It would seem that her fame exploded exponentially after a video tape of her having sex was first discovered and then marketed over the internet. Sadly, this provided a frighteningly efficient road map to success for dummies that will not soon be forgotten. Paris went on to do commercials, a reality show, record an album, start a clothing line, create a fragrance and even lend her name to a chain of nightclubs. Her slightly bored dingbat routine coupled with the pretty- but-vacant sign hanging from her ears has created quite a successful brand. The on-off-on jail time should serve only to catapult her higher. She occupies a constant and seemingly ever refreshing portion of the daily news that most of us roll our eyes over. We see her and cringe, wondering how our world can be so totally vapid that a cartoon like this can command so much breathless attention.

And so we smirk or chuckle sarcastically feigning ever-so-slight embarrassment at even being interested in such things, while still managing to know enough to successfully validate our "pop cultural awareness" credentials for anyone in earshot.

"Oh Paris Hilton, yes isn't it nice the media are spending time covering something so very important rather than say the war in Iraq." Add in a nasally snuff of self-satisfaction and that should capture quite accurately the average person, and commentator's, love-hate relationship to Ms. Paris Hilton.

Truly, there is nothing better than having one's cake and eating it too.

The question is why does this sort of story stay current? How can it remain evergreen while more important things routinely pass though our collective consciousness? It can't really be that old chestnut that we only watch what the media show to us. The easy response is that they only show us what we want to watch. Where does the circle begin?

Personally, I have come to believe that damn few of us actually obsess over Ms. Hilton at all, contrary to what some may think. There is a bigger reason for her fame, and it's not really all her fault either.

Look at how much we all, secretly or not, seem to enjoy it when Paris, or any celebrity for that matter, gets publicly embarrassed, or humiliated, or even ends up in jail. When we get to see her crying live on TV we know it serves her right, so we cluck our tongues and carp that she ought to realize laws apply to her too. We always become so remarkably egalitarian in our desire to see abuses of privilege punished when committed by our richer and more famous betters. And it is here that I believe we arrive at the root of all of this. Paris Hilton is privileged, apparently beyond the rest of us, and while we might be willing to accept such a fact for some reason we demand that it come packaged in a very particular way.

Princes William and Harry did a sit down with a US talk show recently and allowed a well-scripted glimpse into their privileged lives. They talked of their deceased mother, their new found roles as official public figures, their hopes and their dreams. All-in-all they allowed us a good picture of who they are, or at least who they want us to see them as. Again, we saw privilege on display, yet in this instance stage managed to within an inch of its life. We enjoy it when such privilege is properly deferential, slightly humble and generally upstanding. Heaven help them should such lofty characters trip or fall down for we'll bash them mercilessly and anoint them objects of scorn. Charles and his scandalous affair with Camilla, Diana's party girl routine near the end, the princes and their own hi-jinks, all proof that they really are no better than us, and probably a little bit worse.

Why does it even matter? Should we really give two monkeys or a banana as to whether or not Paris Hilton is a selfish, brain-dead half-wit? Must George Clooney actually be required to posses an informed opinion on Darfur? Should Bono really be using his fame to stalk and harangue world leaders incessantly?

In a word, yes.

They are privileged. They have fortune and they have opportunity. Many have beauty and even intelligence. Some have position or influence. And it is due to this that they have a responsibility to at least try to do more, to go further and to attempt to improve themselves and the world. We know this instinctually. I believe it's one of the main reasons we "care" when they don't live up to such outsize expectations because when they fail we get permission to fail too, and the pressures we all face every day ease just a bit. What Hugh Grant did with Divine Brown could plausibly be considered a public service, if you're of the mind that colossal celebrity screw-ups allow us lesser beings more karmic leniency.

Thing is, as much as we might wish it true there is no tabletop of privilege where "they" all gather together while the rest of us non-privileged folk mill about down below, either waiting for a hand up to the party or simply chilling out and enjoying the show. It's a lot easier to buy into the notion that others bear the responsibility of privilege so the rest of us can get busy watching TV and eating pizza.

Instead, consider privilege a sliding scale on which each and every one of us occupies a position. There is really no denying that we are all children of privilege if for no other reason than simply by virtue of living where we do, in a free and prosperous country. And like it or not we each bear the same basic responsibilities towards privilege that we squawk about Paris Hilton neglecting.

Look at your own life and recognize the privilege. If you have an education you are privileged beyond those that do not. If you were raised by a single parent you were privileged beyond those with no parents at all. If you are a drug-addled crack whore you are privileged beyond the drug-addled crack whore who only has one leg. Privilege, like life is universal, and relative.

Privilege is not out there. It's right back here inside each of our lives and we all have a responsibility to act accordingly toward the privilege we each received through nothing more than the occasion of our birth. Imagine a long sloping hill that we all move quite freely on. Some work hard and travel up the hill, looking for more privilege or grace. Others stumble backward and lose all that they have while a few stick out their thumbs and hop into the next car heading up the hill (Hello John Kerry)

My point is that Paris deserves scorn in the same way we all deserve scorn. When your momma told you about not pointing out someone else's flaws 'cause of the three chubby fingers pointing right back at you is as real as it ever was.

We like to laugh at Paris Hilton because it absolves us of having to critically assay our own failings of privilege. Most of us can hide our lack of progress underneath normal jobs and through less public existences. Ms. Hilton is hyper-visible and easy to see. When we fail to live up to our own lives of privilege we are abdicating our responsibilities as much as any royal or world leader ever has. Whether it's the homeless guy wandering the streets who could clean himself up, get a job and contribute to society or the successful businessman who doesn't have time to be a father to his son we all have a choice to step up or not. Privilege cuts many ways and in this country, in this city, there are many, many more people of privilege than net incomes would suggest.

Believe it or not, the single mom waitress who thinks the world is against her may be committing a larger offence against privilege than good old Paris. She might possess more intelligence, more drive and more future potential than those that surround her. But if she can't, or won't recognize her own gifts or advantages beyond her situation she will fail herself more than Paris Hilton ever could. For all we know Paris is doing a better job with what she was "given" than you or I ever did. I'm not suggesting we go easy on her. She's an adult and a woman of her wealth and opportunity will need to eventually come to grips with her place in the world. Someday she might even figure out what it is she's supposed to add to this universal and decidedly time-sensitive cosmic experiment in human interaction. Until that day comes she still makes the perfect guest interview for a boob like Larry King.

So when your mouth or even your heart critiques Paris Hilton pay especially close attention to your own betrayal of privilege. Instead of using her as a reason to feel good about whatever stunted level of accomplishment you have chosen to accept maybe try using her as an example to push yourself forward towards the person you are privileged enough to have a chance to become.

I'm not saying it isn't fun to pick on Paris Hilton and the bone-stupid idiocy she seems to so easily present, but if our enjoyment of it is giving us an excuse to ignore or even waste whatever form of privilege we possess then I think we're the ones being stupid. And we didn't even need a reality show to prove it.