Gwyneth Paltrow did something Paris Hilton has never done. Even as Ms. Hilton has been called a racist by some for allegations that she used the n-word to talk about Blacks regularly, the fact is not only has that not been proven, the other fact is that Paris never once allowed a social media message to come out that had the word in it. Not once.
I took up the matter of Paris Hilton and racism in this 2011 video, and from the view that I want to like Paris Hilton:
It’s from that perspective that I evaluate what Gwyneth Paltrow (aka Pepper Potts) did in issuing this message:
Ni**as in paris for real @mrteriusnash (the dream) tyty, beehigh say.ly/ySc3rTP
— Gwyneth Paltrow (@GwynethPaltrow) June 1, 2012
For which Ms Paltrow has been flamed up and down in social media. Flamed, blasted, and burned to a crisp.
Looking at the total message, and the photo that went with it, I think Gwyneth Paltrow’s guilty of trying to be what she thinks is “Black” and she mindlessly thought she was melding into what she may think is the center of Black culture: JayZ.
Wrong.
Some people who are white think it’s OK to use the N-word because they hear it in song. In my experience people who think that way just don’t have enough real black friends to know that use of the N-word is wrong, period. In GP’s case, I think this applies because it seems that her black friends are really surface acquaintances and mostly A-list entertainers who’s association helps her keep her name recognition high and vice versa, but if you look at all of her other more intimate photos, the people who are closest to her are white.
I hope I’m wrong, but I don’t think so.
I think that’s the problem. Bottom line is Gwyneth Paltrow needs to get a good set of some real close black friends who aren’t entertainers and who aren’t afraid to tell her what they think. I don’t think GP intended harm, which is the hallmark of a racist; she’s just misguided here – got carried away and thought she was Black. The hard, cold truth is being Black would not have saved her from shame; we still hate the word.
Got to admit, Paris Hilton’s looking pretty good here.
Stay tuned.