It's the Paris Hilton Podcast! Uh, Whatever ...

Podcasting has been receiving tons of attention in 2005 -- and rightly so -- though the media paradigm for on-demand MP3-based programming is still nascent. So we were a little surprised when Adam Curry announced in his Daily Source Code podcast last week (which we listen to religiously) that Paris Hilton would have her own podcast called, naturally, The Paris Hilton Podcast.

The Hilton podcast would be part of Paris's efforts to promote the new movie House of Wax, in which the celebutant co-stars in what is largely seen as her first true film-acting role to date. (Paris has appeared in other films and on television shows, but those appearances have been mostly cameos or her appearing as herself.)

We were surpised by the news of her podcast not so much because it's Paris Hilton, but because the people who "handle" her and the marketing folks working on House of Wax -- a stew of corporate suits and MSM marketing "creatives" -- jumped on the podcast idea so quickly and for such a highly visible mainstream media product, er, ya' know, big Hollywood studio movie with a mega-huge marketing budget. The very appearance of the Paris Hilton podcast link on the House of Wax website and the hype ensures positive exposure for the podcast meme in general. And as ex-con Martha would say, it's a good thing.

So what's the Paris Hilton podcast really like? We're mixed on it. But that said, you've got ot hear it at least once (which may be all that it takes to make this a hit in its own small, movie-marketing niche way). In the first episode, Paris records her podcast intro while sitting in the green room of the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City just minutes prior to her apearance on the Late Show with David Letterman.

The bulk of the podcast is closer to what might be called a "sound-scene tour." It's basically audio-verite of Paris and her handlers making their way out of the Ed Sullivan theater after her appearance with Dave. We get to hear her as she talks about the plan to work a crowd of adoring fans and paparazzi waiting outside the theater. She poses for the mass of screaming photographers and signs autographs for hysterical fans before ducking into a car to head out for dinner at fabulous downtown Manhattan restaurant Cipriani.

Prediction: Paris and the podcast will be a limited thing for now. That is, its just for the movie and won't have a life of its own beyond the first week of release. Which is shame, because a regluar Paris Hilton podcast could be a very good thing for podcasting. On the other hand, the first Hilton podcast suggests that beyond focused promotion and the aural voyeurism of backstage sound scenes, a Paris Hilton podcast would have little to offer listeners in so far as sustainable, compelling and engaging content. But ya' never know, kids.

Posted by Supercore at May 4, 2005 12:26 PM