Unbound Edition - Lady Rebels

But the real magic of the moment may have been seeing these contrasting personalities briefly share the spotlight at such a high-profile cultural event. Silverman and Hilton each represent two distinctly different brands of rebellion for a new generation of young women.

Silverman comes off as being merely trashy and obnoxious. But underneath her shock value she’s using intelligent, subversive humor to shatter female stereotypes. Hilton, on the other hand, is trashy and obnoxious. And underneath her shock value, there’s a dimwitted brat with a complete and utter disregard for her honor, her family name or general common decency that’s reinforcing the “dumb blond” stereotype for women around the world.

Both Silverman and Hilton exude a blatant go-screw-yourself attitude. Silverman does so with biting sarcasm and in-your-face humor that proves pretty girls can tell jokes about “poop,” kinky sex, eating disorders and other taboo topics. Hilton pulls it off with her uber-bitch approach, proving that shallow, Barbie-doll-beautiful elitists can be the butt of jokes about the same subjects.

In their own unique ways, each of these pop culture personalities is rebelling against conventional notions of what it means to be a “lady.” While I’m not a fan of either’s approach, at least Silverman is contributing something to culture. Her raw humor and cutting social commentary adds to the pop culture dialogue – even if her comedy is a bit too scatological for my tastes.

Hilton, on the other hand, embodies virtually everything wrong with pop culture today. And while the same has been said for countless pop icons ranging from Janis Joplin and Wendy O to Madonna and Hilton’s crotch-flashing cohort Britney Spears, all of these women at least have/had a modicum of talent. Hilton’s brand of rebellion lacks any redeeming qualities, other than good fodder for laughter. Her soon-to-be jailers could throw away the key for all I care.

But what’s really interesting is the fact that young women are gravitating towards these diametrically opposed female personalities. Both Silverman and Hilton go head on against established social norms and mores surrounding women. What underlying cultural forces are making these female rebels – the deceptively sexy, curse-like-a-sailor class clown and the sickly skinny, incorrigibly promiscuous bimbo – so relevant today?

I'll speak to the promiscuous bimbo part of the question...
written by kristin, June 04, 2007 05:10 PM

There's a really interesting AP article out today on the disturbing "porn effect" as young women, no doubt "inspired" by attention-hungry, talentless whores like Paris Hilton, sexualize themselves to win approval and please others. It's a tragic commentary on what we, as a culture, have done to bash the self-esteem of girls. Some argue that it's empowering for them to behave like this, but I think it's the complete opposite. Read and weep:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/06/04/theporn.effect.ap/index.html

A matter of maturity
written by Michele, June 04, 2007 05:21 PM

First, I'd say the only cultural force making Paris Hilton relevant is the media.

Second, I think the whole thing is a maturity issue. Teen girls gravitate to Paris because she is thin, rich, stylish and beautiful (to some)...everything a young girl thinks she wants to be. Young women in their 20s gravitate to Sarah Silverman because she is smart, witty, and grown-up sexy. Everything a twentysomething wants to be. Sure, Silverman's jokes can come off as immature but I think they are really a reflection of her own self-confidence. What's sexier than that?

smart
written by BobDoleSez, June 04, 2007 09:19 PM

BobDoleSez: the smartest review of women in celebrity culture we've seen in some time. You rock, dear author, you rock. BobDoleSez: disruptive ladies cure the ED.

the inside out of misogyny
written by Patrick, June 04, 2007 10:10 PM

I may be on thin ice here, but I'd like to suggest that those "out there" saying Silverman went too far are actually being misogynistic. They don't like women who speak up, misbehave, break stereotypes. I see Silverman as a feminist through and through. Perhaps not a grand role model for social graces, but isn't that part of the point? The best aspect, to me, is that she is NOT a girl acting like a guy. She is a woman conveying the not-necessarily-delicate viewpoint of a modern woman, and it breaks expectations for both genders. I find her no less compelling than Lenny Bruce. And she makes me laugh.

Hilton Brand Spanking
written by Patrick, June 13, 2007 10:10 AM

For another view on the damage that is Paris Hilton, see:
http://www.unboundedition.com/content/view/781/50/

...
written by Katie, June 13, 2007 10:53 AM

As a twenty-something girl, I have to say that between the two I would choose Silverman. HOWEVER, it is not because I think she has ANY kind of sex-appeal, I would never want to look, dress or talk like her. The only two reasons I choose Silverman is because if I don't, Paris gets my vote by default and I just can't let that be. The second reason is that she says the things I find myself thinking, but have the good sense/etiquette to keep to myself. Both women are rather embaressing representatives of my generation of women.