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Paris, Meet Schapelle. Schapelle, Meet Paris

By Jeralyn, Section Foreign Affairs
Posted on Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 08:15:00 AM EST
Tags: Paris Hilton, Schapelle Corby, Bali (all tags)
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Paris Hilton is tweeting up a storm about how much she loves Bali. It's her first visit. She tweeted a few hours ago, "Make a wish. 11.1l.11"

Since I've stood up for Paris on TalkLeft so many times during her various legal difficulties, I thought I'd ask her a favor. I tweeted her in reply:

[More...]

I would have also asked her to go see the 14 year old Bali Boy, jailed for buying 3 grams of pot when on vacation from Australia with his mom and dad, but I couldn't get that all in 140 characters or less.

Bali Boy went to court Friday, he should have been released since he fits the criteria for being sent home to rehab, but a story got out, denied by the family, that the family was selling media rights to his story. The prosecutor got mad and asked for 3 months. So he's back in the immigration jail waiting at least another few weeks to find out if goes home, to hellhole Kerobokan or a juvie prison in some other part of Indonesia.

Bali's laws suck. I wouldn't give them a dollar of my tourist money while their government imprisons non-violent drug users and sellers in hellhole prisons with terrorists, child rapists and murderers. They're not the only beach resort on the planet.

As for those who think a boycott might hurt the nice people of Indonesia, keep in mind it will also hurt these people:

Anyone think Paris might go see Schapelle? Or that maybe she would have if I had known earlier about Paris' trip so Bali, so I could have given her more notice?

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    • Display: Sort:
    Paris, Meet Schapelle. Schapelle, Meet Paris | 10 comments (10 topical)
    I bet she would, actually. (none / 0) (#1)
    by jeffinalabama on Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 01:08:07 PM EST
    they share railroading and jail time by miserable laws.

    I'm not the biggest Paris fan, but i think she's a lot more savvy and a lot nicer than people state.

    Facts re the end of you final sentence? (none / 0) (#2)
    by oculus on Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 02:50:48 PM EST


    Parent
    I've posted them many times (none / 0) (#4)
    by Jeralyn on Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 07:16:57 PM EST
    click the links in this post for a recap of her business accomplishments

    Parent
    the draconian drug laws (none / 0) (#3)
    by cpinva on Sun Nov 13, 2011 at 03:53:22 PM EST
    all over the world, have less to do with drugs, than they do with keeping the serfs in line and under control. it's a great way for gov't to show who's in charge.

    as to ms. hilton, beats me. she seems to have become something of a non-entity, since the younger kardashians took over the "famous-for-being-famous" spotlight. she might see this as an opportunity to get back in the tabloid headlines.

    I Find it a Little Strange... (none / 0) (#5)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 10:52:55 AM EST
     ...that a grown adult follows Paris Hilton.

    I don't know how these things work, but I doubt she read any of the zillion she received after tweeting "Make a Wish'.

    And what's the point here, don't visit corrupt government states ?  Or just the ones with harsh laws ?  I won't be visiting Bali or Indonesia, ever, but more for their harsh drug laws than Corby.  Corby just happens to be pretty and caught the eye of the media.  Watch 'Locked up Abroad', Bali is hardly alone in it's treatment of supposed smugglers.

    We may execute innocent people, we torture, we hold many, many foreigners without charges or even acknowledge they exist, invade countries unprovoked, arrest people throughout the world and bring them here to try and lock-up.  Not only do you stick dollars into this economy, you pay a lot of taxes that support those actions.

    Just seems a little hypocritical to focus on Bali, when far worse happens all over the world including right here at home.

    Every government... (none / 0) (#6)
    by kdog on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 11:17:33 AM EST
    sh*ts on inalienable human rights in this regard, to varying degrees.

    Indonesia really seems to take to draconianism with vigor though.

    Parent

    I get the point (none / 0) (#7)
    by sj on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 12:46:31 PM EST
    Paris has high visibility and therefore a pretty big megaphone.  Should she tweet about this she would reach many more people than J does.

    As for this:

    I Find it a Little Strange... (none / 0) (#5)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 10:52:55 AM EST

     ...that a grown adult follows Paris Hilton.


    Why?

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    Because I was Under the Impression... (none / 0) (#8)
    by ScottW714 on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 02:15:01 PM EST
    ...Tweeting was something one does to increase their fans base, or who actually think they are so important, people care what's on their minds, both of which seem juvenile.

    I thought they were run by publicists.

    I didn't know adults cared about the wisdom of celebrities.  I don't know anyone who Tweets and it's never discussed, I just assumed because it was something kids did.

    Am I wrong, and if so who is doing this and who are you following ?

    Parent

    I don't do twitter at all (none / 0) (#9)
    by sj on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 03:03:31 PM EST
    But if I did, I would follow people I find interesting.  And I assure you, use of twitter is NOT restricted to kids.

    You know, right, that a lot of the communication on Tahrir Square was via Twitter?  As are much of the Occupies.  And it ain't all kids.

    Parent

    something kids do? (none / 0) (#10)
    by Jeralyn on Mon Nov 14, 2011 at 08:45:09 PM EST
    What year are you living in? Every media outlet and most of their journalists tweet. It's the best vehicle for live coverage of important events -- including trials. Did you miss Carol Rosenberg's live coverage of last week's Guantanamo hearings via Twitter? Or the joint twitter page for all of the journalists covering proceedings? Too bad.

    Have you not noticed that almost every blog and newspaper have a "tweet button" so you can follow along on Twitter? Or that almost every government agency has a twitter account where they post press releases and important government information?

    As for knowing that Paris Hilton tweeting from Bali, it wasn't necessary to follow her on Twitter. The Jakarta Post and several other newspapers reported she was in Bali and tweeting how much she loved it. (see link in my post.)

    Parent

    Paris, Meet Schapelle. Schapelle, Meet Paris | 10 comments (10 topical)