The South Park parody of Paris Hilton played havoc on her mental health. A model and an actor, Hilton gained fame through her various shows, books, and performances. Yet, while she has enjoyed her time in the limelight, there have been a few instances in her career that left her devastated — including the South Park episode that targeted her.
Though some episodes of South Park have been so controversial that they were banned, Hilton’s episode has not received similar treatment. After it aired, Hilton spent years pretending that she hadn’t seen the episode, but in her new book, Paris: The Memoir, she admitted to having watched it. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Hilton was severely impacted by the episode, and it even made her downright sick. Check out her quote below:
“The poster featured my face and the tagline: ‘Watch Paris die!’ I didn’t mind that marketing approach, and I wasn’t naïve about why they chose it. I’m the title character, but they also apply that epithet to Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Tara Reid, and all the little girls who were fans, which upset me more than anything ugly they could say about me. It also upset me that the episode graphically portrays Tinkerbell being shot and killed. The thought of that made me sick. I’ve been involved in some pretty edgy media, but I don’t even know where something like that comes from. When a journalist told Matt [Stone] about my muted red-carpet response, he said, ‘That shows how f*cked up she is.’ My not wanting to watch his cartoon about my dog being shot and me coughing up ejaculate — that’s evidence of how fucked up I am.”
How South Park Offended Paris Hilton
The South Park episode ‘Stupid Spoiled Wh*re Video Playset’ follows Hilton opening a store in the town. After leaving in a limousine, Hilton’s dog proceeds to shoot itself in front of her. Hilton then proceeds to find herself trapped in the colon of the character Mr. Slave, beginning a multi-episode arc in which she tries to escape.
Though known for its edgy gags, South Park‘s Paris Hilton episode was a step beyond even what the show typically explores. South Park co-creator Matt Stone then proceeded to insult Hilton after the episode aired, which Hilton specifically cited, and the bad blood remained between Hilton and the South Park creators ever since.
There is a justifiable reason for her to be angry, especially since she really did have a dog named Tinkerbell that she doted on. For South Park to mock her love of her dog is a low blow, but going on to insult her sexuality is also somewhat sexist. South Park‘s earliest origins involved violence and gore, so it’s no surprise that the show would target Hilton that way, but it’s understandable that Hilton was harmed by it.
Source: THR
