By now most everybody knows that Paris Hilton, heiress, socialite and --- well, not much else --- is the web's latest amateur video star.
I take as a given that Ms. Hilton's recent escapade, as noted at Fleshbot (not work safe) and elsewhere, does not represent any fundamental new ground for the young lady. When you devote your life to being watched: to being observed, the step that you take when finally allowing that observation to extend to your most intimate --- or at least, most explicit --- moments is not a particularly bold one. When put in the context of her past behavior, the act is different only in degree, not in kind.
But observing Ms. Hilton (no, not observing her do that, but more generally) makes me wonder about a personality so in need of attention from others. She yearns for the spotlight; for the eyes of the world to focus on her for a moment, and, if possible, longer. She seeks notice wherever she can find it; basking in the radiance of strangers' gazes and thoughts. Where once, we can assume, she sought such attention a source of approval, a validation of her own worth, now, the notice itself has become the end. Positive or negative; embarrassing or flattering, whatever keeps her in the spotlight is by definition good.
She almost acts like a blogger.
How different, really, is the desire of Ms. Hilton to be noticed --- to see her name in the tabloids, to have her visage streaming into our living rooms --- from the desire of a blogger to be heard? To get that big link from Glenn or Andrew; to see their blog sit atop the Ecosystem?
Not very, I submit. Any blogger who tells you they don't care at all about links, or stats, or being read by others --- well, that blogger is either lying or wasting their time. Because they have a name for weblogs written by people who don't want other people to ever read them. They call them diaries, and they don't go on the Internet.
Article comments
1 - jadester
indeed, i am of the view that every human, to a certain degree, is in need of attention. Without attention, one only has one's self, which is sure to drive anyone insane.
Naturally, the degree of attention we each crave varies greatly. i would, for instance, say that i require a very great deal less attention than the average egotistical a-list movie star.
Whyever would the various media companies have been able to grow so much, without the support of a huge amount of people who like to read about others (no matter how inane/stupid/tedious/false the stories) simply because they hanker after having such an amount of attention lavished on themselves - think of how many "normal" people would love to be movie/music stars, i.e. internationally famous to some degree.
i would be lying if i said i am one of the few who can live without any attention. if that were the case, i wouldn't need friends and so wouldn't bother to make any, however even out of the people i know, there are some who blatantly need/want (small difference in this case?) more attention than others.
2 - Eric Olsen
Babies that get no attention die - human attention is as vital as air, water and food. Hermits die young also.