Paris Hilton's new show Cooking With Paris recently debuted on Netflix and is receiving mixed reviews. While the unique cooking show has received positive reviews from fans, others are left confused about the show and think it is a complete joke. Inspired by the 2020 viral YouTube video of her making lasagna, the six-episode series follows Paris as she attempts to cook an array of dishes she only halfway knows how to do. Per the show's bio on Netflix, "With an anyone-can-cook attitude, Paris Hilton adds her own flair to every dish." Each episode features her celebrity friends and family like Kim Kardashian, Saweetie, Demi Lovato, and Kathy and Nicky Hilton serving as sous chef. Paris's inadequate cooking is expressed in the show. However, her lack of culinary skills and mishaps left some fans confused and slamming the heiress.
Paris became a breakout reality TV star in the early 2000s when she starred in The Simple Life with her best friend, Nicole Richie. The show followed Paris and Nicole's travel across the country as they struggled to do manual and low-paying jobs. The two amassed a huge following and became some of the world's most talked-about celebrities. Paris became a cultural icon due to flaunting her wealthy lifestyle, partying and popularizing her catchphrase, "That's hot." Paris's popularity grew but so did the hate for her. She was criticized for being brainless and ditzy and using a baby voice.
It wasn't until her YouTube documentary that premiered in 2020 called This Is Paris revealed her ditzy persona and baby voice had all been an act. The documentary showed a different side of the heiress that no one had ever seen before. While discussing some of the traumas she experienced in her life, Paris was vulnerable, honest, and fans felt for her. In the documentary, it seemed that the heiress was ready to move on from that old characterization. However, in Cooking With Paris, some fans feel Paris stepped back into her old vapid persona and began to put on the same clueless act she carried throughout her career.
Cooking With Paris is similar to The Simple Life in a few ways. Instead of traveling across the country being clueless and out of touch with reality, Paris is clueless in her own kitchen. She has no idea what certain appliances like a blender or tongs are, nor does she know how to use certain appliances. She also walks around the grocery store, asking store clerks for help trying to find ingredients while mispronouncing its name. For instance, she didn't know how to pronounce "tomatillo," "cotija" and different put much effort into pronouncing them correctly. She had no idea what chives were and asked the store clerk, "What am I supposed to do with them?" Some fans think the 40-year-old is too old to be acting the same way she did 17 years ago during her Simple Life days. Reddit user AD480 said in part, "She really is stuck in a time warp and hasn't matured at all." Another Reddit user named Lookalikemike said, "Isn't it about time she stops lampooning herself?"
While some viewers feel Paris's clueless trope is old and outdated, others are loving the show. Supporters of the show enjoy its silliness and admit Paris owns the joke. They enjoy the show's lightheartedness and acknowledge Paris is not to be taken seriously. Reddit user nelson64 loved the show and said, "The people who don't "get" it, don't get that Paris Hilton plays a caricature of herself at all times. This is fully satire and not meant to be taken seriously." Paris has also said she is no trained chef or not even a superb home cook, and she's not trying to be. She wanted to expand her cooking repertoire, and the show is for fun. The cooking show is an elaborate joke, and Paris is a part of the gag.
Paris brought back plenty of nostalgic memories, silly moments, and couture in Cooking With Paris. Some fans love the show in its truest form, and others think she should be more mature. Paris's return to reality TV has certainly become a hot topic, and she is proving she is here to stay.
Source: Netflix, nelson64/Reddit, AD480/Reddit, lookalikemike/Reddit