“The Sopranos” actress Jamie-Lynn Sigler, 26, was honored last Thursday by the National Eating Disorder Association for both “her fundraising and consciousness raising work for research into eating disorders.” She has drawn a lot of attention in the media to have eating disorders seen as real medical and mental illnesses and not just a “superficial disease.”

Sigler suffered from anorexia and exercise bulimia while working on “The Sopranos.” In 2002, USA Today wrote:

Sigler cut her calories to less than 500 a day and dropped a quarter of her weight — sliding from 120 pounds to 90. “I had an eating disorder,” says Sigler, who has detailed her potentially deadly experiences with anorexia nervosa (AN) and her simultaneous rise to fame in the new book Wise Girl. “I hated the way I looked when I saw myself in the mirror, but I just couldn’t stop what I was doing.”

“Going out with my girlfriends to go to the mall was out,” says Sigler. “They might decide to go to the food court and order pizza.” Excessive exercise is a common strategy in both anorexia and bulimia. “I’d begin the day with an hour or so on the treadmill,” recalls Sigler, “and then I’d put on an exercise video. I’d even figure out how to make doing laundry or talking on the phone use more calories.”

[From USA Today]

Since then Jamie-Lynn has done a lot of hard work to get healthy and stay in recovery, and has become a spokesperson for the National Eating Disorder Association.

“It’s hard for me to even recognize who I was,” the former Sopranos actress, 26, tells PEOPLE. “My reality was so warped. … I knew I had a problem and wanted to get better, but I was not able to let go of my habit.” She recalls one moment in particular – a meal with her family, when her father begged her to have some cake. “I remember rationalizing that if I had that one piece of dessert, the next morning I would wake up and weigh 400 pounds,” she says. “It sounds so wild, but for me it was true.”

[From People]

To stay in recovery, Jamie-Lyn says she tries to eat healthfully, but makes sure she doesn’t let herself make any food regulations. She noted that she used to know ” every calorie that entered my body, and I tried to measure every calorie that I could burn. So for me, any sort of regimen, any sort of ritual or rule when it comes to dieting or exercising, is bad for me.” Stars like Jamie-Lynn Sigler and Jennifer Love Hewitt are doing a great job of drawing attention to the negative effects women (and men) can suffer as a result of poor body image. Good for them for speaking up and trying to live healthier lives.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Jamie-Lynn Sigler is shown at the Glamour Women of the Year Awards on 11/5/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

Talk about a good day for little Rotherham, England. The old steel-making town to the north of London got a visit – and a concert – from Dolly Parton who was there to open her Dollywood Foundation’s “Imagination Library” in the town. Dolly’s foundation has created these libraries all over the U.S. in an attempt to get books into pre-school homes. But Dolly created quite the controversy with some of her comments while she was in the town.

Country superstar Dolly Parton breezed into Rotherham to bring a touch of “showbiz sparkle” to the old steel town. As she opened a children’s library, the Nine to Five superstar dropped a tantalizing hint that she enjoyed an open marriage with her husband Carl Dean.

Miss Parton, 61, claimed it was “very good for both of us” if she or her spouse cheated on each other. And she also admitted she looked like a “hooker” and admired the way prostitutes dressed when she was a teenager.

When asked if her marriage of 41 years was open, Miss Parton replied: “If we cheat we don’t know it, so if we do cheat, it’s very good for both us. I don’t want to know it, if he’s cheating on me. If I’m cheating on him, he wouldn’t want to know it. And if we do, if that’s what’s making it work, then that’s fine too.”

[From the Daily Mail]

You know, even I have to admit that nothing warms the hearts of preschoolers more than talk of hookers and open marriages. They’re likely to pour Dolly a bourbon on the rocks, light a cigar and tell her the story of some of their rockier relationships too. Then they joke and laugh, and the kids head on over to the Imagination Library to learn the fun of potty training. What the hell Dolly? Can we talk about the right time and place? That was your only freaking purpose in visiting this town. Little kids! You’re supposed to pique their imaginations not spike their nightmares.

I will cut her a bit of a break because she had a few good quips during the audience question and answer session. Not sure if it makes up for talking to toddlers about your sexual dalliances, but that’s just me.

Most of her is aged 61 now, with a couple of notable exceptions, and she’s still got the voice that made her so popular.

She is also shamelessly down to earth. What would she like people to say about her in 100 years’ time, some weeks one asked.

“Don’t she look good for her age,” said Dolly.

Was she offended by the dumb blonde jokes?

“Why would I be offended?’ she said. ‘I know I ain’t dumb, and we all know I ain’t blonde.”

[From the Daily Mail]

Alright, we get it, you’re an adorable saucy old minx. Something tells me if you’re still around in a hundred years like your plan, you’ll be shacked up with one of the now-toddlers in the audience. Points for your charitable cause and all, but next time let’s have a chat about the execution first.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Dolly Parton is shown at the Thanksgiving Day Parade in NY on 11/22/07, thanks to PRPhotos.

David Blaine is trying to remain relevant in the field of public endurance feats that he stupidly popularized. When you starve, drown, get buried alive, frozen, and spun around for days, it’s hard to top yourself, but Blaine is going to try. The worlds most celebrated modern masochist is going to attempt to break the world record of staying awake for more then eleven days, and he plans to do it standing up:

“I’m dropping 30 pounds,” he told me. “I do two hours every day on the treadmill. I’m on a raw diet that includes brown rice. No red meat. No animal products besides cooked fish.

“It’s been tried before. In 1959, Peter Tripp stayed awake eight days, but it resulted in permanent brain damage. In 1964, 17-year-old Randy Gardner did it for a high school science project. He lasted 11½ days but recovered fully. No damage. A guy in London tried but fell short. Another did 19 hours [sic] but slept two hours each night, so that doesn’t count. Also he was seated in a rocking chair. If I do this thing, which you claim I’m doing, I’ll do it on my feet. Standing up.

“After 36 hours of sleep deprivation it’s like being drunk, 72 hours and paranoia sets in, Day Four the mind goes into hallucinations and you’re dreaming while awake. The problem is there’s no way to know how to offset brain damage or to train for this because there isn’t sufficient research. I believe the first guy’s mistake was not being in great physical condition. Also he used stimulants to keep awake, which I assume did him in.

[From Cindy Adams' column in the NY Post]

On November 1st, Blaine blogged that he would begin his next challenge in May, 2008 and that he was training for it and eating mostly raw food.

This is the guy who thought he could break the world record for holding his breath after he spent a week underwater. He seems to routinely overestimate his ability. How much can you prepare for not sleeping for a week and a half? Does it make a difference if you’re thin and fit? Doesn’t that seem like the kind of thing you’d need to be both physically prepared and genetically predisposed to accomplish?

The longest I’ve ever stayed awake was for three days in college, and it was probably more like two and a half days. It’s hard to remember as it wasn’t an entirely natural experience. It’s uncomfortable and makes you crazy not to sleep. David Blaine is just a little crazy to even attempt it. He somehow has escaped unscathed from all the trials he’s put his body through, but you can’t help but think that his brain has been affected or he wouldn’t think it’s a good idea to keep pulling stunts that push his body to the limit. Maybe if the news cycle wasn’t so fast Blaine could take a break for a year.

David Blaine is shown on 11/12/07 at “A Salute to Our Troops,” thanks to PRPhotos.

Evel Knievel’s family is going all-out for his funeral, or, as his son Kelly Knievel said, “We’re throwing a funeral.” And you know what, I’m all right with that. Evel lived an outlandish, daredevil lifestyle. According to his family, he was very specific about his funeral requests, and if that’s what he wanted, why not? Knievel’s send-off will include a fireworks show Sunday night in Butte, Montana , followed by a public viewing the next morning. His funeral will be held Monday at the Butte Civic Center and will be officiated by televangelist Robert H. Schuller. Seem an odd choice? Well despite his hard living ways, Knievel converted to Christianity this past spring. The story is rather interesting.

On April 1, 2007, Knievel announced to a worldwide audience that he “believed in Jesus Christ” for the first time. He professed his personal faith in Christ to more than 4,000 people who gathered inside the Crystal Cathedral for Palm Sunday services in Orange County, California, and to millions via an Hour of Power telecast of the service to over 100 countries.

Knievel told how he had refused for 68 years to convert to Christianity because he didn’t want to surrender his lifestyle of “the gold and the gambling and the booze and the women.” He explained his conversion experience by saying, “All of a sudden, I just believed in Jesus Christ. I did, I believed in him!”

Knievel recounted how he “rose up in bed and, I was by myself, and I said, ‘Devil, Devil, you bastard you, get away from me. I cast you out of my life….’ I just got on my knees and prayed that God would put his arms around me and never, ever, ever let me go.” At his request, he was baptized before the congregation and TV cameras by Dr. Robert H. Schuller, Founding Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. Christianity Today reported that “…Knievel’s testimony triggered mass baptisms at the Crystal Cathedral.”

[From Wikipedia]

I can’t help but be a little wary of televangelists, but to each his own. The Butte Civic Center can hold about 10,000 and officials expect it to reach capacity. Afterwards, Knievel’s body will be driven along a 6-mile lip in Butte named Evel Knievel Way. He will then be buried privately. According to Marko Lucich, the Butte-Silver Bow Chamber of Commerce executive, Butte had an annual Evel Knievel festival, which Knievel had actively promoted. He told the Associated Press the funeral will draw “‘a little bit of everything. You’ll see people in suits. Others will be in motorcycle apparel. Whatever people choose will be appropriate.’” Seems like a joyful celebration of a life, and an appropriate send off.

Victoria Beckham says she’s actually a gay man trapped in a woman’s body. From all the reruns of “Will & Grace” I’ve seen lately, I’m under the stereotypical impression that that’s every gay man’s fantasy. Trapped in an ultra-thin fashionista’s body? Married to David Beckham? Okay to be fair there’s a chance it’s half my fantasy too. Speaking of stereotypes, it appears that Victoria’s impression of gay men follows all the classics… though despite my joking, I’m not sure how accurate it is.

Victoria Beckham has said she is a gay man trying to escape from a woman’s body and that she sleeps in the nude. In the new issue of Elle magazine, Posh said: ‘I’m so camp! I’m such a gay man trying to get out. I don’t give a [bleep] what anybody thinks!’

She also spoke of her sleeping habits with husband David Beckham. ‘I sleep naked,’ she revealed. ‘I’m going to be naked if I’m getting in bed with him every night.’

The 33-year-old, who is back on tour with The Spice Girls, put the boot into the wannabes trying to steal her celeb queen crown. ‘There are so many - and I hate the word celebrities - clothing lines and fragrances, and most of them have nothing to do with it.

[From Metro UK]

Victoria sure does seem the type to just throw caution to the wind. Boy they’re really trying to push the whole, “Posh Spice has lots of personality/is loads of fun/is totally a ham!” angle lately. Bad PR flashback anyone? I’m sorry, I’m not buying it. I’ve seen Posh smile twice in photos in the last ten years, and both times it’s because David Beckham made his peck muscles dance. The only way I can guarantee that she’s like a gay man is that she wants to sleep naked next to David. Although that also makes her like a straight woman. Frankly, it probably makes her like 99% of the reasonable population. I don’t want to meet the person who wouldn’t sleep naked next to David Beckham if given the chance.

Picture note by Jaybird: Here’s Victoria with Dita Von Teese at Paris Fashion Week on October 5th. Clearly she’s camp and doesn’t give a f%$# what anybody thinks. Photos thanks to PR Photos.

PETA scored one of the most desired ladies on the planet for their latest campaign in the fight against fur. Eva Mendes appears nude in the “Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” ad that PETA has made famous. She will also be making a nude appearance in NY today.

“The 33-year-old starlet will be at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza in just a couple hours to unveil her new “Fur? I’d Rather Go Naked” ad for the animal rights group. Yup, Mendes appears in her birthday suit. While her chest is strategically covered by her arms and hands, her bare buttocks are in full view.”

[E Online]

Mendes isn’t the first to strip for the animal activists. Pamela Anderson and Christina Applegate have also bared their bods for the campaign. Each made appearances in the buff in hopes of spreading the word that fur is a faux pas. Eva graciously gave an interview to the people behind PETA. She revealed that she has worn fur before due to her ignorance.

“What drew you to the idea of working with PETA on our “Rather Go Naked Than Wear Fur” Campaign?”

“I wasn’t familiar with PETA early in my career. I remember having my first premiere in New York City and being so naive that I didn’t have a coat with me. My stylist sent me a fur wrap for the evening and I ignorantly wore it. PETA then wrote me a beautiful letter commenting on my less-than-educated choice. I was so impressed that I vowed to them and myself to never wear real fur on the red carpet or in my life again.”

Over a thousand posters will be circulating through the Big Apple next week and giant billboard will be up in a matter of moments. Don Flood was the lucky photographer that managed to show just enough of Eva’s skin to tease onlookers. To avoid any mob scenes in the city PETA is keeping the location of Eva’s appearance a secret.

How very stealth. You know I think PETA would have more success in using someone who isn’t drop dead gorgeous to threaten nudity. Over half the people that see the ad aren’t going to realize anything is even written on the board with Eva’s rump exposed. Just a suggestion.

Picture note by Celebitchy: Header image thanks to The Peta Files blog.

Nicolas Cage’s son is sorta scary [Dlisted]
Don Imus’ New Sidekick Speaks [Bossip]
“Battlestar Galactica: Razor” review [Pajiba]
Amy Winehouse upskirt [Celebslam]
Keira Knightley Topless [Yeeeah!]
Eva Mendes In New York [I'm Not Obsessed]
Alicia Keys @ 54th ONDA Awards [The Bastardly]
Elisha Cuthbert at the GQ 2007 Men Of The Year celebration [In Case You Didn't Know]
Pink is a Man in a Dress (Site NSFW) [Drunken Stepfather]
Donald Trump Gives Waiter $10,000 Tip! [Hollywood Rag]
NBC’s ER turns 300 tonight [Seriously? OMG! WTF?]
George Clooney Gets Interrupted [Agent Bedhead]
Pete Wentz is banned for the Simpson family Christmas [The Blemish]
Ashley Olsen Sounds Off [Cityrag]
Scott Stapp Kisses Ass — Domestic Violence Charges Dismissed [Crazy Days and Nights]
Kanye, Amy Winehouse Score Big With Grammy Noms [Popsugar]
Petra Nemcova is Spectacular [The Grumpiest]
Ricki Lake Regains Relevance with Boobs and John Mayer [CelebNewsWire]
Lance Armstrong had dinner with Sheryl Crow [Evil Beet]
Paul McCartney introduces Rosanna Arquette to daughter [Gabsmash]
Britney Spears’ Homeboy is Wicked Weird [CelebWarship]
Jessica Simpson and Tony Romo Dry Hump in Public [I Don't Like You In That Way]
Martha Stewart Wraps Presents For Women In Need [Glitterati Gossip]
Brad, Angelina & Maddox At A Concert In New Orleans [Celebrity Baby Scoop]
Britney Spears No Longer Allowed to Party All The Time at Winston’s [A Socialite's Live]
Eva Mendes is a PETA Pin-Up [Just Jared]
Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show Videos [Egotastic!]

Guy Ritchie doesn’t often say much about his marriage to Madonna, but while he’s out on the publicity trail for his new movie ‘Revolver’ he’s getting asked all sorts of nosy questions. Which are my favourite kind of questions.

Q: So, how’s married life these days?

A: “I enjoy it enormously. Wish I’d done it sooner.”

Q: Many people said it would never last, so what’s the secret to a happy showbiz marriage?

A: “Pretty much ignore all the stuff they say and write about you.”

Q: But Madonna just signed this huge deal reportedly worth $120 million over 10 years with concert company Live Nation. Do you ever feel your career gets overshadowed by hers?

A: “Don’t know what you mean! She’s got her career and I’ve got mine. What can you do? She’s Madonna.”

Q: The critics were pretty unkind when you remade “Swept Away” with her.

A: “Were they? I thought our remake was fine It’s a funny thing, as once we made the movie, I went, ‘Oh yeah, that’s the movie we wanted to make.’ It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. It was just supposed to be a pleasant remake. And she was good in it. That’s what I couldn’t understand, because she was conspicuously good in it. But what can you do?”

Guy adds that Madonna is the boss, like in any marriage the woman is the boss. Given that Madonna comes across as, and happily admits to being, a complete control freak I can imagine that she is the boss. If you watch this YouTube clip of her, you’ll see that she is pretty damn good at getting her own way, and can be incredibly disagreeable when she doesn’t. Sort of like a petulant child, actually.

Guy also talks about his new movie ‘Revolver’.

Q: How would you describe “Revolver”?

A: “Don’t go and see it unless you’re interested in head-tricky stuff. I wanted to take what is essentially an introspective movie and put it in a world that was not introspective — in an underworld, in the world of cons and con (artist) tricks. The premise was that the aspects of your mind that get conned are also the aspects that will deny truth … If you go in thinking you’re getting another “Snatch” or something light and funny, you’re going to trip up.”

Reuters

This answer is completely confusing - the movie is about what? Does Guy Ritchie even know what the movie is about? I looked it up on IMD
B and it’s essentially a movie about gambling rivalries, and sounds a lot more interesting than what Guy makes it out to be. The movie is getting panned by critics saying that he is trying to be intellectual and isn’t smart enough to manage it.

The Spice Girls are touring, making them suddenly cool again (or maybe ‘cool’ for the first time). Victoria Beckham is featured on the cover of Elle magazine this month, and revealed what we’ve long suspected - she has no natural talents.

ON HER TALENT:
“It became very obvious from the start,” Beckham continues, “that I was never going to be the best singer or the best dancer or the best actress. I was never a ‘natural.’ ” She thinks about this. “You know, I’ve never been that good at anything, to be completely honest.”

[From Elle]

Actually, Posh seems to have a talent for attracting attention to herself and wearing naff outfits.

As if to prove that she has no talent, at the Los Angeles Spice Girls show she skipped her solo singing spot, instead opting for a prance down the runway.

Baby, Scary, Ginger and Sporty each belted out solo numbers. Mel C’s “I Turn to You”, Scary’s rendition of “Are You Gonna Go My Way” and Ginger’s of “It’s Raining Men” brought the house down! Meanwhile, Posh rested her pipes and opted instead for a maaayjah prance down the runway as a mix of Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” and RuPaul’s “Supermodel” played in the background.

[From TMZ]

When the Spice Girls were in their heyday it was always said that Posh and Sporty were the two strongest singers, so I wonder if Victoria’s reluctance to sing is actually from a lack of self confidence. Although, she did work that catwalk!

While I’ve never heard any of Victoria’s solo music, maybe a great cover would work for her. How much would you love to see her parody herself while singing ‘You’re So Vain’?

Note by Celebitchy: Victoria Beckham is shown in the video below singing live and acoustic. She’s not bad. Victoria is shown in the header image on 12/7/07 at “The Mint” in LA with Mel B, thanks to Splash News.

Juliette Lewis’ career hasn’t really taken off since she dated Brad Pitt in the early 90s. She’s appeared in minor roles in several comedies and has worked steadily, but doesn’t have any television or film roles out this year. That may be because she’s busy with her music career. She’s had success as the lead singer for the punk band “Juliette and The Licks,” and is known for her half-dressed wild stage antics.

Juliette was out a bar recently when she dropped hints that Brad Pitt’s manhood is nothing to write home about. She said he wasn’t a big, emphasis on big, deal in the sack:

After playing a rockin’ set with her band at club Chop Suey in Seattle… Juliette Lewis - who was hot ‘n heavy with hunky Brad Pitt back in the Stoned Age - was mingling at the bar when a wiseguy fan blurted: “Hey, Juliette, how was Brad Pitt in the sack anyway?” Stunned for a second, she flashed a mischievous grin and purred: “He was no… BIG deal, if ya know what I mean!” As Juliette turned to head back on stage, the guy yelled: “Are you saying Brad was the PITTS?” Juliette started laughing so hysterically she banged into a table and sent everyone’s drinks flying - but quickly ordered a round on her and hopped back onstage, still giggling.

[From The National Enquirer, Mike Walker's column, print edition, December 17, 2007]

I bet Brad is probably average. He’s 5′11″ tall and although I couldn’t find his shoe size, George Clooney joked that his feet were small when they were immortalized in cement in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater in Hollywood.

So who’s got the bigger feet, Pitt or Clooney?

“He’s got very small feet,” said Clooney, in mock seriousness. “I don’t want that out, ’cause you know how those rumors can start.”

[From Showbuzz.cbsnews.com]

I might be on the wrong track in trying to judge Pitt’s manhood by his height and foot size. Menshealth on About.com says you can’t judge penis size by the size of a man’s hands or feet, but they don’t elaborate. Here’s a scientific study from 2002 (link is to PDF File) that found no relation between foot size and penile length among 104 men studied. So is Brad Pitt poorly endowed? We only have Juliette Lewis’ word for it.

Juliette is shown performing with The Licks on 11/17/07, thanks to PRPhotos.