Paris Hilton was wealthy, connected and moved in circles swarming with paparazzi. I'd say those were more relevant to her fame, not the ditzy blonde persona, which came afterwards. By contrast, look at the cast of Jersey Shore. They were certainly shameless and built their fame on that, but where did that ultimately get them? Where are they now?
The same is true in the soccer world. AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is notorious for this [0]. Most top players in the sport have very reserved public personas, so Ibra's constant braggadocio is exceedingly rare.
But it would sound pathetic and delusional if he wasn't one of the top 10 strikers of the past 20 years. Most soccer players are retired by 35 or playing in less strenuous leagues little money. Ibra is 39 now and playing for a team at the top of the Italian Serie A.
[0] Some choice quotes:
"There was the thought that this would send me into retirement. I sent their entire country into retirement."
- After scoring twice to qualify Sweden for Euro 2016 over Denmark.
"It's true I don't know much about the players here, but they definitely know who I am."
- On his move to Ligue 1 in 2012.
This is an interesting comparison because I think it actually highlights something deeper here, which is that the kind of shamelessness described in this post is an effective—if not optimal—strategy for a fundamentally different type of reward.
Paris Hilton, for example, was certainly already in a privileged tier of humans—as were/are many others who are born into similar circumstances. It seems, however, that the reward she was optimizing for (building a platform around her persona, effectively turning her life into a consumer brand) was not the same as everyone else in that circle. Her shamelessness seems like a very effective policy, in that context.
Ibra (one of my all-time favorite players) is also a perfect example of this. Despite being a high-level competitor and objectively world-class player, he is also interested in using his personal brand as a monetizable tool in a way that many other top players do not (though, it's fair to mention that players like Maradona have done this historically as well). For example, Ibra's move to the MLS—and the fact that he was paid a record breaking 7.5 million per year—certainly required him to be a great player, but it's also fair to say that the platform he brought with him made him especially attractive to a team looking to sell jerseys and season tickets.
So yes, I think you're right that the table stakes to shamelessness being effective are the essential building blocks of success in one's field—Paris Hilton/Donald Trump have to have wealth and access, Zlatan has to be world-class, etc.—but I think that what that shamelessness buys them is a different kind of success, one they might not achieve without shamelessness (or without some parallel promotional strategy).
The same is true in the soccer world. AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic is notorious for this [0]. Most top players in the sport have very reserved public personas, so Ibra's constant braggadocio is exceedingly rare.
But it would sound pathetic and delusional if he wasn't one of the top 10 strikers of the past 20 years. Most soccer players are retired by 35 or playing in less strenuous leagues little money. Ibra is 39 now and playing for a team at the top of the Italian Serie A.
[0] Some choice quotes: "There was the thought that this would send me into retirement. I sent their entire country into retirement." - After scoring twice to qualify Sweden for Euro 2016 over Denmark.
"It's true I don't know much about the players here, but they definitely know who I am." - On his move to Ligue 1 in 2012.