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Pamela Anderson is one of the
sexiest women in century. Pamela has been on the cover page of the
Playboy magazine for Six times, which itself is a record in the
history of the magazine.
Pamelaone.com
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Despite her Canadian roots, Pamela Anderson is the
prototypical California girl--with the hair, the voice, and
especially the body, to prove it. But we already know about
the body. She's graced the cover of Playboy more than any
other woman in history (10 times), and now the life of
Pamela Anderson, sex symbol, is changing. Her revelations
about her battle with hepatitis C, as well as a difficult
custody battle over her two children with ex-husband Tommy
Lee--one that's helped to make her an advocate for women's
rights--has transformed the world's favorite lifeguard from
pinup girl to crusader. Or maybe it's just that she's always
been a little bit--make that a whole lot--of both.
SARA SWITZER: Hi, Pamela, how are you?
PAMELA ANDERSON: I'm good. Life as a single mom--I'm
rushing from summer camp, coming home, making beds; I'm
running all over the place. So if I sound out of breath
that's why. I mean, it's always something. Baseball,
surfing, karate ... and that's just today.
SARA SWITZER: [laughs] What's your favorite thing
about being a mom?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Everything. I'm an ubermother.
[laughs] I'm involved in everything. I love to cook, and I'm
teaching my kids how to cook. It's really fun. I'm actually
writing a vegetarian cookbook for kids. What I love most
about being a mom is that I am able to sit here with these
two miracles and watch them grow up. I guide them, but
really I'm just along for the ride.
SARA SWITZER: How's L.A.?
PAMELA ANDERSON: It's beautiful. It's really gorgeous
today--already clear, not foggy at all.
SARA SWITZER:When you were a little girl in Canada
did you dream of moving to California?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Oh yeah. I think everybody does.
Especially in Canada, where I was from, it seemed like
everyone wanted to come to California.
SARA SWITZER: Why?
PAMELA ANDERSON: It's the weather, I think. When you
live in a place like Vancouver Island, where it rains a lot,
the grass is always greener. Now that I'm here, I like
Canada more than I used to.
SARA SWITZER: You do?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Vancouver Island is gorgeous,
absolutely beautiful, and I miss the seasons. Here, I don't
know what I do in a year--it's just one big blur--whereas
back home I'd know what I did last fall, last spring, last
winter. In California, you're on the beach at Christmas. In
a bikini. [laughs]
SARA SWITZER: What's your ideal day in Los Angeles?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, first of all, I don't live in
L.A. I'm in Malibu. [laughs] I don't go over the hill that
often, and when I do it's like you put your armor on, go out
there, do what you've got to do, and get back to the beach.
After I talk to you I'm going to walk my dogs for a couple
miles on the beach. I've got a golden retriever who's 12 but
like a puppy, and then I have this little rescue dog that
talks to me the entire time we walk. He's funny. We don't
know what he is.
SARA SWITZER: You've been through a lot in the past
year. You're in the middle of a custody battle at the
moment, right?
PAMELA ANDERSON: I'm at the end of it. I feel so bad
for people who are [involved in these cases], and don't have
the funds that I do--I've spent $500,000 dollars so far. In
the research I've done for my own case--about domestic
violence and how it's so typical, and the tactics used
against women--I've learned about how unfairly women are
treated in the court system. It's a real problem.
SARA SWITZER: What did it feel like for you to go
public with the fact that you have hepatitis C?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, someone else made it public
for me. We don't know who, but it got to the press. They
made it into a real negative, saying that I got it from
breast implants, something sensational that the tabloids
would pick up on. It's so stupid. I didn't want to seem
irresponsible, and plus, I can't lie, so when someone asked
me, I said, "I have it, but I'm being treated." I'm taking
care of my life. I look after myself and, no matter what
people think, I'm a very healthy person. I am not this
raving drunk, drug addict, crazy person--that's just an
image created by the media. And it's crap. I happen to be a
cheap drunk. If I have a glass of wine, I'm on my ear.
SARA SWITZER: How are you feeling now?
PAMELA ANDERSON: I feel good. I'm really healthy.
They rate a liver from zero to four. Zero is a healthy
liver, and I'm a one. They said it was a miracle that my
liver is as healthy as it is. So they said, "Keep doing what
you're doing."
SARA SWITZER: I understand that you were going to
start more aggressive treatment in December but you've
decided to wait?
PAMELA ANDERSON: I have a type of hepatitis C that is
easily treatable, and my doctor told me that he wants to
wait. If I did have to be treated right away, I would jump
into it. I was ready for December. I was like, "You know
what? I don't care if I lose my hair. I don't care if I am
sick. I want to get this out of my body and get on with the
rest of my life!"
SARA SWITZER: It's wonderful that you've chosen to
take your experience public. As a popular figure, you have a
tremendous amount of power, and it's helpful to put the
information out there.
PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, it's nice because there are so
many more people getting tested for hepatitis now. UCLA
(Medical Center] called and said there are something like
four times the amount of people coming in to be tested since
I went public.
SARA SWITZER: That's amazing.
PAMELA ANDERSON: The most important thing is to stop
the spread of the disease. To do that you don't put anybody
at risk. You don't share razors, you don't share
toothbrushes, you don't share needles, obviously. You don't
share a needle with the pope, you know? People should not,
in this day and age, be doing anything like that.
SARA SWITZER: I read that you're planning a
charitable motorcycle ride to raise money for hepatitis
research. Is that still happening?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Hell, yeah. It's scheduled for
October 27. I've got everybody coming, so it's going to be
great. It's kind of like a love ride, but it's for
hepatitis. [laughs]
SARA SWITZER: You're quite an activist.
PAMELA ANDERSON: I always have been. I've always been
causing trouble, stirring the pot. They called me STPP-Stir
The Pot Pam--when I was little. My dad hunted and I threw a
huge stink, threw myself in front of the truck. I've never
considered myself an actress--I've always thought, Great,
I'm on the beach. I get to bring my dog to work. I'm happy.
I'm having babies. I'm married to a rock star. Oops, that's
a big mistake! Oops, I'm marrying another rock star! [both
laugh]
SARA SWITZER: So, how's it going with Bob [Ritchie],
Kid Rock?
PAMELA ANDERSON: It's um... it's going. [laughs]
SARA SWITZER: Are you guys engaged?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Yeah, we're engaged. Recently I said
on Lary King [Live], "We're in the trenches," and everyone
thought, 'Oh no, they broke up!" So then I said, "No, every
relationship is in the trenches--I wouldn't want it to be
anywhere else." If you understand my personality, you
understand that. It means we're working on our relationship,
and we care about it enough to work on it. We both have
kids, we both have issues, we both have careers, we live in
two different places.
SARA SWITZER: Does he still live in Detroit?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Yeah. And he wants me to move there.
I went for the summer and lasted five days. I told him:
"Every inch I'm away from the beach is taking years off my
life." And he's like, "You're so dramatic!" [both laugh] But
I feel it's true. I have to have one foot in the ocean. But
he's a great person, and he's got good intentions.
SARA SWITZER: What made you fall in love with him?
PAMELA ANDERSON: I love his energy, his charisma, his
personality, his talent. And he's gorgeous and sexy. I could
go on and on. He's funny and he's a sweetheart. He cares and
he's a good dad. What more could you ask for? He gets up
early, and he'll sing me a song that he wrote me, and it's
like.. . wow. I don't know what to do with that. I've just
got to give in. [laughs]
SARA SWITZER: Did you enjoy the photo shoot for
Interview?
PAMELA ANDERSON: Karl Lagerfeld was here, in my
garage. That was very surreal. I was told, "Karl Lagerfeld
is going to come with a couple of people. They're going to
be at your house and they're going to do a whole makeup and
hair thing, everything like that." So I said, "Fine." I
dropped my kids off at camp, I came back, and there are
motor homes and trucks everywhere. My street's very, very
quiet, and no one brings anybody in here- it's very private.
But there are these motor homes and 20 people in black
suits, standing in the middle of my street. So I pull up in
my Escalade--and you should see me: I'm in sweats, I've got
my hair pulled back--and he started to take pictures. No
makeup, no nothing.
SARA SWITZER: That's great. Au naturel.
PAMELA ANDERSON: Well, who knows. I see myself like
that every day. I just don't want to gross people out.
SARA SWITZER: I've heard that Stan Lee has created a
comic book character based on you. Can you tell me about
that?
PAMELA ANDERSON: I came up with the name:
Stripperella. I feel that every good Canadian girl has
stripped at one time in her life--I'm just doing it
backwards. I've had my career first, and now I want to be a
stripper. "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I want
to be a stripper! I'm going to be animated, and I'm going to
have a smaller waist and bigger boobs.
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