Paris Hilton: I'm So Happy (Re-Release)

0:00Rob Lowe:Dads find one version of things they like and they stick with it for decades. A wallet, sneakers, even the haircut. From watches to cologne, Macy's Father's Day online gift guide makes it easy to upgrade dad's go-to favorites. Same vibe, better version. Give his wardrobe a refresh with a Tommy Hilfiger printed floral linen shirt. Or level up his signature scent with a Rabanne 1 million elixir gift set. Does dad basically live at the grill all summer? Set him up with a Cuisinart Deluxe Stainless Steel 14-piece grill set. For the watch collector, ooh, yes. Macy's has instant favorites like a Casio Men's Digital Vintage Gold Tone Stainless Steel Bracelet Watch.

0:48Rob Lowe:And for dads who never met a sport he didn't love, that'd be me, shop at an Adidas World Cup fan jersey or an Under Armour golf polo. Plus, you don't have to splurge to make dad feel appreciated. Macy's has a whole lineup of gifts for$50 and under, including Perry Ellis dop kits and Levi Chino shorts. This Father's Day, give him something he'll actually use, something that feels unmistakably him. Let Macy's be your guide to gifting for Father's Day. Shop now, online, or in store. Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building. You're managing all of them.

1:28And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, filters ready to clog, HVAC on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering, and 24-7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done.

1:51Rob Lowe:Paris, hi. Hello. I like being in like the sort of screening room vibe you've got going on there. This used to be actually a club called Club Paris. I renovated the house and now it's a screening room.

2:15Rob Lowe:Well, today is a super interesting one because Paris Hilton is with us. and this woman created the influencer movement truly before twitter before instagram before any of it there was paris hilton and i don't think it's overstating what that has wrought both good bad and indifferent um whenever you're at the beginning of a movement there's going to be a lot to talk about. And I also go way back with her family. So this will be super fun. Let's go to Paris. We don't even have to get on the Concorde. We don't even have to travel. We're going to Paris.

3:01Rob Lowe:Why did you shut the club down? Because I got married and grew up. Darn it. It happens to the best of us. So you may have had the longest, from what I can tell, honeymoon that I've ever heard of. Give me the itinerary again. It was almost two months. So it was a seven and a half week honeymoon. We started off in Bora Bora and then we're in Anguilla and Harbor Island. And then we went to London and Dubai, Maldives. You mentioned my two favorite. I'm actually going to Bora Bora this week. I've been there a lot. My two favorite places in the world are Bora Bora and the Maldives. Me too. They're so beautiful.

3:47It's paradise on earth. It's a commitment, particularly the Maldives.

3:52Rob Lowe:I mean, I think it might be the farthest. Like if you look at the globe, the single farthest place away from Los Angeles. It's definitely worth the trip. so you know i go way back with your family um i mean when i was a kid kim richards was and she still is but like she was the shit i mean she was she was kind of had the market cornered on disney right in the day she and jodie foster don't you think definitely like iconic so many amazing films they were just going for it in those days escape to which mountain right? I watched that so many times as a kid. I loved it. Yeah. What was it like living in the Waldorf Astoria as a young...

4:39Rob Lowe:You basically were like the girl from the plaza, except you were in the Waldorf Astoria, right? What's the name of the famous... Eloise. Eloise. Were you Eloise? Were you actually Eloise? My sister and I always used to joke and call ourselves that, but yes, it felt like being Eloise. And we loved living at the Waldorf. It's just such a beautiful hotel, and so many exciting things were always happening. So we were always sneaking downstairs to the ballroom and going to all these big events. And yeah, it was always very exciting at that hotel. Were you crawling around under the table during the black tie events and stuff like that?

5:13Rob Lowe:That's what I would have been doing. We were walking around, getting all dressed up. You were an actual debutante, yes? Yes. What is the process? Walk me through it. It feels like another world to me. It's just a lot of like etiquette classes and dancing lessons. And then when we do the debutante ball in Paris at the Hotel Creon, that's when they have the guys come in and you have like your date and you do the dances together. So you have to go to, there's not a big hoopla thing in New York City or you do New York City and then you go to Paris. Yeah, I did both, but Paris is the big one. Were there any bad boys?

5:53Rob Lowe:You're like, oh yeah, okay, this guy just threw his tux on, but he wants to throw down. He's not having any of this cotillion crap. There must have been the bad boy that everybody's like, yeah, he's the one. Yeah, there's always the bad boy in every single group, definitely. Yeah, I feel like that would be a fertile ground. So, I mean, you grew up in this world with Lionel, Richie, and Michael. You were friends with Michael Jackson, right? Yeah, my mom and him grew up, so they were best friends since they're 13 years old. so I grew up with him my entire life and he was just such a legend and so amazing and so kind and sweet.

6:35Rob Lowe:Did you ever go to Neverland? Yes many times. I've been there post Michael and it's very different now. All of the you know the amusement park stuff it's all gone. Oh my god that was iconic. I can't believe that they would take away all the rides. What ride was your favorite? I'm trying to remember there was just so it was just kind of like this whole like fun And it felt like you're almost in a little Disney world. Well, the Disneyland train station he has is still there with the flowers and all of that. That's still there. The train track, but none of the animals, none of the stuff. And what people don't realize about Neverland, which is super interesting, and I can't remember the name of the original owner, but he was a super rich, I think probably a billionaire.

7:18Rob Lowe:And he sent a team out throughout the United States and money was no object. And they were supposed to report back with the single most beautiful property they could find. So they looked in Colorado and Montana and all over the place. And what came back was Neverland. So even before Michael bought it and turned it into what he bought it, it was a spectacular piece of land. And now who owns it? I want to say Ron Burkle owns it. Oh, nice. Yeah. Did you go to the dance studio? That's still there. Oh, really? Okay, that's good that they kept that. Not only do they keep it, but there's a circle in the middle of the floor that has been worn out by Michael doing his spins.

8:09Oh, that's amazing.

8:10Rob Lowe:It's really super cool to see. um and so when you made simple life by the way i love simple i think simple life is one of the great shows it looks like you had fun in spite of it right it was so much fun you know i had no idea what i was getting myself into since this was like one of the first reality shows yeah i had never been on camera before i didn't really know what to expect but i'm so happy that I did it with Nicole because we were best friends since we're two years old. And we just, I don't know, we just have fun no matter what we do or where we were. So it definitely made it. I'm so happy it was her that was with me along for that whole ride because it was just hilarious the whole time.

8:57There's no one funnier. I was just laughing the whole time. And we met a lot of really sweet and cool people and got to like go all over America. And it was awesome.

9:07Rob Lowe:What did you travel in? did you actually travel in it like how did they get you around the country well the first season we were just at one house in arkansas so we just had our pink pickup truck and then for the other seasons like we had another pink pickup truck that had like a little like trailer um airstream attached to it uh that i had to drive which was pretty difficult you mean you didn't grow up driving an airstream trail through the streets of manhattan people i don't think realize making reality television i i did a show with my sons where we chased around supernatural tales it was kind of like i don't know picture anthony bourdain parts unknown meets scooby-doo called the low files and was basically an excuse for me to hang out with my boys and like you know go up into the mountains and look for ufos or whatever it was super fun but boy you work hard you work your ass off yeah it's it seems like it's easy like oh there's no script and they just throw the camera i've never worked harder never worked longer um it's a totally different vibe and that was one of the as you say the original reality shows yes and you know back then it was We were shooting 24 hours a day, and they were very strict.

10:30They literally took away our phones. They didn't want us having any outside distractions. They told all of the crew members, do not talk back to them. So if we asked for something or tried to communicate with them, they would just not say anything. So Nicole and I were really on our own. It wasn't like we were stopping and they were telling us what to do. It was just all real.

10:55Rob Lowe:holy smokes did you ever try to like blink in morris code get me out of here to like second ad or the director of photography get me there are some times where we were just like oh my god like we want to go home there's we were just having fomo of everything happening in la and it's so boring sometimes and the dad gave us like a strict curfew and we were not into that so we would sneak out at night and there's there was no clubs hardly there was like these really random bars like cowboy bars and places that they went to um so yeah the nightlife out there was definitely uh not la uh no you have to you're definitely i would say the original influencer i mean i i think that like ty cobb says it ain't bragging if you've done it you i mean you invented what is now um um just a accepted baked into the dna of our culture of an influencer and it was was twitter even a thing yet i don't think it was no no iphone nothing i had no publicist no agent no stylist i literally was just being myself and going out and getting photographed anytime someone becomes an it person and there's always going to be an it person i kind of think that if there isn't an it person the machine will make one up because there has to be somebody there has to be somebody who occupies the imagination of folks both in terms of like legitimate affection and interest and also what they call hate watching and some people get more of the other some people get more of this some is just one or the other but there's always going to be somebody there in that in that moment and and you look back at the old school ones like way before you know you were you or i like um uh you know jane burkin they named a bag after her at hermes or um edie sedgwick who is the, those are like way more quaint versions of what it person has become.

13:17Rob Lowe:But you were there at the beginning of the modern version. Yes. The OG. The OG. What do you think was the, why you, why then? Do you, have you ever tried to figure that out? I never really thought about it. I think that maybe there's just something magical about certain people that attracts that attention time and place and energy well look you have to have some sort of um there's gonna be something it isn't it can't can't doesn't just happen to anybody but i also feel that there's that that that groundswell was there and you were there and it made sense it did what was the ed spot when i was in the 80s and doing my young trailblazing craziness you'll laugh literally i'm not kidding you're right don't laugh and i'm not really was the place the hard rock cafe really really really that was like oh yeah we're gonna meet at the hard rock cafe and it was like the the doorman and people lining up and it's like looking back and looking back it's like it was like what step away from the fucking olive garden to meet at tgi Fridays.

14:32Rob Lowe:That's what it was. What was it for you guys? It was like, and I kind of know some of the names because my sons are a little bit younger than you. So what were the big clubs that you went to and how were they different than my 80s experience? Well, it was definitely not the Hard Rock. That for sure. It was different every single night. Mondays was always at Dublin's and And Tuesdays, was it Guys? Guys, oh yes. Thursdays, this place called Pop. Then it just changed. L.A. is very picky about places. Like a place will be hot for a few months, and then they renovate it and change the name again. So I've seen a lot of clubs just come and go because things in this town just don't last that long.

15:32Rob Lowe:Spring has arrived. Spring is also the perfect time to refresh your outdoor space. And Paragold is the destination for luxury home, bringing designs, best brands together in one place. Paragold offers its largest ever selection from ready-to-ship outdoor furniture to weatherproof lighting, accents, and serve wear for every style and space. It is the first to bring design's best brands together in one place, making it an easy-to-shop, enduring all-weather pieces. Many of these brands have been around for decades and prioritize quality materials, solid construction, and traditional craftsmanship.

16:21Rob Lowe:Paragold also offers free, fast, full-service delivery on most items and complimentary design services, making the whole process easy. I've been checking it out, and everything looks super fun. There are many great options, particularly some outdoor chairs that look great. There's lots of great stuff, so go shop in-store and online at paragold.com. Guys, let's face it. As we get older, we can't just skip sleep and eat whatever we want and still feel great the next day. But if you're entering your men's health era, you know it can feel complicated. Sprouts Farmer's Market makes it easier. Not only do Sprouts have the high-protein foods, nutrient-dense organic produce, and innovative snacks your body craves, it's also got the newest supplements, vitamins, joint support, even creatine to help get you feeling more like you used to.

17:24Rob Lowe:Whether it's men's health or any other health journey, it's easier that sprouts farmer's market. Summer always changes how you get dressed. You want pieces that feel lighter and more breathable, things that are easy but still put together. That's where Quince comes in. They focus on high-quality essentials that feel and look amazing. Think breathable linen and soft organic cotton. And Quince goes way beyond clothing. They have custom upholstered sofas, ceramic cookware, and premium bedding, and more for your home. It's the kind of brand you end up recommending to everyone for everything. One of my producers tried Quince.

18:05Rob Lowe:Here's what he had to say. Yeah, I love Quince. I've had a fantastic experience with it. I wear the cotton polo all the time. I love the jackets. I love the shorts. I just got a new pair of shorts for the summer. I cannot recommend Quince enough, and the prices are fantastic.

18:50Rob Lowe:what makes a good club for you if you could well you had you're sitting in what used to be your own club in your own house what makes a good club what makes a bad club well i don't go out anymore like i used to i only will if i'm working if i'm doing an event there or djing or performing um but other than that i don't really enjoy it anymore um but for a club to be good it's definitely all about the crowd the lighting the music the vibe and yeah just who's around you i have a theory like i go why are clubs whenever i get dragged to one now why are these it's not just that i'm older it's not they're different and i'm trying to think of like why they're different and here's my theory my theory is that bottle service killed the clubs it made the money and it's it was a game changer economically but the the i just can't abide the sparkler magnum being brought through the people it's so gross to me and and it's it brought a level a whole other level into where it used to just be dark secretive and people from all walks of life could come in because it wasn't expensive so you could you could literally rub shoulders with anyone no one was saying pay x amount of money to sit at this table that stuff to me changed everything like and you know you're from new york that those clubs were really hardcore in the day It was like people from all walks of life.

20:29Rob Lowe:I don't think anybody was making any money, really, not even the club owners. So God bless them for figuring out a way to make money. But what a novel thought. Money killed the fun. Gee, I wonder if that could be said about show business. I need to think about that. Yeah, I would agree with that. I think, you know, definitely before all of that, like it was just that like you got in because you, especially in LA, it was like only people that they knew would get in and it would not be just like all the random people who could like pay just to be there. Yes. And then social media is what really killed it because we all used to be able to go out and it would be just amazing night.

21:11No one was bothering each other or taking photos or videos. And now as soon as you walk in, everybody has their iPhone up. They're all asking for selfies. Everyone's filming. No one's in the moment. Everyone's just like either staring at their phone to like, you know, put out a picture, edit a photo or they're filming the whole time. So no one's really in the moment anymore. They're all just too concerned about what's going to be on social media, which has just totally ruined the vibe.

21:37Rob Lowe:When your kids are old enough to get their phones, their smartphones, have you figured out, or I'm way ahead of you, you just barely got married, but what would be your philosophy on it? My kids were just at an age where we didn't have to deal with it. They were the last generation that did not grow up with the smartphones. Do you have a sense of when is too young for kids to be on Instagram and whatever? Yeah, I think it's just very toxic, especially for a young girl, you know, with all these beauty standards that are not even real. And then you have the trolls coming on and doing weird comments and then other weird people like trying to come in and do God knows what.

22:20So that's scary to me because, you know, I feel like it just keeps morphing into something and it keeps getting kind of worse. So I can't even imagine, you know, like whatever, 10, 15 years from now when I have a teenager, it's going to be.

22:36Rob Lowe:Yeah, just wait. Just wait till you're. My brother Chad's got three girls under the age of 13. And my niece just turned 13. and so far she doesn't she can take her leave it but just wait because and what do you have teenagers they're relentless the the i've never felt more battered than i did with my than i had when i had my teenagers beating the living crap out of me to get what they want i love my boys dearly but holy sweet Jesus, when Friday, starting Thursday, I would gear up for what I knew was coming on the weekends. And it was, can we do this? Can we do that? And you knew you were always getting lied to, for sure.

23:29Rob Lowe:But you thought, of course, you were the one parent that your kids were going to be straight with you. They're never straight. That's part of being a parent. And I know you're a huge, and I want to talk to you about this, you're a huge advocate in this world. And then inevitably teens, their job in life is to get in trouble so they learn. That's why they're there, to push boundaries so they can learn what works, what doesn't work, experiment with alcohol, experiment with drugs, so they learn that relationship so they can figure it out, and you just hope they survive. And that's your job as a parent, as far as I can tell, is just to get them to survive or not make some sort of mistake that irreparably damages them or somebody else.

24:20Rob Lowe:And one of the ways people do it, as you know, and you've written about it and you're a huge advocate for it, is sending them away, whether it's camps or rehabs and like anywhere else. you know there are good ones and there are bad ones but but your experience with that was super fascinating for me to read about because people don't think of the sort of underbelly of it that you are spending a lot of time talking about what is if you you have a did you create the phrase the phrase troubled teen industry did you create that phrase explain it to me i mean i know what it is but i'd like to hear it in your words no i did not create that term it's actually a term that they created, the people who have developed all these types of schools.

25:09And I think in a way, just to make the kids look like that so that they can get away with all the abuses that are happening at these schools because there are thousands of them all around the country and actually around the world. And people just have no idea what's happening behind closed doors. And they come up with different names for the schools. They call them emotional growth schools. or behavioral modification or wilderness therapy. There's just all different types of names for these places. But it's just terrifying just to know what's happening. And hundreds of children have died, and there's 150 ,000 kids a year that are being put into these places, and their families have no idea what's happening.

25:54And it's just really terrifying. And I just couldn't sleep well at night knowing that this was still happening. And that's why I've been speaking up and using my voice to help put a stop to it.

26:05Rob Lowe:And you, at what age did your parents say, ah, crazy parents? Basically, I can only imagine. You're going out. You're breaking curfew. You're doing what 80 % of teens do, pushing your parents' buttons. They get worn down, which is what I was just referring to. And somebody says, you know what? There's a great place, X, Y, Z. And the next thing you know, you're in Utah. Is that where you were? Yeah. Yeah, for my family, you know, before I lived in New York, I was living in Los Angeles. And then I moved to New York when I was 15. And in L.A., I lived a very sheltered life. I wasn't allowed to go out.

26:39I wasn't allowed to go on a date. I wasn't allowed to wear makeup. My parents were so strict. So then we moved to New York or at the Waldorf. All of a sudden, I'm getting invited to all these parties and clubs. And my parents were like, no way, you're staying home. And, of course, I didn't listen. and I started sneaking out at night and getting bad grades. So they contacted this person called an educational consultant, and they are the ones that recommended that I go to this boarding school, and they showed all this deceptive marketing, this beautiful website, and these brochures with smiling kids and kids riding horses, but it's all stock photos and all fake.

27:18And these consultants, I found out later now, they are ones that get paid off and get commissions for each kid that they send to these type of schools. So it's a huge business. It's a$23 billion a year industry. And definitely it's something that has been around since the 1960s. And people have gotten away with it for so long. And I think one of the reasons is because, you know, when you're in these places, they really instill that in you and physically beat that into your mind. And no one will ever believe you. If you say anything, people are going to think you're crazy. So they really put this, like instill this shame in the kids where when you get out of there, you just don't even want to talk about it or think about it because it's just too traumatic and painful.

28:04And that's what happened to me. I literally couldn't speak about it or tell anyone for over 20 years.

28:11Rob Lowe:It is a, listen, it's so shocking to me to hear that that goes on. And it also, as somebody who's been in recovery myself, I've, you know, I know it's not the same as rehab, but they're not even, we're not even talking about the same thing. But there are similar elements in that. You're going someplace with blind faith. You're in a crisis. And you're sort of throwing yourself on the mercy of the court of the people that are there to, in theory, give you therapy. And parents are at their wits end. Like they're like any lifeboat at this point for the most part. So they're only as good as the information they're getting.