Oh, Paris. That’s so not hot.
Celebutante/heiress/failed reality-TV star, singer, and actress Paris Hilton is in hot water after a cab driver leaked a recorded conversation between Hilton and a friend about the gay hookup app Grindr. During the loathsome exchange, Hilton calls gay men “disgusting” and “the horniest people in the world,” and eloquently concludes that they will all “like, die of AIDS.” Even for a public figure so used to controversy, the firestorm ignited by the comments signal Hilton may have hit a new low.
Paris Hilton’s worst moments—the mug shots, the sex tape, the Dave Letterman interview—have been recounted to death. But on the occasion of her latest gaffe, here are eight more Paris fails that may have slipped under the radar.
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Believe it or not, sex-tape legend Paris Hilton has never heard of Grindr, the app used by some gay men to troll for hookups in their area. Judging by her tirade painting gay men as filthy, AIDS-ridden sex addicts, now that Hilton knows what the app is, she clearly does not approve. Grindr was ready with a zinger Thursday, tweeting, “Frankly we’re surprised that you hadn’t heard about Grindr sooner, given some of the guys you date.” Responding to the whole controversy, Hilton’s representatives said her comments were taken out of context and do not accurately portray her fondness for the gay community.
Reality-Show Bomb and a Barbara Walters Dress-Down Last summer, Hilton made her not-so-heralded return to reality TV with The World According to Paris, which aired on Oxygen for one low-rated season. (The New York Times said of the show: “…as a reality heroine she seems a little passé—a Sony Walkman in an iPod era, a Friendster in the age of Facebook or, to put it in context, a single-process blonde in a triple-process world.”) To make matters worse, Hilton appeared on The View to promote the series, only to find herself berated by Barbara Walters for a scene in which she whines about having to do community service. “You said you wanted to help [female] prisoners… you’ve raised a lot of money… but why haven’t you done more of that and less of this?”
Booed at a DJ Gig Already having failed in her own music career—remember “Stars Are Blind?” (hopefully not)—Hilton tried her hand at DJing at Brazil’s Pop Music Festival. Awkwardly dancing behind the booth, miming clichéd DJ moves, and occasionally waving the Brazilian flag in an attempt to win over the crowd, Hilton was met mostly with boos. Skilled producer and DJ in his own right Deadmau5 also put the star on blast, tweeting a clip of Hilton at her gig and quipping, “to be fair… the mayans saw this sh*t coming.”
Banned Beer Ad Brazilians, with their thong bathing suits and topless beaches, aren’t known for being prudish. But leave it to Paris Hilton to do something even they find too racy. Hilton starred in an ad for the Brazilian beer Devassa. Clad in a short black dress, she rubs the beer can all over herself, a move that violated the country’s standards against treating women as sexual objects in advertisements. “It’s an ad that devalues women,” a spokesperson for the country’s ad regulators said. And yes—he’s seen his countrywoman’s swimsuits. “The problem with the ad isn’t the lack of clothing, but its sensual nature. A woman in a bikini on a beach isn’t necessarily sensual; it depends on the context.”
Drinks Her First 40 oz. Beer When you agree to appear on a news network started by Snoop Dogg, you have to know what you’re getting into. Hilton agreed to appear on GGN (Double G News Network), Snoop’s YouTube channel, and protested when the Doggfather forced her to drink a 40-ounce beer. “I’m a girl! I don’t drink beer!” she said, before consenting, amid Snoop’s warning: “If Snoop offers you any kind of drink, or anything, you have to do it.” Bottoms up.
Camel-Toe Catastrophe Signing up for a reality-TV gig leaves a person susceptible to all kinds of embarrassment, broadcast for the whole world to see—and then see again and again on YouTube. Such was the case on The World According to Paris when Hilton tried on a skintight jumpsuit only to emerge from the dressing room with an exceptionally tragic camel toe, just begging for the world’s mocking.
Worst Actress of the Decade Did you know that Paris Hilton is an award-winning actress? She received an MTV Movie Award nod in 2006 for Best Frightened Performance in House of Wax. Where she really cleaned up, however, was at the Razzie Awards, which honor the worst in film. She’s won five trophies, in fact: Worst Supporting Actress twice (for House of Wax and Repo! The Genetic Opera), Worst Screen Couple and Worst Actress for her work in The Hottie and the Nottie, and Worst Actress of the Decade in 2010. Here, Hilton’s big number from her celebrated turn in Repo! The Genetic Opera.
The Leaked—and Mocked—New Song Give Hilton credit for adhering to the “if at first you don’t succeed…” mantra. Despite failing to spark musical success with “Stars Are Blind” in 2006, it appeared she was trying again this winter when a new song, “Drunk Text,” leaked online. Instantly eviscerated by bloggers, the clip was quickly pulled off the Web—but not before it could be preserved for posterity.
Banned Carl’s Jr. AdNot only is Hilton too sexy for beer, apparently she’s also too sexy for beef. After sexily writhing as she soaped up a car in a skimpy bikini, Hilton took a big beat of a juicy Carl’s Jr. burger in an ad for the fast-food chain. The blushing Parents Television Council quickly launched a campaign against the commercial, calling it “basically soft-core porn.”
