LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Paris Hilton, whose doghouse mini-mansion first made news two years ago, is in a doghouse of her own over still lackluster ratings for her new TV reality program. For Hilton, however, TV has remained a side course to her big business ventures that continue to grow. While Oxygen has not yet been pampered in the lap of (ratings) luxury, unlike Hilton’s dogs in their Minnie Doggie Mansion, the network is defending the reality show program.

In 2009, Paris told news that her mini mansion doghouse cost $350,000 to construct. It reportedly housed thirteen dogs. It featured spiral staircase and an air conditioner.

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Hilton told news at the time “I have to admit, I may have spoiled them a little too much” She added “But how can I not? Just look at those sweet lil’ faces, they deserve to be treated like my lil’ prince and princesses.”

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Hilton recently told news that she, in her mind, has been able to reinvent herself. For Hilton, that might refer, less to reality TV programming, and more to business ventures. She has teamed up with Century Properties to expand into commercial real estate in the Philippines.

Hilton is also launching a line of eyewear for the Asia market. But, as always, Hilton still has time for her dogs adding “I love my babies.”

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The Melissa Molinaro case is about Kim Kardashian and Old Navy. But could Paris Hilton be brought into the picture? Melissa Molinaro (photos below) is not named in the lawsuit, rather her employer. Nor is Paris Hilton; but a Hilton legal decision last year before the 9th Circuit (where Kardashian’s case has been filed) could be critical to the Old Navy case.

Molinaro’s ties to the plaintiff far extend being cast in a commercial to sell clothes. When the Melissa Molinaro Old Navy commercial appeared earlier this year, Kim Kardashian remained silent. Kardashian, who has perfected the art of publicity, was uncharacteristically quiet about the commercial.

Months passed, and then suddenly Melissa Molinaro was dating the man Kim Kardashian once bragged that she would marry. Within weeks of the Molinaro dating Reggie Bush, Kardashian filed the suit against Old Navy, claiming that they used her likeness without her permission. And while Kardashian’s personal assertions of wishing to protect her image are clearly valid, news of the lawsuit prompted a massive backlash against the embattled reality TV star yesterday.

When Melissa Molinaro appeared in the Old Navy commercial, she looked like Kim Kardashian. But when LALATE first started reporting on Kim Kardashian, years before she had a TV show and simply hosting nightclub parties in Hollywood, Kardashian was offered referenced as resembling Nicole Scherzinger.

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But could a Paris Hilton case play out in the Kim Kardashian dispute with Old Navy? In 2007, Kim Kardashian’s friend Paris Hilton sued Hallmark Cards over the dubbed “That’s hot” greeting cards. The suit derived from a February 13, 2007 trademark procured by Hilton for “That’s Hot”. Kardashian’s claims derive from rights of publicity, not specifically use of a registered trademark.

However, Hilton sued Hallmark for “commercial appropriation of identity, invasion of privacy, misappropriation of publicity, false representation that Hilton endorses the product, and infringement of a federally registered trademark”. The card sold for roughly $2.49. Hilton’s attorney at the time was Brent Blakely.

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Hallmark’s Hulie O’Dell defended the cards in 2007 as permissible parody. “Some of Hallmark’s new humor greeting cards are parodies of today’s most popular celebrities and politicians. These cards take a satirical look at news and gossip surrounding these public figures, including Paris Hilton, and we do not believe Hallmark has violated any of Ms. Hilton’s rights.”

Old Navy may assert that its commercial too was simply a parody.

The Court didn’t exactly agree with Hallmark on appeal. In 2009, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals gave Hilton a hot verdict, reportedly rejecting Hallmark’s protected-speech argument. The case was set for trial in December 2010. In September, Reuters confirmed the parties settled.

Who else might be watching this suit? The answer could be Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag. Just this May, Virgin Mobile debuted a new commercial called “Sparah”, a stylized fake couple resembling Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag (Speidi).

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – Paris Hilton’s World According to Paris second episode was actually hilarious tonight. After Hilton’s premiere episode made news for its dismissal ratings, and mess of storylines, tonight’s episode actually seemed like it from a different show. The key to tonight’s episode were two words: Brooke Mueller.

In the first episode, World According to Paris was simply too many childish, unentertaining scenes that really weren’t unusual. News analysts and fans agreed the premiere was simply a boring cluster of scenes of egomaniacal minutia. Such was not the case tonight.

From scene one, producers picked up the pace with a tight, well structured storyline that focused on Mueller. Somewhere between the first and second episodes producers realized that Hilton’s charm is when not everything goes right, when her beauty is coupled with someone else’s craziness, when she really admits her imperfections at simple tasks we all do so well, and when she relishes and laughs at even her own flaws.

Starting at a notable Beverly Hills hotel, Mueller and Hilton in a short scene set up that Mueller is ready to date. Moments later, producers establish how Mueller lives and is devoted to her children. A bizarre live-in sponsor adds to the humor. After the premiere was accused of not being real, Mueller is very honest. Her living situation is unique, entertaining, and very quirky.

Hilton seems to live in a perfect world. But Mueller helps Hilton demonstrate that, behind the fronts of beautiful homes and adorable people rests struggles, conflicts exist that we can all relate to. Of course, there is Hilton, who has to call up Charlie Sheen’s wife to bring her gas, and then jumper cables.

After Hilton debuted to resounding poor numbers and comments from news analysts, tonight’s episode hopefully gives fans a second chance to believe that this reality show is actually real, that Hilton has relationships and storylines to divulge not just pink bed sheets and staged bathtub scenes, and that living in Los Angeles can be unpredictable, especially when you are Paris Hilton.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – The jury in the case of Barron Hilton, brother to Paris Hilton, has returned a $4.6 million verdict. The Barron Hilton case concerned the injuries of plaintiff Fernando Telez. Telez is the former gas station worker who was hit during Barron Hilton’s infamous 2008 DUI crash.

Hilton’s victim was awarded $4.6 million dollars in compensatory damages, Radar reports. Initial news report erroneously claimed that Hilton had struck but not injured the worker.

In March 2008 Baron Hilton was charged for driving with blood alcohol .08% or higher and unlawful use of a license and [with being an] unlicensed driver. Reports at the time claimed that Barron Hilton’s parents Rick and Kathy Hilton, and sister Paris Hilton, initially did not bail out the 18 year old today after being arrested. Hilton would eventually exit the jail with his face covered up.

Reports claimed that Barron blew at .14. In California, .08 is legally drunk for drivers over 21. Hilton was underage at the time. Los Angeles County Sheriff Spokesperson said at the time “We can confirm that Barron Hilton was arrested under the suspicion of driving under the influence at 8:04 a.m.. [Hilton] will be released when it is safe to proceed, either by getting a ride or when he is able to drive himself”. Paris Hilton battled her own DUI problems two years earlier.

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LOS ANGELES (LALATE) – In naming her new show “The World According to Paris”, Paris Hilton attempted to the world of celebrity news back on her life, her friends, and her parties. For Paris Hilton, the task was a tall order. From 2007 to 2009, Paris Hilton dominated celebrated news, generating the lion’s share of stories about the antics of young Hollywood, defining a style of young adults, and helping impact trends. Now nearly a century later, Paris Hilton has returned and is far less relevant to the young demographic.

While the world around Paris Hilton has changed during that time, Hilton hasn’t. The debut of her new reality show, despite producers’ spin on the show, is basically Paris Hilton 1.0 not upgraded. In a show that feels like a first generation iPhone.. Yes she has a new circle of friends. But the storyline of the show neither surprises fans nor excites them.

Paris Hilton debuts to audiences her new love interest, Cy Waits, who completely lacks television charm and entertainment value. Hilton teases that she is ready to have a family and get married. But ironically as Hilton debuted on Oxygen this week her wedding aspirations, My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding debuted on TLC. One show is a ratings bonanza and the other is a ratings bomb. Herein rests the irrelevancy of Hilton’s program.

“The World According” debuts the overexposed, overwritten, and completely understood life of Paris Hilton. The peculiar “Gypsy Wedding” in contrasts debuts the never before seen entry into a subculture misunderstood and explained. “The World According” depicts a lifestyle of pink Bentley and pink moving tucks that in today’s society of seems childish and overplayed. But “Gypsy Wedding” depicts the life of grooms on horses in lakes, and marking their presence in trailer parks stranger than anything cable has seen.

Programming is suppose to different, entertaining, and addictive. “The World According” achieved none of that, debuting this week at a shocking 400,000 viewers. It was a ratings bomb. In fact, Paris Hilton drew less than 274,000 viewers in the key demographic of 18-49. That is less eyeballs that a single Hilton news article would generate two years ago. Even Aubrey O’Day on the same channel drew 724,000 for her reality show. Even Tamra Barney and Gretchen Rossi’s faux feuding does better than Hilton down the road in Orange County; an average week of the lackluster Real Housewives of Orange County usually draws at least a 1.5 ratings share.

In comparison, “Gypsy Wedding” became Channel 4’s “highest rated documentary series of all time, averaging more than 9 million viewers” before its TLC debut this week. As a documentary, it cost a fraction of Hilton’s show as well.

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