|
We live in an age of empty signs, of meaningless gestures. An age of profound vacancy. The celebrity culture that millions tremble before shocks the imagination with its sheer tedium, pretense and toxic self-absorption. Thank God, then, that a paragon of substance and spirit can still emerge upon the barren landscape. I speak of the incomparable Paris Hilton. Few can live a life of integrity, commitment and creative imagination, but somehow Ms. Hilton does it each and every day.  It is now possible to watch videos of her every movement on YouTube where she has her own glorious channel. The other day, for instance, I saw her buy a puppy. It was very beautiful. She has also released a glorious album. I heard this one song called Fighting Over Me. It has played more than 908,000 times on her MySpace page. It is very beautiful. But some people want to destroy all that which holds goodness and beauty.  These people are frequently called “artists.” One gentleman goes by the name of Banksy. Not his real name I bet. He has replaced hundreds of Ms. Hilton’s CDs in the UK with his own doctored versions. His fake versions feature bare breasts, inappropriate comment and extremely bad music. Unsuspecting consumers will naturally be devastated. It is an outrage and certainly illegal. There is damning video evidence as well. One can only hope that the authorities mete out swift and severe punishment for the so-called “guerilla artist,” Mr. Banksy.  |
