The Simple Life 2: Road Trip

In this election year, America has become a deeply divided country, irrevocably split on one focal issue: Paris Hilton — rich bitch or enterprising ingenue? If you haven’t made up your mind yet, don’t bother. But if you must, the second season of her reality show with co-conspirator/best friend Nicole Richie might help you decide. The premise has the two pampered L.A. debutantes traipsing through the farmlands of the South without any money. To survive, they must depend on families along the way for jobs. It’s sometimes fascinating, but mostly annoying, to watch them finagle cash from unassuming Southerners and scam their way out of work. The low point could be when they advise a 13-year-old Louisiana girl to buy a G-string to wear on a date. (Drinking Game Alert: If you did a shot every time one of them said ”That’s hot” or ”Loves it,” you’d be wasted by the end of each episode.) The girls’ brainless antics get tedious quickly, and you end up wishing they had to sleep out in their hosts’ barns — but then you’d feel sorry for the farm animals.

EXTRAS A batch of outtakes, including one of Paris mistakenly eating dog food, provide minor amusement.