Three Sydney University researchers: About Paris Hilton and Celebrities in General, in their new book, Celebrity and the Law.

Sydney-central.whereilive.com.au reports:
"PARIS Hilton, socialite, reality TV star, chihuahua-lover and gossip-mag darling, should be taken seriously, academics say. While they may not be advocating the famous heiress as a role model, celebrities such as Hilton should be appreciated for their ‘’social capital’’, three Sydney University researchers say in a new book, Celebrity and the Law. Patricia Loughlan, associate law professor and one of the book’s co-authors, said one of the ideas explored in the book was the positive role celebrities, such as Hilton, played in society. ‘’There is great condemnation of the cult of celebrity, but we as a society seem to feel both superior and inferior to celebrities,’’ Dr Loughlan said. What positive things do celebrities provide for us? They are big deal cultural resources, they send messages; they have social capital, they get people talking. ‘’You might start talking to your friends about Tiger Woods, but then you might move onto other, more abstract things, like discussing fidelity and marriage.’’ Dr Loughlan said the book dealt with areas of the law particularly affecting celebrities, such as the right to privacy, which she says celebrities sometimes hypocritically lay claim to despite otherwise courting publicity. ‘’There is a line and celebrities are entitled to certain basic protections, but I don’t think, in the interest of privacy, we should be restricted to just what their publicist wants us to see,’’ she said. So why is it important to take Hilton seriously? ‘’She in some ways, and celebrities like her, are metaphors,’’ Dr Loughlan said. ‘’Barack Obama and Paris Hilton, for example, are at opposite ends of the (celebrity) spectrum, but they’re still both on the same spectrum. Barack Obama might seem all achievement and no froth, while Paris Hilton is all froth and no achievement. ‘’But they get us to start talking to each other, and they serve as metaphors for certain beliefs and certain values.’’"