Posted on March 4, 2008 by Kathy McManus in All, Altruism, Celebrity, Media Comments (31)
Hotel Rwanda Hilton?
Soon after Paris Hilton’s 23-day jail stint related to DUI charges, she announced that she wanted to go to Rwanda to “help save some people’s lives.” The head of the charity group she was to accompany revealed that Ms. Hilton’s five-day African trip would be documented by a camera crew. The footage of Paris Hilton visiting schools and clinics in Rwanda was reportedly going to be used to sell a new reality TV show called The Philanthropist. “There’s so much need in that area, and I feel like if I go, it will bring more attention to what people can do to help,” Ms. Hilton said.
In Rwanda, where the country continues to recover from the trauma of the 1994 genocide in which a million people perished, news of Paris Hilton’s impending visit was met with unique diplomacy.
Spare Us the Traumatic Experience of Paris Hilton shrieked one Rwandan newspaper headline. Hilton Trip Will Bring Embarrassment to Country and Herself warned another news article, claiming that a reality show based squarely on Ms. Hilton’s quick trip would be “a truly awful scar on Rwanda.”
After the fuss hit the fan, the charity group postponed the trip. But a different charity stepped right up and offered to bring Paris to Rwanda, despite—or because of—the intense global interest in seemingly everything she does.
What do you think? Is the Rwandan media justified in its condemnation of Paris Hilton? Or could she actually do some good for the long suffering country?
Comments (31)
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Maybe Means Justify End
First of all, if the Rwandan govt. is against her visit, she should not go. Period. My further comments also assume the project employs responsible journalism that accurately depicts the situation, rather than consisting of a bunch of photo ops. That aside, I’m thinking that altruism is admirable, but altruism combined with total selflessness is much different and rare. Consider average, non-celebrities-parents who volunteer tirelessly at their children’s schools, for their sports teams,etc. Admirable? Yes. Selfless? No…they are doing it for their kids. I am not criticizing, but how many stay at this after their kids move on? Why should celebs be held to a higher standard…if they “do good” in exchange for publicity, so what? In this case, the benefits could be enlightenment and education about a very important issue to a group of young people (Hilton’s fan base)who may not be otherwise exposed. Perhaps some of them will be moved to type “Rwanda” into Google and learn something. Perhaps a few of those will be moved to action of some sort. Maybe for some it will be the beginning of an interest in world events, politics, ending human suffering. Should we or the Rwandan people look to Paris Hilton to make even a measurable difference in the problems that country faces? Of course not. But if even a little good comes from it, and Paris gets some good publicity (after we stop laughing), what’s the problem?
RE: Maybe Means Justify End
Nothing wrong with a little bit of Paris in Rwanda
Right on Sandy!
Why is not considered the ultimate in superficiality to attack the Paris Hilton’s of the world? There are far more destructive things deserving of people’s criticism. Say perhaps the system that continues to allow genocide in this world? I actually have the good fortune to be currently working on this very issue. There cannot be enough people working on this. Paris, you go girl! I’m wondering how many of Paris’ critics have bothered to lift a finger for Rwanda or Darfur? A phone call. A letter. Anything.
RE: Nothing wrong with a little bit of Paris in Rwanda
genocide system same as paris system
it’s one and the same – the superficiality, GREED, EXPLOITATION, etc. paris and her TV producers chose rwanda because IT WAS IN A MOVIE, guys – pathetic and insulting to all victims of violence and misery everywhere. her presence will be a circus and focus will be on her, not the victims. also the children will see her and think that that is the great coming of the blond blue-eyed queen of heaven – when she is in fact neither blond nor blue-eyed, nor anywhere close to heaven
RE: Nothing wrong with a little bit of Paris in Rwanda
You Are Wrong
jojo
why should people care about a trashy, no-class spoiled rich little ##### and really, besides gossip and ####, what does she have to offer the world
MAYBE you hacks in the controlled media could put someone on who is not a shallow pig or puppet politician. you claim to be intellectuals well my dog has more sense than to do the things that these corporate-controlled pigs do
RE: Maybe Means Justify End
Another Opportunity to Make Money
What is it that people don’t understand about Rawanda’s reaction – a country who does not want their sick, starving, and suffering citizens used by a vacuous socialite as another cute idea for a drive-by reality show? It makes me embarrassed to be a citizen of this “alseep at the wheel” nation. If Paris Hilton truly wants to help the people of Rawanda, let her go in, UNDER COVER, and begin her work of charity. Only after it is clear that this is not just another image rehabilitation, should anyone give her any publicity. How disgusting that she would even consider using HUMAN BEINGS as part of one of her stunts.
RE: Maybe Means Justify End
you must agree with the Nazis then?
Means never justify ends. This is not true altruism. Altruism is powered by selfless love and not by selfishness! When Paris will stop shaming herself and others, by dishonoring her body, breaking all moral standards and propagating it to others then we’ll talk. Don’t tell me it is altruism.
RE: Maybe Means Justify End
Fleeting Fixation
Having been an aid worker myself for the International Rescue Committee in western Sudan (Darfur) during the onset of what is now, undeniably a genocide, I have worked very closely with refugees in horrific circumstances. Had the subject of Darfur been en-vogue at the time of the slaughter, it would seem that due to the glare of the international communities’ attention, much of the ruthless violence might have been prevented. Ideally. Of course, to anyone familiar with the details of the Rwandan genocide, this was certainly NOT the case. There was, even leading up to the three month slaughter, a great deal of press regarding deep civil unrest and ominous acts of genocide in Rwanda. The assigned United Nations presence had been warning the DPKO and the media of a potentially catastrophic wave of pending violence. Still, nothing was done, and in the words of Lt. Gen. Romeo Dallaire (United Nations Force Commander to the UNAMIR, the assistance mission in Rwanda) any solid support, monetary or otherwise, came “to little, too late.” And of course, in the aftermath of such willful ignorance, America declared once again, never to again let something like it happen. Well, not surprisingly, it has. Upon my return from the country, it became resoundingly clear to me that hardly anyone even knew that a region of the world called Darfur even existed. Having been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the ordeal, the psychological need to communicate and exercise some of my memories and experiences to anyone that could understand became absolutely necessary, though at the time, trying to find anyone who could really empathize was a near impossibility. Four years later celebrities like George Clooney, whom I have great respect for (as he has worked to garner attention to Darfur, not simply to glean praise and reverence off of the suffering of nameless millions), have brought the issue of Darfur into the limelight. Sadly, this much needed attention comes far too late, and at the price of many, far too many lives. The subject of Africa and its people is of serious import to me. The near constant exploitation of the continent as a plaything of the affluent enrages me. I fear every news headline regarding Africa and am haunted constantly by the faces of the people I couldn’t help. Nightmares that have gripped me fast and show no sign of letting up. Nor should they. The lives of the Other are our responsibility as human beings, for in as much as we destroy and ravage, we are paradoxically fantastic creators and must use any and all resources as we have them, for we are all doomed to the same inevitable fate, alone in death, with only the memories of the other to survive us. (I apologize, but this subject gets me worked up and it is incredibly difficult for me to be entirely objective where so much anger, sadness, and hopelessness is involved.)Okay. Deep breath. Now to Paris Hilton. (I was getting there!) For someone whose crowning achievement in life includes enduring a justifiable jail sentence for a matter of hours and the popularization of defenseless inbred animals as handbags, it is difficult for me to see anything but the grossest form of narcissism inherent in this “brilliant stroke of all-the-sudden altruism”. What makes this all particularly obscene, is that now she is using the hardship and misfortune of REAL human beings to bolster the public opinion of one sadly misguided and deeply self-involved pseudo celebrity. Sure, it may draw some attention to the plight of the people for a time, but the consciousness of those individuals that follow the life of Paris Hilton are notoriously rooted in American media habits, whose attention span is dismally short, to say the least. How long will they invest their attention before the whole country plummets again into relative obscurity? Yet another African country whose statistics are so bleak and depressing that any hope of salvation is lost to the next infatuation of a population capable, but unwilling to get its hands dirty? If Miss Hilton really wishes to learn and do some good, she should go to Africa and leave the cameras behind for a moment. Halt the press releases regarding her “selfless” plight and do something for humanity that will have no affect whatsoever upon her social and commercial strata, but every effect on her character.
RE: Maybe Means Justify End
At least
At least she cares enough to go and give money to people who are in bad shape. She may look like a young party girl who is in trouble all the time but she is trying to stop and help people in different countries. It is showing how much she cares. She gives up some of her money and this from a 15 year old.
Young people do care about stuff like this and not just the computer like MySpace or going to the mall and buying things. We actually care for these people.
At Home
What’s wrong with starting at home instead of going over seas and propping up yet another dictatorship, who’s only purpose is exploitation and barbaric abuse of the local people. What about the exploitation and barbaric conditions right here in the United States? What purpose does it serve to throw people out of their homes to satisfy more corporate greed, adjustable rate mortgages? How come nothing has been done about these barbaric conditions? Why aren’t the people who created this mess having their feet put to the fire? Why is it getting harder every day to even get help at any level of our government for basic necessities?
RE: At Home
yeah! charity starts at home
right on, chuck – but you forgot that it’s not as glamorous going to impoverished areas in the usa (except new orleans now that brad pitt’s all over it)
i’ve also wondered why angelina does so much for africa while her native american fellows (her mom was part) get none of her glamor.
also people in the usa refuse to believe that there are lots and LOTS of poor WHITE people here who aren’t “lazy” but because of corporate greed and structural inequality are starving and miserable – entire communities in upstate new york, the deep south, all over. and we already know what suffering persists in many black and brown communities. and ps – paris hilton’s fans are gonna, what, start school projects for rwanda and then when she’s no longer there, the fans are gonna keep going? yeah right – on to the next fad,more likely
RE: yeah! charity starts at home
Motives and complexity
Ok Liztang and Chuck, while it’s true that this Paris thing could simply be a publicity thing for her, there’s no need to attack people that practice overseas philanthropy in general. Charity doesn’t start at home, it starts even closer: Charity starts with your own personal motives. It’s is an action as well as a personal characteristic. A lot of people are doing a lot of good overseas, and for the right reasons too. Would you attack their contributions simply because there is suffering at home in the USA too? Of course not. Truth is, the people helping out overseas usually help out at home too.
What about the poor parents that decide to give to a beggar even when their own children have very little? Are they wrong to do this? I think not. Parents like these teach their kids to give and to sacrifice, to look out for those that have even less. Parents like these get it.
I think that what bugs us all about Paris going to Rwanda is the fact that we don’t trust her motives. And she’s given us good reason to not trust them. But motives are hard to ascertain, and you’ve gotta be careful not to judge too quickly. She deserves a shot to give charity, like all of us. I think the Rwandans have every reason to fear her coming, and I would feel a lot more comfortable if I trusted her. But if she’s gonna change (big maybe!), she’s gotta start somewhere. Sigh. The question is, who wants to let her in?
RE: At Home
Misled or misguided!
I have not much debate about Paris going to Rwanda, she can go or stay! But where on earth do you get the courage to declare “she is going to prop up another dictator”? You would not say this if you knew that the current Rwandan president fought to end the horrible genocide that so called powerful countries indifferently watched! Let us do ourselves good by not airing out baseless remarks.
RE: At Home
ARMs Are Barbaric?
I certainly agree with the statement that one’s attentions should be to their native land before going elsewhere. And I agree that the fact that many of our citizens signed their names to loans with terms that they didn’t understand and the repercussions of such is a sad thing. That being said, I find it in complete distaste to equivocate foreclosure on a mortgage and eviction from a house due to the inability to make the payments on an ARM to genocide. Maybe your fingers weren’t getting your thoughts across and you were thinking about the mortgage crisis and more “barbaric” problems (e.g., homelessness, violence, hunger, illness with inadequate or no health care, etc.) in the country at the same time and the thoughts comingled in your comment. I hope so.
also
at least she cares about the Rwandan people because there was a lot of damage after the genocide. I know this because i had to do a research paper on the Rwandan genocide. A lot of people were murder in the genocide, at least 500,000 people and a 1,000 little boys and girls my age were raped, tortured and beaten to death. Paris Hilton donating money could really help the Hutus, Belgians, and Tutis people live a little better. THANK YOU PARIS HILTON!!!!! :)
no trip needed
If Paris Hilton truly wants to help the people of Rwanda, she can do it right here in her own country. She has all the recognition a person who wants to draw attention to a charity needs, not to mention rich friends and family to boot. She can campaign for Rwanda from home. A trip there I believe, would be for personal publicity.
RE: no trip needed
Don't forget those already there, past and present
The fact that Paris can cause such a stir and garner so much attention just by making a comment such as “LIKE, save some peoples lives…” is sad. She should stay home and write a check. Drew Barrymore just did this, and she did it with very little publicity. I believe she presented the million dollar check to Oprah on her show. Paris would show more class and maturity if she made a sizable donation to a relief agency working there directly. Those in Rwanda actually know what survivors need, not a spoiled brat making amends with the media. I’m sorry, her few days in “jail” does not come close to real suffering.
RE: no trip needed
P.S.
If Paris Hilton truly wants to help some impoverished kids there are literally tens of thousands of them right here in America.Why would you not want to help your own countrys’ needy first?
Who cares why she does it, as long as she does
Back in my 12-Step days, I remember there was one particular meeting where all the “rehab-hotties” would attend—party girls that were attempting to clean up their lives. The short skirts and pouty lips attracted a lot of men and women that later confessed that they were “seduced into sobriety” because those girls made the 12-steps looks so good.
Most of the people that flocked to this meeting dropped away over time, however, there were a few that actually stayed and became pillars of service.
I say who cares what motivated them to come to sobriety, as long as they got there. It is, after all, our egos that inspire us to do most of the things that we do throughout the day anyway. Who cares why Paris goes to Rwanda, as long as she does. I know it will be impossible for her to see the Rwandan children, hold the babies, hear their stories, and witness first hand the effects of genocide without her heart being cracked open (at least a little bit.) If Paris goes to Rwanda for an egoic pat on the back, so what…and if Paris’ short skirts and pouty lips inspire others to jump on the “help others” bandwagon, then who cares why they do it, as long as they do.
...
Let Paris help the country. Charity work generally leads to beneficial results. Help tends to help.
Why is this seemingly simple concept appearing to be so complicated?
RE: ...
what help?
Africa is not a place where you unload your guilty and shameful feelings and start new Tv shows, if someone wants to help let him or her be genuine about it and im sure you do not need a tv crew to offer charity. so if she really wants to help let her come in and do it and if she does it good then her work will speak for itself and for her.
Another shame for America
Then you all gonna wonder why the whole worlds is pissed at your US way of life? Is there anyone who can explain to this country that people’s misery and hunger is not just another PR tool like a hot date?
RE: Another shame for America
Take it easy Shirley
Dear Shirley: I have always wondered why a person feels they are justified in anti-American rhetoric, while claiming (or inferring) moral superiority. Think about it Shirley. Perhaps you hate a stereotype American. We all do. But if we aspire to be civilized shouldn’t we reach out beyond those stereotypes? You sound angry and hostile … and I believe this site is set up to foster dialogue. Perhaps you could reflect on your own prejudices .. and perhaps think before you write.
Paris might do some good if she can keep her pants
Regardless of her motives, I’d like to believe that Paris’s visit to Rwanda is going to have all these positive effects we’re talking about here… Her track record just doesn’t give me much confidence. Perhaps there was a similarly altruistic motive behind her reality show “the Simple Life” but when Paris filmed a season in my native Arkansas, she was at first greeted with the utmost in hospitality. In turn, Paris and her friend Nicole then behaved themselves in ways that were blatantly and uncaringly disrespectful to their hosts and others. Meanwhile, they flirted inappropriately with preteen boys and occasionally exposed themselves in public. I am far from a perfect person, but these women’s blatant disrespect of their hosts’ generosity and everyone around them embarrassed and infuriated me. The show took on a tone that ultimately told the world “Look how much better we are than all these primitive and stupid people.”… and think about how this all may have affected Paris and Nikki’s “costars”. I wonder if Paris realizes this or even cares. Even if Paris manages to keep her panties on for this whirlwind Rwanda trip, can we be confident sending her into the Third World unleashed, sure that she won’t say or do anything that makes the world groan in disgust and embarrassment? I’ve worked in the third world and trust me, everyone has to go through some awkward learning experiences when coming from the US into such a setting. But when you send Paris Hilton into Rwanda the whole “bull in a china shop” analogy comes to my mind. She’s going to need some intense and constant guidance on how to behave herself and treat people, maybe even a cage. Just make sure she understands it’s not a cage for dancing in.
Heroism
Hey, what a nice idea to help Rwanda. Finally An American Diva wants to help the…..children…or who is she eyeing to help. Give me a break. A good thought coming from a wrong person. Can she send the money? We shall send her pictures of Africa. A Hero in America is not necessarily a Hero in Africa. Her lifestyle is in question and no Rwandese should embrace her presence.
RE: Heroism
I agree!
I agree with you! If Paris wants to help the hurting people of the world there are many worth while organizations that are in need of funds to do the work that will last a long time. I know of Short Term Missions and other projects and missions with the contacts in Rwanda can and do touch many lives around the world. Many of these organizations are in need of funds to do the work they are called to do. I hear them crying out “Help us, help them!”
Why not?
Paris may not have the most admirable record in the world, but if she wants to go help others, then by all means let her! How many of us, given the chance, would be willing to give up part of our lives to go to another country and help out those less fortunate. Yes, it is possible that there are ulterior motives here bordering on the line of selfishness, but Paris is one of the most watched celebrities in the world right now. If they do make a reality show out of it, why not have a number at the end where people can make donations to the Rwandans. While Paris Hilton is far from a decent role model, a lot of people would probably be more likely to give money after watching this than just another infomercial. Much like Idol Gives Back from American Idol. Not only that, but maybe by Paris visiting Rwanda and experiencing first hand how some people have to live their lives every day, it will make a difference in her life, too.
Give me a break
Unless Paris is going to live in one of the villages and eat what they eat and sleep where they sleep, she should not go there. She should not have the luxury of a 5 star hotel and then go and film those that are poor and make it seem like she really cares. If the government does not want her there she should not go. I agree this would be an embarrassment and also doing this reality show is a slap in the face to those that are poor by highlighting “someone wanting to do good” instead of helping those in need and not trying to draw attention to yourself. Truly helping does not draw attention to you but instead to the cause. She would also be an embarrassment to American’s by the way she acts. I do work in Rwanda and would be so embarrassed if she and her film crew showed up and made American’s look like primadonna’s that throw money around and wanted the spotlight.
Socialite Consciousness
I do not think that it is appropriate to exploit the tragedies of genocide for a reality T.V. show. She needs a reality check! Nobody wants to hear what a self-appointed princess has to say about anything. If she wants to help, she should send money! If Paris had a true interest in philanthropy she could actually help a great number of people. And that would be “hot”.
It is all about her
Paris is talking about Rwanda because of the movie Hotel Rwanda and other hype about that tinny country. Why does not she go to Haiti, Congo, North Korea, Somalia or Iraq? Why doesn’t she help the US homeless or 50 millions uninsured Americans? Sufferings happen everywhere. She is looking to something that can add to her money based celebrity a Gandhi or Mother Theresa like fame. Poor countries are to lift themselves out of poverty and anarchy by serious leadership and hard work of their citizens. Charlatans like Hilton can give a few thousand dollars to some villagers but can’t solve nor alleviate the socio economic problems of those nations.
WHO CARES?
Who really cares what this washed up person thinks. What has happened to our world that we have to see this little spoiled rich brat make a fool of herself all over the place?
I am so tired of her that I could scream. I am saddened to think that anyone even cares what she does.Period.
PLEASE!
Paris thinks only of Paris. This is pure publicity. She should not even be making news. How pathetic.