Paris Hilton is down in Australia this week to host a New Year’s Eve party in Sydney, for which she is being paid $70,000. She shocked a few people by blowing nearly $4,000 in 40 minutes while out shopping on Monday, and was sharply criticized by local charities.
From the Herald Sun:
World Vision Australia chief Tim Costello said Hilton’s spree would have been enough to feed a Third World village.
“In World Vision terms, $5000 would ensure that a village of 2000 people in Africa or Asia would have clean water for the rest of their lives,” Mr Costello said.
Open Family social worker Les Twentyman said Hilton’s spree was disgraceful.
“It is quite obscene spending money like that. Some people are homeless and thousands of people a week are losing their jobs and it is quite obscene in some ways,” Mr Twentyman said.
Class act that she is, instead of acknowledging that yeah, that show of excess was maybe a little crass (and a far cry from her quasi-humanitarian work with a charity that provides water to drought-stricken areas) or matching the spree with a donation, she defended her behavior thusly:
“I’m in Australia, I think it’s important to help out, you know, the economy out here, everywhere in the world … And what’s wrong with doing a little shopping? It’s New Year’s, I need a New Year’s dress.”
If the alternative is that she goes naked tonight as the ball drops, I suppose we should all be thankful.
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How about the money spent on fireworks by the cities down under to celebrate the new year? Any money not spent on Costello’s cause is money ill-spent. I can’t believe I’d ever defend that petri dish of a whore but Costello is a moron.
I’m sure the salesperson in the store working on commission would disagree with that ass.
Holly, you suck – but only because you’re forcing me to DEFEND Paris Hilton. I’m ashamed enough for both of us though, so shake it off.
Sorry folks, I’ve seen a lot of stories like this recently, but anyone who’s had Econ 101 will tell you that spending money on ANYTHING helps the economy. In fact, I would say buying things in a lot of ways is better than charity, as you’re helping people stay employed, thus keeping them OFF charity.
It’s easy to see $1000 dollar designer clothes in a vacuum, but remember that someone designed them, someone made them, someone marketed them, someone transported them, someone warehoused them, someone stocked them, and someone sold them. Paris Hilton just supported ALL those people along the line by purchasing merchandise.
Working people need to feed their families just as much as poor Africans.
Don’t make me ban you, Scott.
So I guess World Vision Australia chief Tim Costello is gonna pony up five g’s to give those people fresh water for the rest of their lives? Or does he just want someone else to do it.
What an *sshole. Why isn’t he in some “third world village” digging a well or something? It’s her money. If she wants to blow it so what? I want to know exactly how much of their own personal money these two have donated to the very causes they’re talking about. My guess? It’s close to zero.
I hate to defend someone I despise the way I do Paris Hilton, but I look at it this way: If you have the money to spend, go for it. I don’t have problems with the rich being excessive. It’s their money to spend how they see fit, and were I that wealthy, I would probably blow 40K on a shopping trip too. I can’t hold it against her, especially given that she is helping business owners by buying their merchandise, though I am sure she doesn’t honestly see it that way when she is doing it.
Is it crass and wrong for someone to have money and be a jerk because they have it? Sure. Money should not turn a person into an ass clown, and Paris is definitely an ass clown, but it’s her money to spend, and she can’t pump it all into stockpiles of Valtrex.
Oh no, I’m going to be the next person here to defend Paris Hilton!
There are people in this world for whom $4000 is like $40 to us. Having once worked for A Major Luxury Leather Goods Brand, I’ve seen people drop $10,000 on merchandise without ever once asking the price. Paris Hilton just happens to be one of those people. For all we know, she probably does give a lot away to charity. Most wealthy folks do, if for no other reason than to give it to the needy instead of giving it to the government.
Aside from pointing out how Paris’s purchases brought in tax revenue, helped keep the shop in business, paid its employees salaries, the manufacturers, wholesalers, etc., I’ll ask this question: should all of us feel “ashamed” of our purchases? Should we just take our Starbucks money and hand it off to a wino on the street instead? Should I just start wearing sackcloth and ashes because I still have a job and other people don’t? Why don’t we all go around like Oskar Schindler, despondent over how his possessions could have saved just one more person?
I was just wondering: where’s the rest of that dress? There’s troubling side-boob danger there. ::shudder::
I would hit it.
then I would hit it again with a sympathy lay since I think you are picking on her a little unfairly…
But they don’t complain that someone actually paid her 70K to host a party. If I shell out that type of cash, I at least want some attractive.
I think that side-boob-danger is Paris’ goal, as usual.
Well, I say go get her charities of the world. I also agree that spending money helps the economy, but Paris needs to get the “earth To Paris” memo once in a while, IMNSHO. There’s tabloid talk of the rich and famous starting to hide their wealth lately, via geting their expensive shopping sprees bagged up in plain bags rather than the designer bags that they are normally plunked into. Yeah, it’s phony, just like the ” Depression style newsboy” fashions worn by the rich fashionistas lately are phony, but it can’t hurt too much to ratchet down the bling-bragging in the world today and get a little humble. But it surely is true, 4K to them is like 40 bucks to us.
She only got $70,000 for an appearance?! Looks like her value is going down.
I don’t think it’s “Austrailia” chastising her as much as it is a couple of enthusiastic charity supporters.
WOMAN SPENDS OWN MONEY ON MERCHANDISE: FILM AT 11
Also, there’s this: suppose you are a guy who makes about $2K per month. Now suppose you’ve selected the perfect engagement ring for your beloved, which follows the 2 months’ salary guideline. You go to the jewelry store, supply the salesperson with her size, and they have the exact ring in stock, which they then provide you with for $4K. This all takes about twenty minutes. Are you therefore a bigger douche than Paris?
That depends. Did engagement ring guy go on Larry King after his DUI conviction to talk about how he’s turned his back on his vapid, party-slut ways and is newly dedicated to charity?
Ugh, at least I’m not the only one disturbed at defending her…
I personally believe that a lot of the world’s financial problems are a result of the rich hoarding (not them being rich, just obsessively hoarding it). When Buffet, Gates, Jobs, and the like have billions of dollars sitting around collecting more interest in a month than I could ever hope to make in my lifetime, it sucks the economy dry. Therefore: spend, baby, spend. While it would make me ill to do what she did, it seems like her only dropping $4,000 was pretty restrained.
I can’t believe I’m going to write this, but for once we should all follow Paris’ example and spend, spend, spend. *Sign*. Now I have to go shower…
All I’m going to say is, the real hypocrisy is her trying to be involved in charities at all. Focus on that next time–it’ll be good! But her splashy spending is *right* in line with her character.
Gol, Paris. Splurge some money on the food court and ‘ eat something.
People like Chris Dodd and Barney Frank sqaunder a few trillion of other peoples money and they keep their jobs … while Paris spends 6% of her wages for the day on clothes and she gets crucified?????????????
Arrggghhhh!!!!!!!!!
The idiocy is beyond comprehension!
The biggest disgrace here is that we now feel inclined to defend Paris. Of course she spent a lot of money on a dress! That is what she does.
I must assume this is only on deceiver because she is being criticized for splashing cash around, but someone loosened the purse strings enough to pay her 70k to appear there, and think of how much drinking water that is!
How did Paris deceive here? Just because she half-ass supports a charity does not mean she cannot splash most of her cash around.
Geeze, what I wouldn’t give for Paris to come have a little spending spree in my studio. She could bring all her little skanky friends too.
Paris’ value system may be warped, but her money isn’t.
Hate to jump on the Paris-defending bandwagon, but I think it’s worth mentioning that World Vision is a huge, evangelical Christian charity with a mission statement on its home site that is very specific when it comes to theology and vague as to what they actually do (it’s a flash site, no exact link–mouse over “Our Mission”). I am glad she doesn’t give her money to them.
“It is quite obscene spending money like that. Some people are homeless and thousands of people a week are losing their jobs and it is quite obscene in some ways”
Are people damned if they spend, damned if they don’t?
If my customers quit spending money in my shop, I’d be out of a job and homeless myself… granted people don’t *need* the clothes I sell, but I’m glad they’re buying because I can pay my bills and keep a roof over my head. If Paris (or anyone) walked into my shop and spent $4000 I’d be thankful!
I’m sure the money *could* have went to charities, which don’t always spend 100% of their income on the cause they cry to the skies about (some have about 30% toward the cause, the other 70% on marketing, mailings, and salaries). Check their financial statements and see how much of the income goes to people like Costello and Twentymany, and how much goes to the actual causes. I can assure you Costello and Twentyman (and others like them) aren’t working for free. I’m sure Twentyman isn’t forgoing HIS salary and spending because he feels bad about all those homeless people and that his money is best spent helping them.
In defense of Bill Gates, he and his wife donate a LOT of money to charity, it’s just not publicized or considered front-page worthy because they don’t make a big show of it like some celebrities do, or they just do it so often media doesn’t feel its newsworthy. They’ve helped many charities involved in helping people with AIDS and malaria.
what about the $70,000 she is getting paid??
well it is HER money. she worked for it, she never promised it to a charity, she has the right to spend it how ever she pleases. besides, she’s pumping money into the australian economy.
So, now it’s considered deceitful to say you’re going to help charity and not spend ALL your time and money on it? I only bought myself a CD a week ago and didn’t send it to starving orphans, I must be terrible too.
Get back to us when she skips a charity event to go shopping, or decides not to give to a food shelter in order to have money for hair extensions. Or spends her donation money at drinks at a club. Just spending some of her money the way she has since the day she was born isn’t exactly, ya know, hypocritical. In fact, that’s all she freaking is known for, isn’t it?
Tim Costello earns over $250,000 a year as the head of World Vision Australia. If he is so concerned about this injustice he could take a $100,000 pay cut in order to provide water to twenty villages, while still earning more than twice the average wage in Australia.
And Tim Costello gave himself a $60,000 payrise last year. Or to put it in terms he would understand, his payrise was enough money from his charity to provide clean water to twelve villages in Asia or Africa.
http://www.businessday.com.au/business/how-societys-helping-hands-may-be-dipping-into-your-pockets-20081226-75k5.html
Right on Crusader! I’m hoping all that is true. So now someone should ask Timmy if he’s gonna pay for all that water. Who am I kidding he’s probably the “progressive” type and would rather use money provided by someone else.
*Points above* that is why I only donate to small, local charities: not so much is taken away by the administrators. If anyone should be the Deceiver here, it’s Costello, not Paris.
I can’t think of better example of how fair Deceiver, and its commentors really are when a “person” like Paris Hilton is being defended by the readers against some shmoe from Australia.
Awesome.
LOL
Though I despise Paris Hilton, why isn’t she allowed to shop? That’s what “celebrities” do.
What I find funny is that she had to go to Australia to get that kind of money “hosting” a New Year’s party. I’m sure she rather have stayed here in the US with her friends. So she couldn’t get that kind of money hosting here anymore.
On some other site recently there was someone make snarky remarks that a celebrity had worn the same coat two days in a row. Heaven help us! I’ve had the same coat for three years.
People are interested in Paris’ vapid lifestyle and her fashion, and if she downsized to a wardrobe like mine she’d cease to exist. At least her used clothes go to be auctioned off for charity. It’s understood, though, that she doesn’t contribute anything to charity by any sort of self deprivation. Not in her nature to give what she can’t give easily.
Honestly, what is this? Communism versus capitalism? It’s her damned money. This type of journalism just stokes populist sentiment.