In this week’s Us magazine, both Paris Hilton and Teresa Giudice were quoted. Paris, who is at Burning Man this weekend, said that she had always admired Princess Diana, but she’ll never get to admired as much as Princess Di, because she’ll “always be judged” for her sex tape. Teresa, who served a year in prison for fraud and now raises her four daughters while her husband serves his 4-year term, said that her “middle name is Strong.”
Based on these circumstances and statements, I declare Teresa Giudice, star table-flipper and tantrum-thrower of “Real Housewives of New Jersey,” Ms. Morality. She served her time and she’s working hard. It’s not clear she did a crime-it could be her husband’s shady dealings were concealed from her. She’s not savvy, and she doesn’t have much self-control, but she has lived through the consequences of her actions. Now she thinks about her daughters more than her legacy or how she is viewed. I also award her the Ms. Morality crown because I appreciate that Ms. Giudice never seems to have aspired to be adored in the way that British royalty is adored, though she definitely wanted people to watch her on TV and buy her book.
Paris Hilton loses to Teresa Giudice because the heiress party-goer doesn’t own actions or characteristics that led to a sex tape of her existing and being released. She objects to the tiny consequence of having henceforth to “always be judged” because it reduces her chances of appearing to be like her idol, Princess Diana. Paris regrets what she thinks is being done to her, not what she may have done. It’s only because some bad person released her sex tape, she thinks, that she has lost the opportunity to be admired as Princess Diana was. Never mind that Hilton doesn’t, for example, walk through mine fields to raise awareness of land mine dangers. It’s that damned sex tape that deprives her of pristine princess status in her opinion.
I used to try like hell to avoid experiencing any kind of negative consequence. I couldn’t even handle not having my homework in time, and I would fib and wheedle to avoid any penalty. I had to go to detention once for being late to French class too many times, and from that I concluded that my French teacher was a bitch, not that I should figure out how to get there on time. I once told my mother I must have dreamed (though I knew I had NOT) that I had asked for and received permission to wear her dark blue cashmere sweater to avoid her annoyance and disapproval when she discovered me in it. I cringe when I think of that (and SOOOO much more BS I spouted), but I was a TEENAGER then.
Paris Hilton is a grown woman. So is Teresa Giudice. But only the scrappy lady from Jersey acts like one.
