective armor against the world around her. As the documentary shows, Hilton is actually quite demure. She wants us all to understand she did not become this way overnight. Decades of holding onto an extremely guarded secret from her past have impacted Hilton so deeply, to the point where she often has sleepless nights, kept awake from nightmares.
Relearning The Woman We Thought We Knew
This Is Paris will eventually become one of the most revealing celebrity accounts in history; the documentary will be remembered forever not only serve as the catalyst for the world reinventing the way in which we perceive Paris but will also serve as a source for Hilton's own personal healing.
The revealing emphasis of the documentary is centered around the revelation Hilton suffered great psychological stress as a result of being sent to an institution known as an "Emotional Growth School" after a rebellious period as a young teen became difficult for her parents to handle, (Her father Rick is not featured in the documentary as he is described in an early scene as being "Extremely private," and her mother Kathy, is frequently interviewed.)
The last Emotional Growth School Hilton attended left her feeling decades-long emotional trauma, as a result of the emotional and physical abuse she received courtesy of the staff after students would rebel. It is emphasized in the documentary that the nature of the school's practices was not known to parents; The extent of Paris' trauma is even revealed to Kathy Hilton seemingly for the first time on camera, and she quickly reassures Paris she and Rick would have taken action had they been aware.
Several of Paris' friends and schoolmates are also featured on camera, reuniting with Hilton 20 years after her time as a student, and their efforts to start and build a campaign to raise awareness of the conditions and practices the institution put and left upon them, are shown. Hilton candidly reveals she hopes to make sure future generations of students aren't subjected and impacted by the same trauma, stating it may help her navigate her trauma.
This Is Paris breaks down every assumption the public has held about Paris Hilton over the years and urges viewers to examine and reconstruct how we view celebrity culture through a raw, and jarring autobiographical account. The documentary is available on YouTube.