‘American Meme’ stars queen of me me me
Netflix’s new documentary “The American Meme” is a cautionary tale of what happens when people sell their souls to become internet stars. One figure reminds us this is nothing new. Paris Hilton was the OG internet star, “American Meme” declares – the pre-Instagram Kim Kardashian. She was a viral sensation before the rest of the world knew it was possible to capitalize on a global fan base.
Hilton made headlines for the documentary in April when it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival: In it, the heiress, 37, says her infamous sex tape leak in 2004 felt “like getting raped.”
Here are five more anecdotes from “The American Meme” that may change the way you think about Paris Hilton:
1. She considers herself extremely close with her fans.
Hilton’s morning routine starts with a sweep of her social media accounts (stars – they’re just like us!), where she reads fan comments and watches videos they send her.
“I feel closer with them than I do with most people I know,” she says. “They’re really like my family.” She says she gives fans her phone number and even invites them to stay in her house.
“I’m constantly traveling … so it gets really lonely sometimes,” she says. “I’ve been through so much in life, and I don’t really trust people. ... But with my fans, I don’t feel like that at all. Not a day goes by when I’m not texting, FaceTiming or emailing with my Little Hiltons.”
2. She hears paparazzi even when she’s alone.
Hilton has been in the limelight for so long, it seems scenarios with lots of photographers are burned into her brain. “It is weird,” she says. “Sometimes I’ll just hear clicks and flashes even when they’re not happening.”
3. She nearly had a panic attack before shooting her first real movie role.
Even after years of being surrounded by cameras, Hilton found the idea of shooting a movie daunting. Her first big starring role on the big screen was in the 2005 horror flick “House of Wax.”
“I just remember being so nervous before the scene and almost having a panic attack,” Hilton says. “It was the first, like, serious film I had done … but then when I got on set, I used all that nervousness” for the character.
4. Her fear of missing out is so extreme, it’s ‘like a sickness’ …
The reason she pops up at clubs and music festivals all the time is because she can’t bear the thought of missing an event, she confesses.
“Yes, I’ve built a big empire and a huge business, but I don’t know, sometimes I’m like, ‘Do I even want to do this anymore?’ ” she says. “I see all my friends who are not in the industry, and they now have two or three kids, and they’re so happy. They don’t go out, they’re just with their families, and that is what makes them happy.”
5. … but part of her knows she has created a monster.
Although she’s thankful for the brand she’s been able to create, she’s aware of how it stunted her personal growth – and how it’s impossible to escape.
“I just lived in this bubble,” Hilton says. “The reality show world – that whole industry – you don’t really grow up. You’re almost stuck in this character. I (have been) a 21-year-old for the past two decades. …
“I already do have a legacy, but once you start that, you just can’t stop,” she says. “A lot of people don’t understand that you need to be sustainable forever.”