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Jail Watch 2007!
Go directly to Jail ... Do Not Pass Go ... Do Not Collect $200.
Perhaps a classic game of Monopoly is the root of our fascination with people going to and getting out of jail? Or maybe it's just that rubbernecking is a national pastime? Whatever the case, there are a lot of iVillage communities buzzing about famous faces in correctional places. So I bring you Jail Watch 2007!
It's no surprise that everyone's talking about Paris Hilton's sentence, her report to jail and now (!!) her apparent release after only three days. Say what? Well CNN is reporting that TMZ is reporting this and like my buddy Tam says, "If you can't believe TMZ, who can you believe any more?"
While most are disgusted by the celeb get-out-of-jail-free cards, this mom has a different take and tells why she sort of envies Paris:
"Not because she's rich, not because people think she's beautiful. I envy her because for 23 days she gets to be ALONE, in the QUIET, with NOTHING to do and nobody to talk to, and nobody talking to her, and no responsibilities! They say how sad it is that she only gets an hour to take a shower or watch TV and I think "An hour to take a shower??? AWESOME!!!" "
Well, she does have a point there.
Still on the celebrity front, some are also wondering why DUI Diva Lindsay Lohan isn't in jail and not just hanging out in rehab.
On the other end of the age spectrum, "Dr. Death" Jack Kevorkian left prison last week after serving 8 years for his involvement in a reported 130 "assisted suicides". They're debating the whole gamut of Kevorkian-related topics on the Hot Debates message board, from the ethics of assisted suicide to whether Kevorkian should pay for his own incarceration. Here's a sentiment from the In the News board that seems to come up again and again in these conversations:
"Dr. K helped people who were suffering from living an unbearable life. I had hoped that the exposure of medically assisted suicide would have grown since his arrest and that option would have become available for terminally ill patients."
More reaction from the March 2005 playgroup:
"Why is it that we will put down our pets (dogs and cats) when they are suffering/dying/in pain, but when it comes to family members we don't give them the same respect.""From what I understand, not all of Kevorkian's patients were terminally ill. Many people had him assist in their suicide, who did NOT have a terminal illness. So... What about sanctioning assisted suicide for those who want to die - -without a terminial illness?"
This is one debate that is going to be around for a very long time, I think.
And finally, former top White House aide Scooter Libby was sentenced to 30 months in prison for perjury and obstruction of justice in the Plame case. Though now there's talk swirling of a possible pardon, the Politics Today board is holding a party for Happy "Scooter to the Slammer" Day! Truly a festive occasion that only the Politics Today crowd could come up with.
Have I missed anyone on the incarceration roster? What are your thoughts about these stories -- and why do we care? Check in here with your take and make it quick, my visiting hours are almost over!
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I knew she wouldn't stay in jail. It kills me how [most] celebs are able to get away with the stuff they do.
If Paris is free, I hope her license is still suspended, and that someone cares enough about Lindsay to treat her at least as well as they have Paris *snort*. As for Dr. K., well, while I understand his motives for doing what he did, I don't condone his actions completely - there's such a fine line there to walk between helping and hurting. And as for Scooter, well, 30 months won't make up for putting Plame in jeopardy by outing her, but it's a start. ;)
Redhead, Paris had her license reinstated prior to going to jail. I don't see them taking it away unless she breaks the law.
America...where justice is blind to everything but money.
Kevorkian did what people in unending pain wished. (And I am not so sure about him doing just suicides, I believe he only did those who were terminally ill.) Others want to do what Kevorkian did, but he is the one who had the courage and compassion to do it and as a result paid the price for everyone.
Paris who?? I am so tired of hearing about this nobody who does nothing other than buy teeny rags and call them clothes and spend daddy's money. What a waste of time thinking about her is.
I don't believe for one minute that Paris had health issues at the mere age of 26. She might have been a little chilly but I'm sure that's as far as it goes.
You do the crime, you do the time.
Now, young people will think they can do whatever they feel like as long as they have enough money to get themselves out of it.
Paris needs to grow up and start being a responsible adult. It's to late for her parents, as they clearly were allowing her to
do whatever she wanted without consequences.
It's ridiculous that she's able to walk out of prison and go home to her lovely mansion.
I don't care about Hilton but I do care that it looks like she's getting special treatment. I'll wait until there is more news on this to decide on that though--but for now everything I'm reading points to it.
so over it. Why is it news? Why do we care? Why can't we focus on something important instead? Stars and rich people or rich people pretending to be stars or whatever ... they get preferential treatment, it's just a fact of life. So she gets what, 23 days off for good behavior? Or they figured out once she got there that the 24/7 media coverage was detrimental to the other denizens of the facility who might actually have some hope of learning something and changing their ways when they get released? (My bet's on that, actually. Go, and take your media vultures with you... sin no more, or just sin in someone else's county, please")
I'm not sure the reasons Paris was let out. That doesn't seem right, but then again she had received the maximum sentence, so I suppose being let out early is no biggie.
As for Lindsay..she should be in jail, but most DUI's don't go to jail..just get restricted licenses.
Scooter did not break the law. He should be pardoned.
Paris is home...what a joke. I. Don't. Care.
Why is everything this girl does newsworthy? I don't think any real people care anymore, it's just that the media needs someone new to feed on.
Paris in back in jail, big deal. Paris will be out again so fast our heads spin, big deal.
I think it's because they're in the limelight for money, fame, etc., that people just can't seem to get enough. It's sickening, but that's how it goes, and until people stop buying tabloids, watching tabloid TV, reading tabloid blogs, etc., it'll continue. There's money in the celeb-frenzy, and the stalkerazzi grow braver every day because of it, which means we get more and more TMI reports about what they're doing or not doing every day.