Category Archives: Celebrity

His name was Adam and I had a major crush on him. I was 11 years old, and I thought the epitome of coolness meant wearing a plaid skort and white knee socks. (It would take me a further two years to grow out of this delusion. I had a blissfully naïve childhood.)

When my style prowess didn’t do much to earn this boy’s attention, I turned to other means to impress him. Case in point: when I overhead him talking about some new singer named Britney Spears and how hot he thought she was, you can bet I bought that album.

It was my first album, in fact. It would soon be followed by treasures such as the soundtracks to Now and Then and My Girl (remember we’re talking about someone who rocked ambiguous clothing items such as skorts).

To be honest, that album – but not the boy, surprisingly enough – still holds a special place in my heart. I think my girl B. Spears really hit the nail on the head with Baby, One More Time. While subsequent albums (and head-shaving choices) may have raised some well-founded concerns about her ability to instruct me in the ways of life, I’m going to propose that her debut album taught me some important lessons about how to navigate the post-college world.

And I elaborate on a few key tracks:

“Baby One More Time”
This absolutely conveys an underlying message about not giving up when cubicle land hates on you. If Britney can get back up and take another hit for the sake of love, you can do it for the sake of a paycheck.

“Sometimes”
Sometimes I run, sometimes I hide. Don’t we all, Britney? I think this track is telling us something crucial about our inner child and unresolved fears. I’m pretty sure this can be solved with a) therapy, b) fudgsicles or c) a round of heartfelt choreography in the privacy of your bedroom. I may or may not speak from experience.

“Soda Pop”
Aside from the obvious message of needing a little reggae in your life, this one’s easy: take care of your bod. Sure, a comfort soda a day might keep the stressors away, but the cavities will be a beast. And besides, the sugary impact on your cardio health might adversely affect your ability to engage in the above-mentioned therapeutic choreography.

“E-mail My Heart”
Apparently, Britney knew way before the rest of us about the impending technological revolution and its impact on dating as we know it. I dare say the creators of eHarmony took some serious notes on this little number. How this applies to my life, I have yet to say. Or admit to.

And there you have it, kids. What, you didn’t gleam such knowledge and wisdom from listening to her album? Maybe you’re not as in-tune with the cosmic pop forces as I am. But please, refrain from turning to “Slave 4 u” or “Toxic” for any legit guidance. I’m just sayin’.

Now you tell me: what artists from your pre-teen collection still speak words of wisdom to your soul?

Read more: Grown-Up Life, Bad Fashion, Life Advice, Britney Spears, Entertainment News

Christie Brinkley and ex-husband Peter Cook had a near-miss over Labor Day weekend in the Hamptons, the New York Post’s Page Six reports.

According to the column, Brinkley and Cook both turned up at the Hampton Classic horse event Sunday and narrowly missed being photographed in the same frame:

Christie Brinkley made her way in the direction of ex-husband Peter Cook and his girlfriend Suzanne Shaw. Photographers noticed the two were about to cross paths and aimed to get them in the same frame, but Shaw averted the awkward shot by grabbing Cook, spinning him around and racing in the opposite direction.

Brinkley and Cook have gone through a bitter divorce, fighting over child custody among other issues since they broke up over Cook’s affair with an 18-year-old store clerk.

Read more: Celebrity Splits, Christie Brinkley Divorce, Peter Cook, Christie Brinkley, Christie Brinkley Peter Cook, Divorce, Nyc Around, New York News

Before the fresh memory of the 5th anniversary of hurricane Katrina fades from memory, some reflection is warranted.

We should consider the resurrection and rebirth of the Lower 9th Ward in New Orleans, a community decimated by Katrina’s rage and fury in which four thousand homes were leveled. We must never forget those bodies on the streets, and people standing on roofs screaming for help. Or those thousands huddled together in the Astrodome in squalor and hunger, shock and disbelief. Or those toxic home trailers provided by President Bush, who proclaimed, “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job!” to Mike Brown as he presided over FEMA’s catastrophic failure. All images for the ages.

People were forced to leave Louisiana by the thousands as their lives, families and communities were left in ruins. There was little to keep them there, especially in the Lower 9th Ward, where nothing remained – the poor hit the hardest, while the French Quarter was spared.

Rebuilding N.O. was moving too slowly for Brad Pitt, and so the MAKE IT RIGHT FOUNDATION was born. In 2006, Pitt gathered a group of experts in N.O. to brainstorm on how to build green, affordable housing on a large scale, and to assist those most in need after the devastating aftermath of Katrina. The Lower 9th Ward became the mission — to rebuild lives and their community — and with a combined $10 million donation from Pitt and film producer Steve Bing, the foundation was created. Others involved in the foundation are Angelina Jolie and Ellen DeGeneres and Mike Holmes of Holmes on Homes.

That was then and this is now. Fourteen homes have been completed and are now inhabited by formerly displaced families, with nineteen more under construction. Former residents are coming home to new, one family and duplex homes in the Lower 9th Ward designed by an international group of architects who donated cutting edge designs of houses that would resist floods and were sustainable, affordable and energy-efficient. Employing new construction techniques, new technologies and materials, the plan is to build 150 homes. Gardens of various types are already springing up as a community begins to rise.

The doors swung open on these new homes last November, offering, in Mr. Pitt’s words, “a hand up and not a hand out” to the residents of the Lower 9th. Each home has solar panels on the roofs and are energy-efficient throughout, at low cost, and more importantly, these unique looking homes stand on stilts to deal with any future flooding that might threaten them. And there is even a 21st century, sustainable playground for the children. The first totally energy efficient community in our nation is wining awards for its pioneering creativity. A model to be emulated nationally.

How the homes are financed adds additional cutting edge smarts to an already impressive project. The home buyer is expected to contribute as much as possible from their own resources to cover the purchase of their home. The average home price of a single family house $150,000 and a duplex $200,000. The prices vary by size and design. At closing, the average price is $75,000, made up from grants and outside mortgage financing. Make It Right covers the gap. A financial services operation is part of the foundation’s structure and offers affordable mortgages to those who don’t qualify for a loan from a private bank, but can afford monthly payments. In addition the foundation offers loans with no payment or interest that are forgiven over a period of time in exchange for the home owner’s commitment to remain in the home as an owner-occupant. All of this is set in motion with an online application to the Make It Right Foundation.

The core partners involved with Make It Right include such local, national and international organizations and companies as: Cherokee Gives Back Foundation, the non profit arm of Cherokee Investment Partners, a firm that specializes in remediation and sustainable redevelopment of environmentally impaired properties; Graft, an innovative architectural firm that Brad Pitt has worked with on other projects around the world; William McDonough + Partners, a world leader in environmental architecture; and John C. Williams Architects, a N.O. architecture firm brought in as the project’s executive architect.

BP has appropriated the phrase “make it right” (for whom?) as its rallying cry to rebuild its shattered image — I can only hope they have made a huge donation to Mr. Pitt’s foundation?

Meanwhile, Make It Right Foundation is an extraordinary laboratory for innovation and creative design in building a green-energy, efficient community at affordable prices. This did not escape notice on Capitol Hill when in March 2009 Brad Pitt met with Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid and Rep. James Clyburn, the House Majority Whip and head of the House’s Katrina-Rita Task force. But this was merely a press conference. It is time to invite Mr. Pitt back and have him meet with the Deficit Commission to talk about rebuilding new, 21st century communities along with other infrastructures. Could a Marshall Plan emerge as a template to be used nationwide? This would certainly plump up local economies and create jobs. Surely Brad Pitt and his team of professional innovators could offer ideas and more than a few suggestions.

Clearly the success of this foundation more than suggests it will have to extend its commitment beyond building 150 homes in the Lower 9th Ward. They should raise the stakes and continue building until they reach 1000 homes, 25 percent of what was lost in Hurricane Katrina.

Read more: New Orleans, Fema, Brad Pitt, James Clyburn, Marshall Plan, Brad Pitt's 'Make It Right' Project, Ellen Degeneres, Mike Brown, Nancy Pelosi, Angelina Jolie, Harry Reid, British Petroleum, Hurricane Katrina, Deficit Commission, President Bush, Politics News

JALOZAI, Pakistan — American movie star Angelina Jolie met flood victims in northwestern Pakistan on Tuesday and appealed to the international community to provide aid needed to help the country recover from its worst natural disaster.

The flow of aid money has stalled in recent days, and officials expressed hope the two-day visit by Jolie – who serves as a “goodwill ambassador” for the U.N.’s refugee agency – will convince foreign countries and individuals to open their wallets.

Read more: Angelina Jolie, Angelina Jolie Pakistan, Pakistan, Entertainment News

Oprah wants Sarah Ferguson, the down-and-out Duchess of York, to make a TV series about how being abandoned by her mother at age 13 had a “devastating” effect on her life.

Read more: Sarah Ferguson Oprah Winfrey Network, Sarah Ferguson, Oprah, Sarah Ferguson Oprah, Media News

Several Wednesday nights ago at my weight loss meeting a new member joined our group. I’ll call her Amy. This was her first time following any diet (yes, first timers do still exist).

An outgoing young woman, Amy was very excited to begin and curious about the journey that lay before her. Many of the other members marveled at her inexperience and began taking her under their wing. Advice ranged from not shopping on an empty stomach to planning out her day every morning. I’m afraid poor Amy got an awful lot of information all at once and, by the time the meeting began, she was slightly overwhelmed. One long-standing member got in a parting tip: “And don’t think of this as a short-term thing. You’ll be doing this for the rest of your life.”

There’s a lot of focus in the diet industry these days about the whole “lifestyle change” thing. I admit it; I’m one of those who truly believe that living your diet, making it a new lifestyle, is definitely the ultimate goal. Lifestyle is, after all, the opposite of yo-yo. I don’t, however, believe that it has to be everyone’s FIRST goal. Let me explain.

There are days when working out and following your diet is not too bad, even enjoyable. (If it’s not, there’s a major problem here.) Then there are days when calling it a struggle is the understatement of the year. Fighting our way through the dessert room of a wedding reception or a rainy afternoon with the kids home from school wanting “SNACKS!” can be very draining and discouraging. To sit and think at that moment, “I’m going to be doing this for the rest of my life” can be enough to drive you to the cookie jar!

Just as our habits took time to entrench themselves in our lives, so new habits take time as well. New choices and habits and a healthier, weight-conscious mindset will take time to become part of us. And that’s OK. Don’t worry about forever. Forever is what happens as you work on making it through one meal at a time.

For those of you who have ever been involved with a twelve step program, their focus is “One Day At A Time.” If you look to the Bible for guidance, God clearly has a twenty-four hour focus. The manna He provided for the Israelites only lasted one day, twenty-four hours, before going bad. “Give us this day our DAILY bread” – implies just enough for today. If you feel like the “forever” focus is too much, you’re absolutely right. It’s overwhelming and discouraging. But YOU CAN work on creating your new lifestyle TODAY. For the next twenty-four hours YOU CAN stick with it, prepare ahead, write out your meals and check them off as you go. YOU CAN accomplish great things in one day that will give you the encouragement, experience and hope to take it one day more. And, honestly, that’s all you need to worry about.

This is the advice I gave to Amy last week: “You don’t have to do this for the rest of your life. You just have to do it today … EVERY day.”

PS THIS is what the Monday Night Chats is all about. If you’re discouraged and are tired of yo-yoing, if you need a jump start, please join us this Monday night at 8pm est. If you’re not a member, it’s free for the first month. We’d love to have you give it a try. 24/100% BABY!

Read more: Overeating, Losing Weight, Living News, Yo-Yo Dieting, Weight-Loss Tips, How to Eat Healthy, Healthy Eating, Kim's Light Bagels, Abc-Nightline, Fat Acceptance, Dr. Oz Show, Diet, Fat, Light Bagels, Binge Eating, Kim Bensen, Oprah Winfrey, How to Lose Weight and Keep It Off, Weight Loss, Read More: Abc, Kims Light Bagels, Binge-Eaters, Compulsive Overeating, Today Show, Oprah, Dr. Oz, Diet Tips, Dieting, Good Morning America, Kim Benson, Weight Loss Success, Living News

The explosive growth in bottled water use by Americans, and indeed, much of the rest of the world, is due to many factors, including both unfounded and legitimate concerns about tap water, disappearing water fountains from our public spaces, misleading and false advertising, and a desire to emulate our famous (and infamous) public figures. We used to drink 1 gallon of bottled water a year, on average. Now it is nearly 30 gallons a year per person. These issues are all addressed in the book Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water, along with the serious environmental and energy consequences of our bottled water use.

More and more, we are seeing celebrities drinking bottled water, carrying bottled water in public, or even hawking bottled water for a fee. It is hard to miss the huge advertising blitz with Jennifer Aniston for Smart Water, in a deal that is no doubt worth millions to her (I’ve heard one million, I’ve heard four million, I’ve heard stock options: does anyone actually know? A million dollars will drill more than 300 water wells in Africa).

Celebrities live in a different world, where they come to expect special treatment. Perhaps the weirdest expression of this is seen in the bottled water demands in contracts and riders that celebrities require when they perform, or speak, or otherwise appear in public. We’ve all heard about the recent demands of Sarah Palin for two bottles of “unopened still water” with “bendable straws” (on top of her demand for a specific kind of private jet on top of her $75,000 plus speaker fee). She’s not the only politician to be picky about bottled water. As Vice President, Dick Cheney insisted on 4-6 bottles of water in his room, along with two bottles of “Sparkling water (Calistoga or Perrier)” if his wife accompanied him. Of course, Cheney also required that “All televisions [in his hotel rooms] tuned to FOX News…” lest he accidently see other sources of news and information. Senator John Kerry wanted his bottled water “uncarbonated. Poland Spring preferred. No Evian.”

But there are lots more strange demands (thanks to the Smoking Gun for collecting and displaying a great collection of celebrity contracts and demands):

During his 2003 Poodle Hat Tour “Weird Al” Yankovic demanded bottled water in his dressing room but insisted that it NOT be Dasani water. In contrast, Kelly Clarkson insists that her water BE Dasani (though her band apparently wants Fiji Water).

AC/DC asked for both Evian and spring water (in addition to 3 oxygen tanks and 3 masks).

Mary J. Blige insists on Fiji water “absolutely, positively must be FIJI” at room temperature.

As part of the flight arrangements for Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren in 2004, the contract specified “Mr. Tiger Woods drinks liter bottles of Evian cold… Ms. Nordegren drinks Fiji room temperature…”

Christina Aguilera wants Arrowhead, along with L’Occitane vanilla-scented candles with matches, 4 black bath towels, and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

For a while, Madonna insisted on having bottles of special Kabbalah water at her photo shoots and appearances. She may still.

Other celebrity bottled water demands? Clay Aiken (“anything but Evian”); Brooks and Dunn (“spring water for the local crew; Evian or Napa… iced down for the artists”); Kris Allen (20 bottles of “SmartWater…No Dasani or Aquafina”); the Jonas Brothers (“6 bottles Vitaminwater (yellow, red, orange)”); Mariah Carey (mineral water so she and her dog can bathe in it. Oh, and she also wants bendy straws); Britney Spear’s 2000 tour insisted on dozens of bottles of Evian, though in 2005 she went through a Kabbalah phase when Madonna switched from Evian to Kabbalah.

And there are even some efforts by a few celebrities to be, at least a little, environmentally sensitive: In 2008, Pearl Jam asked for bottled water, but “preferably ETHOS water, no Aquafina, Dasani, or Evian.” Ethos Water is sold by Starbucks and some of the profits are given to help fund drinking water projects in developing countries. Sheryl Crow, who tries hard to be green, insisting on recyclable, biodegradable, and organic stuff, asks for backstage “watering stations,” with water that “must be sourced from a local spring water vendor,” though she also asks for Perrier water, owned by Nestle.

We want to know what celebrities are doing, who they are dating, and even what water they are drinking. And we want to imitate them: do what they do, eat what they eat, drink what they drink. If we’re going to look up to them as role models at all, wouldn’t it be nice if they were good ones?

Peter Gleick
Pacific Institute

Read more: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Britney Spears, Fiji Water, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession With Bottled Water, Dick Cheney, Sheryl Crow, Evian, Pearl Jam, Jennifer Aniston, John Kerry, Mariah Carey, Sarah Palin, Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren, Christina Aguilera, Aquafina, Dasani, Bottled Water, Green News

Internationally celebrated for her wildly original performances, Lady Gaga may have a wildly unoriginal habit: going hungry to look good onstage. A new biography penned by Maureen Callahan, ‘Poker Face: The Rise and Rise of Lady Gaga,’ reveals startling claims about the seemingly confident singer, according to RadarOnline.

Gaga’s former tour manager, David Ciemny, alleges in the book that the 24-year-old binged on junk food when not depriving herself of calories altogether. And he claims that in 2009 alone, the Grammy winner landed in the hospital six times while dieting to slim down. Not once, not twice, but six times last year.

Read more: Lady GaGa, Lady Gaga Diet, Celebrity Body, Entertainment News

Come hell or high water, India and Pakistan’s leaders continually nose-thumb one another. Each snub is met with a counter-snub; every kindness by suspicion and prickliness. Memories of ghosts past inspire cold shoulders today. Would the enemy crow about its magnanimity for all time to come? Might acceptance of help be construed by the other as weakness to be parlayed into future gain? Or, worst perhaps of all, would public opinion shift and make redundant much of the carefully-constructed paraphernalia of conflict?

Pakistan started getting inundated in late July. Only two weeks later, on August 13, with much of the country deluged, did India extend an offer of $5 million in aid. Predictably, Pakistan stonewalled. Both countries had swallowed pride before to accept assistance in kind after massive earthquakes, but taking pity money now was stooping just too low. And, funnily enough, the man who wrote the check, India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, did not once bother to commiserate with his neighbour in his Independence Day address two days later. Instead, like a stuck record, he once again cautioned Pakistan against fomenting terrorism in his country. For a man being hailed globally as a model of grace and humility, this was no shining moment.

Hackles raised, Pakistan dug in. Already paralyzed by bomb blasts, ground war, air strikes, a plane crash, and with a huge chunk of the country now deluged, was the country in any position to terrorize anyone? Moreover, its image in the West as the house of terror, a portrait etched to perfection by India, was already coming in the way of flood relief. A new imbroglio was thus created. Only a phone call from Manmohan Singh to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani of Pakistan and a nudge, oops, more like a shove, from the Americans were able to resolve it. Gilani acquiesced in the subcontinental fashion, wherein ‘yes’ is often mouthed when ‘no’ is actually meant, and seemingly sealed the deal by sending choice mangoes to Singh.

While the mangoes were no doubt delicious, the money itself was presumed to be rancid. Gilani’s government went into contortions. Well, like bitter medicine, it had to be taken, but how to imbibe it? Direct ingestion would churn the stomach too much. Finally the via media of the UN was suggested and accepted without fuss. This time round India loosened its purse-strings by upping the offer to $25 million, and Pakistan showed tact in not balking.

The India-Pakistan side-show had once again stolen the thunder from the main task at hand, to get the world to come to Pakistan’s aid quickly and generously. Reams of global newsprint and gobs of cyberspace instead focused on the countries’ visceral mutual dislike, which always seems to make for fascinating copy and against whose powers even force majeure withers away. Noted commentators on both sides got into the act. Oh, how low can we go to accept money soaked with Kashmiri blood? We must not allow them to grandstand before the world. To show how caring they are and how much better off Kashmir would be with them.

The other side pulled no punches either. The money would go to the Taliban, who in turn would storm in on horse-hoofs and balkanize India. This must surely be the most potent $5 million in history! Others cussed at the churlishness of the Pakistanis. Look at them, beggars affording to be choosers, and when we extend a hand, instead of grasping it gratefully, they slap it. All they think about is Kashmir, Kashmir, Kashmir.

All the while the lives and livelihoods of millions were being washed away. Helping Haiti had become somewhat de rigueur for the world. So many global celebrities got into the act that fundraisers were held as far away as India. But even a candle isn’t being lighted by the country, at least visibly, when it comes to Pakistan.

Granted that public giving in response to disasters is somewhat removed from the subcontinental psyche. What after all is the government for? But many Indians hail from across the border and ramble on and on about a shared heritage and pleasant memories. Wagah, the India-Pakistan border post, has no dearth of candle-lighters ushering in peace. Bear-hugs and lavish meals abound whenever cricket teams and fans cross over. But if a crisis of such magnitude doesn’t shake people’s apathy, of what good is all the faux amity?

Or, perhaps Indians have decided it best to shy away from all things Pakistani? If Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan could have brickbats rain on him for innocuous comments made in favor of Pakistan earlier this year, imagine what fate could befall on lesser people. Some of India’s Muslims must surely want to mobilize relief for what in many instances are families and friends in the proximate country. Bucking the majoritarian trend can often invite peril though.

Global warming is hot but its effects have remained so far in the speculative domain. Many experts are now talking about a causal link between climate change and the devastation wrought in Pakistan. Sure, the river Indus is long and mighty, but no less so are its counterparts in India, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra. Who can say where nature will go awry next?

While the UN plays an intermediary role, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is conspicuously missing in action. The body has been reduced to issuing banal statements once in a while. At best, it has served to bring India and Pakistan together when at their antagonistic worst. South Asia is no stranger to natural calamities. Why doesn’t SAARC establish a relief corpus to be funded by member countries and others? Much of the unseemliness witnessed recently would then be avoided. And, enemies in need might just be able to become friends.

Read more: Floods, Yousaf Raza Gilani, India, South Asia, War on Terror, Bollywood, Terrorism, Pakistan, United Nations, Angelina Jolie, Pakistan Floods, Taliban, Barack Obama, Kashmir, Haiti Earthquake, Manmohan Singh, Haiti, Haiti Earthquake Relief, Hillary Clinton, Un, Shah Rukh Khan, Saarc, Water, Hurricane Katrina, World News

The explosive growth in bottled water use by Americans, and indeed, much of the rest of the world, is due to many factors, including both unfounded and legitimate concerns about tap water, disappearing water fountains from our public spaces, misleading and false advertising, and a desire to emulate our famous (and infamous) public figures. We used to drink 1 gallon of bottled water a year, on average. Now it is nearly 30 gallons a year per person. These issues are all addressed in the book Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession with Bottled Water, along with the serious environmental and energy consequences of our bottled water use.

More and more, we are seeing celebrities drinking bottled water, carrying bottled water in public, or even hawking bottled water for a fee. It is hard to miss the huge advertising blitz with Jennifer Aniston for Smart Water, in a deal that is no doubt worth millions to her (I’ve heard one million, I’ve heard four million, I’ve heard stock options: does anyone actually know? A million dollars will drill more than 300 water wells in Africa).

Celebrities live in a different world, where they come to expect special treatment. Perhaps the weirdest expression of this is seen in the bottled water demands in contracts and riders that celebrities require when they perform, or speak, or otherwise appear in public. We’ve all heard about the recent demands of Sarah Palin for two bottles of “unopened still water” with “bendable straws” (on top of her demand for a specific kind of private jet on top of her $75,000 plus speaker fee). She’s not the only politician to be picky about bottled water. As Vice President, Dick Cheney insisted on 4-6 bottles of water in his room, along with two bottles of “Sparkling water (Calistoga or Perrier)” if his wife accompanied him. Of course, Cheney also required that “All televisions [in his hotel rooms] tuned to FOX News…” lest he accidently see other sources of news and information. Senator John Kerry wanted his bottled water “uncarbonated. Poland Spring preferred. No Evian.”

But there are lots more strange demands (thanks to the Smoking Gun for collecting and displaying a great collection of celebrity contracts and demands):

During his 2003 Poodle Hat Tour “Weird Al” Yankovic demanded bottled water in his dressing room but insisted that it NOT be Dasani water. In contrast, Kelly Clarkson insists that her water BE Dasani (though her band apparently wants Fiji Water).

AC/DC asked for both Evian and spring water (in addition to 3 oxygen tanks and 3 masks).

Mary J. Blige insists on Fiji water “absolutely, positively must be FIJI” at room temperature.

As part of the flight arrangements for Tiger Woods and his wife Elin Nordegren in 2004, the contract specified “Mr. Tiger Woods drinks liter bottles of Evian cold… Ms. Nordegren drinks Fiji room temperature…”

Christina Aguilera wants Arrowhead, along with L’Occitane vanilla-scented candles with matches, 4 black bath towels, and Veuve Clicquot champagne.

For a while, Madonna insisted on having bottles of special Kabbalah water at her photo shoots and appearances. She may still.

Other celebrity bottled water demands? Clay Aiken (“anything but Evian”); Brooks and Dunn (“spring water for the local crew; Evian or Napa… iced down for the artists”); Kris Allen (20 bottles of “SmartWater…No Dasani or Aquafina”); the Jonas Brothers (“6 bottles Vitaminwater (yellow, red, orange)”); Mariah Carey (mineral water so she and her dog can bathe in it. Oh, and she also wants bendy straws); Britney Spear’s 2000 tour insisted on dozens of bottles of Evian, though in 2005 she went through a Kabbalah phase when Madonna switched from Evian to Kabbalah.

And there are even some efforts by a few celebrities to be, at least a little, environmentally sensitive: In 2008, Pearl Jam asked for bottled water, but “preferably ETHOS water, no Aquafina, Dasani, or Evian.” Ethos Water is sold by Starbucks and some of the profits are given to help fund drinking water projects in developing countries. Sheryl Crow, who tries hard to be green, insisting on recyclable, biodegradable, and organic stuff, asks for backstage “watering stations,” with water that “must be sourced from a local spring water vendor,” though she also asks for Perrier water, owned by Nestle.

We want to know what celebrities are doing, who they are dating, and even what water they are drinking. And we want to imitate them: do what they do, eat what they eat, drink what they drink. If we’re going to look up to them as role models at all, wouldn’t it be nice if they were good ones?

Peter Gleick
Pacific Institute

Read more: "Weird Al" Yankovic, Britney Spears, Fiji Water, Madonna, Kelly Clarkson, Bottled and Sold: The Story Behind Our Obsession With Bottled Water, Dick Cheney, Sheryl Crow, Evian, Pearl Jam, Jennifer Aniston, John Kerry, Mariah Carey, Sarah Palin, Tiger Woods, Elin Nordegren, Christina Aguilera, Aquafina, Dasani, Bottled Water, Green News