Paris: A Memoir for Young Women in the Age of Influencers

by Paris Hilton

The Simple Life was a reality TV groundbreaker that no one—including me—has ever been able to repeat. I was instantly on board. Producers initially wanted it to be the Hilton sisters, and I begged Nicky to do it with me, but Mom and Dad were not in favor. Too many unknowns. Too many people. Too close to home. “Don’t be insane,” Nicky said. “You’ll embarrass yourself.” “Not if it’s funny.” “I don’t want to be funny,” she said. “I want to be classy, and if their intention was for us to look classy, the show would be about us living our lives as runway models at New York Fashion Week. This is not that.” She had a point. The theme song kinda says it all: Let’s take two girls, both filthy rich, From the bright lights into the sticks. There was no doubt about how it was supposed to play out: They’re both spoiled rotten. Will they cry when they hit bottom? Notice it says when—not if—they “hit bottom.” People expected this to be about two unrelatable rich bitches who get put in their place by “real” people.