Paris Hilton

Courtesy of Harper's Bazaar /

Paris Hilton strikes back

When John McCain decided to ridicule Obama by comparing him to Hollywood's ditziest celebrities (namely, Britney Spears and Paris Hilton), he didn't anticipate two things: You can't embarrass Paris Hilton, and she knows a publicity opportunity when she sees one. The blond who is famous for being blond and famous fired back at the McCain campaign with a video of her own that made fun of the Republican nominee's age and made herself a viral celebrity on the political edge of YouTube. There's a lesson here: In the world of new media, when geezer meets glitter, it's the sparkly one who comes out on top.