Ashton Kutcher Punks The Paparazzi With New Show

Ashton Kutcher Punks The Paparazzi With New Show

USA Today   |  Gary Levin   |   March 6, 2008 07:57 AM


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Paris Hilton had an improbable dinner date in L.A. Saturday: a gray-haired, orange-robed "shaman" who blessed her and urged her to give a diamond necklace to a total stranger.

Like most everything she does, the event was captured by dozens of cameras. News quickly spread to London tabloids, TMZ.com, the New York Daily News and websites of the Los Angeles Times and San Francisco Chronicle, who wondered if she'd found religion or was seeking spiritual guidance.

"He's really changed my life," Hilton told paparazzi from her car, adding she offered the necklace "because the greatest gift is to give."

Turns out, as some outlets later discovered, the "mystic" was an actor named Maxie Santillan Jr., who has appeared on CSI and My Name Is Earl. And though some accused Hilton of getting Punk'd, the joke's on them: The entire scene was staged for a new show from Punk'd producer Ashton Kutcher premiering Sunday on E! (10:30 ET/PT).

Pop Fiction, an eight-episode series, is a prank show targeting paparazzi and gullible media outlets.

Keep reading USA Today's report

-plus-

Read some of stories of Paris and her shaman at the LA Times, TMZ and the Daily Mail.

Watch video of the pair driving around LA

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See Maxie Santillan Jr's IMDB page and check out a picture of him (far left) on the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean":


 
 

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I liked this. Good for you Ashton. A very good "catcha"

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 06:06 PM on 03/08/2008

oh, all I want to do is see him act. The heck with his new show.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:31 PM on 03/06/2008

i didn't know he could do that...interesting

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:35 AM on 03/08/2008

darn, Ashton and Hilton. You mean old Demi Moore cut him temporarely lose and he gets
to play in the sandbox with his own age group? Wow. How did he get that done? Once he
laid eyes on smart sexi Hilton, he nver be the same, at least not with Mom Demi.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:10 PM on 03/07/2008

why are you hating on ashton kutcher? if anybody needs scrutiny, it's the worthless paparazzi, mindlessly destroying our culture with the filth they produce. they are why people magazine is the number one best selling piece of garbage in the world.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:19 AM on 03/08/2008

Give credit to Ashton. I give the youngster carte' blanche.
And a 'shout out to Demi, finally saw GI Jane, solid flick. yo.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:21 PM on 03/06/2008

This is interesting. It kind of parallels the farce between Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Kimmel. The relationship between the glitterati and paparazzi mimics a torrid love affair. So the glitterati is now punking the paparazzi, who have been punking the glitterati all to their mutual benefit. I can"t really figure out who is getting screwed here?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 09:28 PM on 03/06/2008

This is actually pretty lame. Not because it's bashing the media...I could care less about that...the media should be messed with. It's that this is just another example of the uber-rich playing the same games with the media that they always play. They use it when it suits them, then rage against it the second a camera picks up something they don't like. What, PARIS HILTON has a "beef" with the paparazzi? Why on earth would she? They're the only reason anyone knows her name. I said this when it was happening and I'll say it again now, the WRONG time to stand there and say, "Hey, why don't we all just not tune in if Paris is getting coverage? Isn't this getting a bit ridiculous, guys?" was when she was being photographed in jail. The RIGHT time to say that would have been, oh, I dunno...maybe anytime in the 5 years prior to that arrest? You know, the FIVE YEARS that basically made her into the "famous" version of the boring typical rich brat that she is? Why didn't anyone "decide" to not want to tune in then? No, when celebs like this aren't in their favored element, THAT'S when we SHOULD all tune in. Not when they've had everything orchestrated, a make-up person, a stylist, etc do them up to look as good as possible.

And getting excited about it is just buying right in. These celebrities want the public to get up in arms and to "hate the media" because then we're "siding with them" and it keeps the celebs rich, well-fed and sitting pretty on their demi-god thrones.

Besides, they're all going to just go back on what they're doing now and go on and on about how much they love TMZ whenever a TMZ photographer is around. These people are whores, nothing more or less.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 05:08 PM on 03/06/2008

Hear, hear.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:04 PM on 03/07/2008

You make no sense whatsoever...the only reason these so-called celebrities are celebrities is because the public make it so. Why doesn't the public buy their wares and then just leave them alone. Who cares with whom they sleep, what they eat or where they live?...none of our business. All your bucks buy ...is a movie or a concert...the public should get a life. I think Kutcher has a great idea...hope it works!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 02:16 PM on 03/07/2008

Wow that's funny- Paris was making fun of the fact that a gullible and incredulous public would be capable of believing she could do something generous. That is SO post-modern!

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:01 PM on 03/06/2008

I've gotta stand up and applaud Kutcher on this... turning the tables and mocking the paparazzi and the Harvey Levinization of the media is a nice approach.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:07 PM on 03/06/2008

It never ceases to amaze me how "regular" people like ClaudiaJean consistently take the side of the aggrieved "stars' over the paparazzi and Harvey Levins of the world, who are providing the consuming public with exactly what they want. Do you really not "get" that the Paris Hiltons of the world FEED off of this attention? You can't have it both ways. If you want to be a relatively "private" celebrity, it's absolutely possible. Look at Jodi Foster, whom no one ever follows until she's promoting a movie. Look at Paul Newman. And then look at the numerous celebrities who have the gall to complain anytime the press "gets in the way" while simultaneously issuing press releases and "leaking" info everytime they go out to a hip club. If you live by the press, you have to be prepared to die by it. It is NOT a fair game if the celebrities get to make all the rules.
And Paris Hilton, of all people? I love how nobody is even getting her joke- she says "the greatest gift is to give," and then turns around and says, "ha ha, only fooling- how could you ever believe I'd consider generosity a virtue?" My god, that's supposed to be funny?

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 03:03 PM on 03/07/2008

I will also admit to the utter brilliance that is Ashton Kutcher, It's amazing how clever a guy can be will only a few million dollars to play with and the backing of others with only a few million dollars. He's sounds like he's getting the help of other Hollywood stars too, FINALLY these guys can have their cake AND eat it too. It's been too damn long for these poor, poor souls to suffer.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:43 PM on 03/06/2008

I am sure Demi is financing some of it, but its strictly on contract between the two. Both profit. But I think that Ashton in the near future wants to fly the coop. And it is time .

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 04:13 PM on 03/07/2008

This is absolutely brilliant. I can"t wait for the ensuing chaos.

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 12:02 PM on 03/06/2008

Totally great! Hopefully he will take on Fixed News with a blonde girl missing from somewhere

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 11:29 AM on 03/06/2008

tell greta it's all van der sloot -she'll go LIVE!!

lol
genius-can't wait

    Favorite    Flag as abusive Posted 10:53 PM on 03/06/2008
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