We asked Paris Hilton a
blunt question: Is she obsessed
with being taken seriously?
Her response gave us
pause for thought.
“I am taken very seriously as
a businesswoman, in
the business world
and by the people I do
business with,” Hilton
said. “If anyone wants
to say otherwise, they
have no idea what
they’re talking about.”
Hilton — the
beautiful heiress and
“celebutante” whose
reality-TV series
Paris Hilton’s British
Best Friend makes
its Canadian debut tonight on
MuchMusic and Star! — actually
makes a very good point.
We confidently can say that
probably 95% of the things to
which Paris Hilton attaches her
name wind up making money.
In these economic times, who
can dismiss that as unworthy?
So Paris Hilton says that no
matter what jokes are made
about her, when she’s in a
business meeting the other
people in the room take her
very seriously, indeed. They
have dollar signs in their eyes.
During the first episode of
British Best Friend — which is a
spinoff of the American version,
My New BFF — Hilton describes
herself as, “Businesswoman/
singer/actor/brand.” Is that the
order she prefers?
“Yes, definitely,
because that’s what I
do,” said Hilton, who
was quoted in Sun
Media recently saying a
Canadian version of the
“best friend” franchise
is a possibility. “I’ve
created a brand and
built an empire off of
being myself, and my
name. I’m very hands-
on in everything.”
Hilton said she hasn’t based
her “best friend” shows on any
other reality programs, because
she doesn’t watch much TV.
When she does have spare time,
she prefers music and concerts.
Hilton released a CD in 2006
and is “basically finished” with
her next album, which she hopes
will be out by the summer.
“I’m just doing a couple
more songs and as soon as I
have time I’m going to plan
out a tour,” she said. “It’s just
hard with my schedule.”
No matter how you slice it,
Hilton is one of the most famous
people in the world. Is she one
of those souls who stood out in a
crowd when she was young, or is
her fame surprising to those who
knew her when she was a kid?
“No, everyone has always said
that to me,” Hilton said. “I just
always loved the camera and
I always loved to pose. When I
was little, people would always
tell my mom what a beautiful
girl I was and things like that.”
Hilton probably will continue
to be the butt of jokes. But the
fact is, she makes money. She
doesn’t need the cash, but her
business partners surely do.
“You only live once and you
should live life to the fullest
and enjoy it,” Hilton said. “I
really don’t pay attention to
what people say about me. I
don’t really depend on other
people’s opinions of myself.”
But Hilton, 28, admitted she
has worked on that attitude.
“I think it’s something you
develop over time, through
your experience and as things
happen to you,” Hilton said. “I
don’t know, I’m just at a really
good place in my life right now.
“I just live my life and love it.”
