the relentless pursuit of paris

This is absolutely fantastic. Lettermen literally unravels mega dip-stick, Paris.

October 4, 2007 | Filed Under bizarre, funny |

Comments

29 Responses to “the relentless pursuit of paris”

alan hirsch on October 9th, 2007 12:13 pm

Its all works now. Yay!
Alan Hirsch on October 10th, 2007 1:18 pm

I am surprised no-one has commented. Is there anybody out there. This is such a funny video. I have watched it a few times already and I keep laughing at my poor sister.
Kory on October 10th, 2007 3:15 pm

Not sure what to think of this. I’m not particularly impressed with either one of them. Obviously, Paris is an easy target, but I’m not sure we should spend our time ridiculing her.

Letterman, on the other hand, is apparently perfect. A shining example of what celebrities should model to kids. He does a pretty good job of portraying himself as righteous (I’ve seen him do it in other interviews, too), but doesn’t have much time for others who mess up. I didn’t find it all that funny, mostly just tough to watch.
joe on October 10th, 2007 11:05 pm

It was a little bit like watching a trainwreck. Letterman is my favorite late night guy, so he is always funny. I dont think he is trying to be self-righteous, just news worthy. People like Paris and Brittany break my heart. Isn’t there anyone trying to look out for them? It seems like those around them are just looking for their own 15 minutes.
I used to laugh at them alot. I am past that now. it breaks my heart. would i laugh at them if they were in my youth group? or my sister? Lives are wrecked and there seems to be no one extending grace and hope to them.
sorry to be the party pooper. (if i am allowed to say “pooper”) doh! i said it again.
Jeffrey on October 11th, 2007 12:48 am

Greek Tragedy or Dark Comedy? You want to laugh at the absurdity of it and yet you know behind her vacant eyes is real pain - pain that she has yet to own and actualize. Letterman badgers, Hilton retreats. But she never comes to a point of realizing her total depravity and failure - no amount of money, fame, or fortune will heal her hurt. Like a car accident, you want to look away but you can’t - you want to help, but she is insulated and isolated from the only thing that can help - the Cross.
Kory on October 11th, 2007 1:00 am

I just think the clip says just as much about Letterman as it does about Paris Hilton. She really doesn’t have much to say — what can she say? I don’t think he gets the idea of grace and so he see’s himself as the one to administer more punishment.

Bottom line is — both of them are after money. Paris for “her” perfume and Letterman for the “did you see what Letterman did last night?”. I also don’t want to overanalyze what is only there for shock value.
Alan Hirsch on October 11th, 2007 1:15 am

Hey guys, I am sorry to be the party pooper here (oops that word again) but Paris is not an innocent! She has damaged the minds of millions of people. A few laughs at her dittyness ain’t going to be a bad thing. Its kinda prophetic really.
Jay on October 11th, 2007 3:09 am

here’s a short documentary on a little church in texas that’s interesting. it’s 30 min long. you should check it out.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8487923510231736593&hl=en
Peggy on October 11th, 2007 4:38 am

Alan, brother…you just are such a free spirit with so little guile that these things strike you as hysterical for their sense of “karma”…I have been rebuked for my sense of humor as well…and I must admit that I have to agree with Kory’s sense that Letterman’s gracelessness just makes it worse.

But you know, my whole current context is that I have little boys that I’m spending every ounce of energy and creativity I have toward helping them become godly men who will be Christlike in all their words, deeds and relationships…

Humor…such a difficult thing to share across cultures

Love you, though, bro…you keep the rest of us honest in the little things as well as the big things!
Kory on October 11th, 2007 6:01 am

Hey Alan. I understand what you’re saying. My question is, “Could she possibly have done otherwise?” I’m not talking metaphisically or deterministically, but keep in mind the environment she was raised in. She was taught well that all the excesses and vanities of life are what everyone needs and has probably never heard otherwise. She’s only passing along the values she learned — I would guess she has little inkling there’s anything else.
joe on October 11th, 2007 1:20 pm

she may not be an innocent, but i believe she is still a victim. responsible? sure she is. but she is also a product of our culture and her environment. like i said, i used to laugh, but now its just sad.
it wouldnt be as funny if she was a person we knew and cared about.

there are more christian televangelists that deserve a good ribbing than paris hilton. and i am not even sure that is right to say either.
Alan Hirsch on October 12th, 2007 12:45 am

I must say I am surprised at the defense of Paris. I think the Bible is full of ribbing and critique. The prophets and Jesus no less. Better to laugh than to get violent.
joe on October 12th, 2007 1:22 am

to be honest, this isnt like me. in the past i would be with you. but she reminds me more of the woman caught in adultery or the “sinful” woman than a pharisee or religious leader. how jesus treated them seem to be distinctly different.

paris and brittany arent so different than anyone else we know. their sins just happened to get plastered across tabloids and are the butt of jokes on late night tv.

no offense alan, it is hard to communicate this next point via internet, but i am surprised that as “missionally” minded people we would be so quick to mock someone jesus would would be reaching out to with compassion.

we shouldn’t treat her any different than we would any other not yet christian. is the way we talk about her and treat her the way Jesus would?
Peggy on October 12th, 2007 1:29 am

For my part I am in no way defending Paris…it is more a matter of ridicule as a communication technique–especially among Chrisians called to be examples of speaking the truth-in-love–that I object to.

Certainly humor defuses many issues that have the potential to be touchy…but I wouldn’t necessarily put Paris and Letterman in the same boat as the Pharisees and Jesus

I guess I am always for lightening up a tense situation by using humor, but only when I’m making fun of myself…
Peggy on October 12th, 2007 1:37 am

Hey, Joe…we were posting at the same time and on the same wavelength
Kory on October 12th, 2007 2:00 am

Joe, I’m with you there. I would be more for laughing at/ridiculing religious leaders who should know better. When I see a self-righteous person get caught in a lie — that’s “karma,” and worth a satisfying chuckle.

I wouldn’t “defend” Paris or her lifestyle — it’s obviously depraved, but I can certainly see why she does what she does. You see it over and over with the “silver spoon” kids. Very predictable.
Aaron on October 12th, 2007 2:27 am

G’day Alan, I’m a huge fan of your work but have to say I agree with the consensus on this one. I think that, given it is his show, Paris unraveled Lettermen more than he did her. He wasted 3/4 of the interview talking about stuff we’d already heard on Larry King 3 months ago and half of this time he couldn’t get her to answer his questions (she *wouldn’t* answer, rather than *couldn’t* like some news services liked to spin it.)

Something that concerns me (and my wife who also had to comment in the past on how Paris was (mis)represented in a Christian forum) is that, as Joe mentioned earlier - would we think it was funny if she was someone we knew and cared about? The trouble with us might be that we just don’t care about Paris. I think we need to care about her.
alan hirsch on October 12th, 2007 12:49 pm

Well, clearly I am out-voted here. Grace wins I guess! Paris is great!
Peggy on October 12th, 2007 1:29 pm

Alright, Mr. Pendulum…no one here is condoning Paris’ actions. We are just saying that there is much that is pathetic in this example…and that perhaps sarcasm is not a worth use of influence. Now, there is some room for satire, but that would be trying to call for change…not just making fun.
alan hirsch on October 12th, 2007 1:53 pm

Hey Pegs, she wasn’t there to support world poverty. But to sell her new wolrd changing perfume (Can-Can no less!) and her clothing line. Paris an innocent victim?…spare me!

Hehehe. I am rather enjoying playing the bad guy here. Someone stop me!
joe on October 12th, 2007 9:50 pm

well, we all self-promote whether we like it or not. marketing is just part of the business. we do it in the church as way.

ie. -forgottenways.org
whatiskingdom.blogspot.com

but that is not the point. who she is doesnt change who we are supposed to be.

peace.
Peggy on October 13th, 2007 2:04 am

Alright, you young whipper-snapper…I did NOT say that she was an innocent victim!!!

I did say that the whole episode was pathetic…

…but we are all having our say in the commentary, eh?

Don’t make the Abbess get out her ruler…
Peggy on October 13th, 2007 2:06 am

…Janet would have added “you cheeky boy”…where is Janet, by the way?
Kory on October 13th, 2007 4:28 am

Wow, Alan. You’re a tough guy. Standing up to everyone here. With all the loving rebuke here, I thought for sure you would have seen the error of your ways by now.

I just see a great parallel here with the woman caught in adultery — I mean how much more clear could it be? One of the things that makes her most famous is that she was, in fact, caught in adultery (on tape, no less). What makes her different that the woman in the Biblical account?

By the way, I’ve really been energized by your books! Keep up the great work!
Peggy on October 13th, 2007 5:58 am

Kory,

I see a number of differences, off the top of my head…

1. The woman caught in adultery was just about to be stoned to death on the spot…and was being used to trap Jesus.

2. The “audience” of men willing to stone her without stoning the equally guilty man–whom the law also required to be stoned–got their trap sprung on them.

3. David Letterman is not Jesus …couldn’t resist….

4. The society the woman lived in clearly had a standard that called this action sin–punishable by death. Our society has no such standard anymore…and so it became a mistake to be forgotten rather than a sin to be confessed and forgiven.

5. She was jailed for drunk driving, not adultery.

Now, as you will notice from my previous comments, I have problems with this entire scenario–Paris, with her clueless, hedonistic, commercialization of all parts of her life–as well as Letterman, with his using of Paris as the brunt of his hammering jokes…to her very face on national tv… It’s one thing to kid with someone who is making fun of themself, but this seemed classlessly over the edge.

And yet, here at TFW, we take every opportunity given to us to pull the logs out of our eyes…so that we may better see the speck in our brother’s

…this is not the first time Hirshey’s sense of humor has snapped back…after we have finished processing the reality of this post, we’ll just have to lighten up–nobody is perfect, eh?

Transparency comes with a significant price…one which I am glad Alan is willing to pay.
joe troyer on October 13th, 2007 2:08 pm

at the same time peggy, she was dragged through the equivelant of the evening news by being dragged through the streets to the temple. i am sure everyone knew.

also, she was being condemned by the religious leaders of her time, in the same way paris is now.

by all accounts, the woman didnt say she wanted forgiveness,compassion or restoration but jesus offered it anyways. what should we do?

if the story was told in the 21st century, would it look much different than the one we are watching happen right now?

peace.
Kory on October 14th, 2007 1:37 am

Peggy, you just rocked my world…Letterman isn’t Jesus??? Actually I probably like Paris more than Letterman (and that’s not saying much). And I would see Letterman more as the Pharisees (the way he “stoned” her publically) than Jesus anyway.

In any case, I’m not particularly offended by Alan’s humor, just not sure I could find as much humor as he does. I’m with you in that I’m sure you could find many instances where I have laughed at things that shouldn’t be so funny.

In any case, I’m enjoying the conversation and I look forward to joining in to some other substantial conversations.
Peggy on October 14th, 2007 4:05 am

Kory…hehehe…there are plenty of substantial conversations at TFW…and this one has some real potential, too!

Joe T…I am in total agreement with your heart on this one, brother. We are always to be as harmless as doves, even while being wise as serpents…that means no poisionous fangs!

But I do think that we are still talking apples and oranges (although CS has frequently talked about the need for fruit salad ).

If this situation was to be the same, it would need to be in a context that was similar. I would say that this kind of thing would be more consistent with what we see in a Muslim context…that then it would be just as shocking–for one of the Imams, say, to stop an honor killing of a wife or daughter and turn the tables on the husband/father/brother….

But in our “live and let live” society, we let folks do whatever they want…and if they get caught, they pay: jail time if it is illegal, and “media manslaughter” regardless! I think it is horrendous!

That’s all I’m saying….

Truly, it is our broken humanity that is showing when we rejoice in the suffering of someone else–even those who are fully and totally deserving! Rather, we should mourn and pray for them–that the Holy Spirit would bring someone into their lives with hope and healing and reconciliation with God.

I don’t find it particularly useful to engage in discussions about folks or situations in which I have no personal influence…and that is a very counter-cultural place to be!

Peace, indeed…may the shalom of God increase!
David on November 9th, 2007 9:15 pm

Paris is not an innocent! She has damaged the minds of millions of people. A few laughs at her dittyness ain’t going to be a bad thing. Its kinda prophetic really.

Speaks volumes about Alan Hirsch’s lack of humanity.

Which spiritual fruit are you exemplifying here, Alan?