PAMELA ANDERSON LAUNCHES VEGAN & ANIMAL CRUELTY FREE MAKEUP LINE WITH CELEBRITY MAKEUP ARTIST ALEXIS VOGEL

Beauty icon and philanthropist Pamela Anderson teams up with celebrity make-up artist Alexis Vogel to create the limited edition make-up kit, Pamela’s Bombshell Collection available now on www.alexisvogel.com.  Ten percent of proceeds will be donated to The Pamela Anderson Foundation.

Anderson and Vogel’s relationship spans over 20 years collaborating on many of the stars most famous magazine covers, fashion shoots, television and film appearances.  Vogel has helped Anderson create her most iconic bombshell looks over the years which fans have continually asked how to replicate. 

The Collection is 100% vegan and animal cruelty free and will be offered in two shades: Pamela Pink & Pamela Nude. The kit will be available for $199 ($260 retail value) and will include: Stay Pout Liquid Lip Stain, Lip Defining Pencil, Pro Lipstick, Luminous Gloss, Fill’Er Up Eve Primer, Retro Cake Liner, Pudgy Pencil, 2-Timer Pencil, Velvet Shadows, Velvet Shadows, Glow Dust, Shadow Shaper w/ Case, Instruction cards and Large Pro Clear Drawstring Bag.

“I love being a woman, and all that entails. Alexis has always been a mentor to me. We met while shooting one of my early Playboy covers – the Dan Aykroyd Conehead cover. We both love make-up and the femaleness of life. Goddess energy. Girl power. So these are our little secrets and the tricks we learned over the years, now anyone can achieve the perfect bombshell look at home,” Anderson says.

Pamela’s Bombshell Collection is available for purchase:

Pamela Bombshell Collections

http://www.alexisvogel.com/pamela-bombshell-collections.html

I DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR OPPOSING THE SLAUGHTER OF SEALS. By Captain Paul Watson

I DO NOT APOLOGIZE FOR OPPOSING THE SLAUGHTER OF SEALS.

By Captain Paul Watson

In 1975 along with David Garrick I initiated and led the first two Greenpeace campaigns to oppose the horrific massacre of baby seals on the East Coast of Canada. 

In 1975 David Garrick and I communicated with Native American and Inuit leaders about our intentions in opposing the commercial seal slaughter. Native American leaders had no problem with this campaign then because there was not a single Inuit or any Native American person involved with the commercial slaughter of seals. 

In March 1976, we intervened against the Norwegian and Canadian seal slaughter off the coast of Newfoundland. We stopped large factory ships and opposed White men on the ice who were armed with spiked clubs. We intervened again in March 1977 this time alongside French actress Brigitte Bardot. There was no concern expressed at that time from any First Nations people. In fact many First Nations people supported us.

A few years earlier in March 1973, David Garrick and I were part of the occupation of Wounded Knee by the American Indian Movement. We were both very sensitive to Native American cultural values and one thing that was definitely not a part of any First Nations culture or traditions was the mass commercial slaughter of hundreds of thousands of seals by White people off the Eastern coast of Canada.

In addition I myself was raised in an Eastern Canadian fishing village and I was personally offended and concerned about this obscenity they call the seal hunt as far back as 1960 when as a child, I saw a baby seal killed with my own eyes. I swore then that I would forever oppose this cruel and cowardly atrocity – the clubbing to death of helpless harp and hood seal pups. I have never changed my mind about my opposition to this slaughter and I have opposed it with an angry passion for over a half a century. 

I left Greenpeace of which I was a co-founder in 1977 and established the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society and I returned to oppose the killing of seals in 1979, 1981, 1983, 1995, 1998, 2005, and 2008. I was the first Captain to ever bring a ship into the ice to directly intervene against the commercial ships and I am proud of the fact that we contributed to the collapse of the commercial markets in 1983 and again in 2008.

After the 1983 campaign, the market for Whitecoat pups was shut down by the European Union but the hunt revived again in 1995 and the market collapsed once again in 2008 after the European Union banned all seal products. 

In 1985 in an attempt to revive the slaughter the Canadian government introduced a new strategy. That strategy was to promote seal fur with a deliberate tactic of intentionally associating the commercial East coast seal slaughter with indigenous Northern Native cultures despite the fact that not a single Inuit person was employed with, or was a part of the Canadian commercial seal hunt. However in exchange for subsidies and due to political manipulations, the Inuit agreed to this association. It has not been to their benefit.

But the ploy worked for Canada and the fur industry. 

It was a trap that Greenpeace blindly walked into for the very simple reason that there was no one in Greenpeace with the knowledge of the early Greenpeace seal campaigns. They had forced us all out, and the people that had taken over did not see seals or even whales as a priority.

In 1985, Greenpeace made the embarrassing announcement of apologizing for ending the hunt. They said they did not realize the damage it would cause to the Inuit by having baby seal products banned in Europe. This was absurd because the Inuit had not killed a single white coat pup ever. The pups are born on the ice off the East coast of Canada and the only traditional indigenous people of Newfoundland, the Beothuks are extinct, killed off by the same government that promotes the killing of seals.

The government’s strategy of association benefits the fur companies – not the Inuit.

The European Union excluded the Inuit from the ban but Canada and the Inuit insisted that the indigenous hunt remain connected to the commercial hunt. This connection did not exist before 1985 and it began purely for political reasons.

With the Inuit leadership willing to demonstrate solidarity with the White commercial hunters, the Inuit voluntarily included themselves in the ban on all seal products.

Greenpeace however in the last few years has had a reason to support sealing. They seized on the sealing issue as a means to recruit support amongst the Inuit in their opposition to Arctic drilling. All fine and good but not necessary since many Inuit already oppose Arctic drilling although many others have struck deals with the oil companies. 

Greenpeace is now saying that the alliance with the Inuit is the reason that Shell Oil recently retreated from the Arctic. This is a great fantasy for fund-raising efforts but the truth is that Shell Oil retreated because of declining oil prices that made further efforts not profitable. If anyone should get the credit for forcing Shell Oil out of the Arctic is would be OPEC.

What Greenpeace Arctic director Jon Burgwald did is unforgivable in my mind. He openly endorsed a commercial sealing operation by promoting and accepting a gift of a seal skin vest from a Danish company that supplies seal products to a commercial market in Europe and Asia.

This company Great Greenland Fur Tannery just this month laid off five Greenland Native women seamstresses and outsourced their jobs to Greece and Poland. What this company does cannot in any way be defined as indigenous sealing.

In addition supplying wealthy people with expensive seal fur products in Dubai, Tokyo, and Copenhagen cannot be defined as traditional, cultural or indigenous. Parading white models on fashion runways sporting trendy dyed seal fur is not a part of Inuit culture.

The only connection is the small fraction of the profits paid to hunters for the skins. The bulk of the profits go directly into the pockets of Europeans like Lars Berg of Denmark, the CEO of the Great Greenland Fur Tannery

If an Inuit person kills a seal and makes a coat or jacket from the seal pelt and sells it directly to any person in Greenland and receives 100% of the price of that coat, such a product could be called indigenous. However if an Inuit hunter kills a seal and sells the pelt to a company and receives less than 5% of the final retail price for that product that is called exploitation.

Jon Burgwald and the Greenpeace leadership today have no right to apologize for our campaigns with Greenpeace in the Seventies. They have their jobs because of what we established back in the Seventies and the seal campaign was a major factor in building Greenpeace into the brand it is today.

Neither David Garrick or myself ever received a salary or a wage for our efforts with Greenpeace between 1972 and 1977. Not one penny. We were volunteers and we were motivated by a sincere desire to shut down the massacre of seal pups.

None of these Greenpeace apologists today were there. They did not see the clubs smashing the skulls of seal pups, they did not see the hot blood steaming on the ice, they did not see them being skinned alive nor hear their screams. The did not see the anguish of shocked mother seals desperately trying to nurse the skinned bodies of their babies. They did not experience the beatings we received or the days in jail, the fines we paid, the extreme weather conditions we endured, the threats against our lives, so it is really quite easy for them to apologize.

But if Greenpeace today really believes that our campaigns in the Seventies and early Eighties were a mistake and that Inuit communities really did suffer hardships because of what we did, they should do more than apologize with mere hollow words. They should turn over the tens of millions or dollars and euros they raised to oppose sealing to these same communities they profess to have sympathy with. After all Greenpeace brings in hundreds of millions in contributions and has tens of millions in the bank. They could easily deliver reparations to Inuit communities – if they wanted to, if they were sincere.

But they are not. Instead they want to use the Inuit in the same way the Fur companies exploit First Nation cultures, because they want something.

The Inuit should respond by saying, well if you want us to have an alliance with Greenpeace and if you are truly sorry for the “mistake” you made, how about ponying up some mega-bucks to back your words.

I however will not apologize. I went to the ice and fought for the seals because I wanted to end the suffering and the exploitation, and I oppose the fur industry with every fibre of my being. I have studied the history of the fur trade and the damage this bloody business did to both Native American cultures and to the numerous species of animals that were ruthlessly exterminated and diminished. 

When I saw Jon Burgwald wearing a Sealskin vest and sporting a seal fur coat, I confess to feeling like I wanted to vomit. He betrayed all that we once stood for and he spat in the face of the founders of the organization that now pays his salary. 

If his is the new face of Greenpeace it is a face of insensitivity, insincerity and opportunism.

Greenpeace needs to remove him as an employee.

Captain Paul Watson

Founder of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society Established (1977)

www.seashepherd.org

Photo: Paul Watson rescuing a seal from Norwegian sealers in March 1976 off the coast of Labrador

Captain Paul Watson and I in Paris

Speaking about Climate Change

The Oceans are dying.
90% of fish are gone.

We need to leave the ocean alone for 50 years. Allow to regenerate itself. So that generations ahead of us will survive.

This is what we must do for the human race.

Please read;
OCEAN, solutions to climate change, by Captain Paul Watson

GREENPEACE HAS GONE OVER TO THE DARK SIDE WITH THEIR ENDORSEMENT FOR THE SEALING INDUSTRY.

GREENPEACE HAS GONE OVER TO THE DARK SIDE WITH THEIR ENDORSEMENT FOR THE SEALING INDUSTRY.

Commentary by Captain Paul Watson

Greenpeace has now crossed the line with their endorsement of seal fur as "sustainable."

I initiated and led the first Greenpeace campaigns against sealing from 1975 until 1977. I really never thought I would see the day when Greenpeace would sell out to the sealing industry.

Jon Burgwald speaking for Greenpeace has announced that Greenpeace supports "sustainable" sealing.

There is no such thing. Seals are threatened by rapidly diminishing fish populations and pollution. Our Ocean is dying and Greenpeace seems to be in abject denial of this reality. We need seals to help maintain a healthy marine eco-system.

Greenpeace is now playing into the hands of the fur industry and the Canadian interest in marketing seal fur to China. The organization is now giving comfort to the seal butchers in supporting one of the most brutal and bloody mass massacres of wildlife on the planet.

As a co-founder of Greenpeace I feel sick and betrayed by this new policy flip-flop by Greenpeace.

How can any compassionate and caring person continue to support Greenpeace after this? What the hell are they thinking?

Greenpeace does not oppose the slaughter of pilot whales in the Faroes or the brutal massacre of dolphins in Taiji, Japan and now this. How long before Greenpeace endorses the illegal whaling operations by Japan which they still raise funds for campaigns that they never actually do? The last time a Greenpeace ship sailed to the Southern Ocean to defend whales was 2007 yet the money begging mail-outs continue to be churned out asking for donations to save the whales.

I have tried to hold my tongue over the last few years with regard to Greenpeace but this, this is a deceitful betrayal of what we created in the Seventies. They have simply spat in the face of their founders like myself, David Garrick and the late Robert Hunter with this shocking revelation that the Greenpeace Foundation is a pro-sealing organization.

We risked our lives to save seals from the clubs of the sealers. I was personally beaten by sealers and jailed for intervening against the seal slaughter. I was dragged through icy waters and across a blood soaked deck through a gauntlet of sealers on a sealing ship in 1977. They kicked and hit me with their clubs, spit on me and pushed my face into the blood and the gore and Greenpeace exploited those images to raise funds at the time and now they dismiss that sacrifice and the hard work and dangerous risks taken by Greenpeacers back then without even the courtesy of an apology to us who carried their banner.

And now Greenpeace refers to seal fur as eco-friendly. Absolute and total bullshit. What next, an endorsement for Monsanto?

These people calling themselves Greenpeace today never took any risks for the seals, were never arrested, they have never even been to the ice floes to see the brutality with their own eyes.

This makes me both sad and extremely angry, betrayed and frustrated beyond measure.

Shame on you Greenpeace, this is unforgivable and a blatant revelation of just how far Greenpeace has drifted from its roots.

http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc-news/watch/wait-it-is-ok-to-wear-seal-skin-549602883956

www.seashepherd.org

Address to the National Assembly of France

Address to the National Assembly of France

By Pamela Anderson

Pourquoi le Foie Gras?

(Why Foie Gras?)

Pourquoi Cette Misére?

(Why Such Misery?)

In many national cultures there seems to be at least one cruel tradition that stands out as identifying that culture, be it the bullfight in Spain, the eating of dogs in Korea, the slaughter of dolphins and whales by Japan or the bloody and obscene massacre of seals in my own native Canada.

In 1977 Brigitte Bardot came to Canada to focus international attention upon the baby seal slaughter. I was 10 years old at the time yet she inspired me to actively oppose the cruel clubbing of seal pups and to recognize that animals must have a right to not be cruelly abused by humans.

And now in honour of Brigitte Bardot, I as a Canadian, have come to France to voice my opposition to an industry that is equally as cruel as the baby seal massacre – the cruel treatment and slaughter of ducks and geese for another non-essential luxury product – fois gras!

Where Brigitte Bardot spoke for Canadians opposed to the slaughter of baby seals, I come before you to speak for French citizens opposed to the cruelty inflicted upon ducks and geese.

In France the primary cultural image of French cuisine is of the forced feeding and slaughter of some 80 million duck and geese every year.

As a Canadian I am ashamed of the brutal clubbing of baby seals and thus I have empathy for the many French citizens who also experience both shame and sadness at the misery suffered by these very sociable birds.

What is foie gras?

Some call it a delicacy and the premier traditional dish of French cuisine although it’s origin goes back to the cruel days of the Roman Empire and to Egypt to the days when the ruthlessness of humanity drove species to extinction and cruelty was the hallmark of barbaric cultures.

Today we need to evolve beyond barbarism and ignorance and to be blunt foie gras is simply a diseased liver and that disease is called hepatic steatosis or fat liver disease. What this means is that these animals are forced to suffer excruciating pain and diarrhea, inflammations and injures throughout their short lives until the day they are slaughtered.

What we see in the stores are sterile tins of a product all packaged neat and pretty, masking the reality of what is really inside.

On the outside we see pictures of beautiful, happy and contented ducks and geese walking about in in an idyllic rural environment that they have never experienced.

Inside the tin is the diseased liver of a once living creature that never spent a single day of happiness or contentment, a bird that should have been born to fly, to swim and to nest with a mate but instead was forced to endure misery from birth to death every single day of its life.

Those who eat this product simply deny the soul of these birds and in so doing they deny the merciless cruelty these birds are forced to endure. They are removed from the reality of the duck or the goose as a social, feeling, self-aware sentient being.

Born into captivity under dim industrial lights, derived of the sun, a place to swim, room to spread their wings and soft bed of grass to lie upon and instead forced to suffer steel and rubber tubes shoved down their throats, tearing internal tissues, causing infections and open sores, ruptured stomachs, living in cramped cages lying in their own feces and vomit, crawling with parasites and maggots and surrounded each day by the corpses of the birds that the daily forced potions of antibiotics failed to keep alive.

And all of this for the purpose of grotesquely enlarging their livers by intentionally inflicting a debilitating and painful infliction upon them sothat this obscenely filthy diseased organ can be marketed to the public as a symbol of French cuisine.

High in fat, riddled with antibiotics and oozing toxins, foie gras is not a natural food and certainly not a healthy food. It is simply a status product to be consumed by people who have chosen to disassociate themselves from the filth of the cages where the birds are born and subjected to months of agony in a human created hell where the moans and shrill cries of pain echo though dark buildings where the light of the sun never penetrates and where the stench of rotting carcasses permeates the air.

Dante himself could not have visualized a more demonic level of hell than that which humans have devised for the industrialized raising and slaughter of some 65billion animals each and every year and this includes the 80 million birds annually tortured and slaughtered in France for the production of diseased liver that poses as a cultural food.

Foie gras has been outlawed in India, Israel, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Scandinavia, Great Britain and Ireland, Italy, Polandand other countries. It is banned in California. The bans are in place because citizens in these countries hold that foie gras is a cruel product that has no place in civilized society.

Article L214 of the French Rural Code designates animals as "sentientbeings" under the laws of France and states that "Any animal, being a sentient being, should be placed by its owner in conditions compatible with the biological requirements of its species."

What is the point of passing laws that allow for the cultural exemption of such laws based on the discrimination of a species due to the exploitation of that species for profit?

If the law recognizes that animals as sentient beings should be provided with the biological requirements of their species, how can the conditions utilized for foie gras production be held consistent with L214?

The French organization L214? has thoroughly documented and exposed the horrors of filth and misery that is the foundation of the foie gras industry. Over 80 Frenchanimal welfare and animal rights organizations including the Brigitte Bardot Foundation and Sea Shepherd have condemned the suffering and thousands of organizations worldwide including PETA, Mercy for Animals and my own foundation are campaigning against the production of a product considered to be both cruel to birds and unhealthy to humans

Historically France has blazed a path on many fronts for human rights, for freedom, for conservation and the environment. Now is the time to champion the rights ofanimals to be free of suffering.

I would like to respectfully request that France embrace the qualities of compassion, empathy and respect for the lives of animals. I would like to respectfully call for the abolition of an industry that profits from horrific misery and abuse to produce a product that is toxic to not just the bodies of those that consume it but is also toxic to the hearts and souls of all of humanity.

We need to strive towards a world that lives in harmonious interdependence with other species and to search for a way to remove the obscene veils of death and cruelty from all human cultures.

So in my name, in the name of Brigitte Bardot and on behalf of all animal advocates, I would like to call on the French deputies to abolish force-feeding and I call on the French people to no longer eat foie gras, a cruel luxury that is the cause of such gross suffering and agony for 80 millions birds every year.

Merci Beaucoup.

Foie Gras

Numéro - Pamela Anderson's exclusive interview

Icon of the cult 90s series Baywatch, Pamela Anderson is now using her celebrity to defend the planet and the animal kingdom. Numéro met up with her.

Through her foundation, which she launched at Cannes last year, Pamela Anderson is using her provocative charms to approach those in power and advance the causes she holds dear. She’s also just unveiled an astonishing collection of veggie shoes realized in partnership with French designer Amélie Pichard. Numéro talked to her about love, passion and activism.

Numéro: When did you decide to create the Pamela Anderson Foundation?

Pamela Anderson: I started preparing my foundation over ten years ago, but it’s become very active in the last two years, as I’ve begun to devote more time to what’s important for the planet, for vulnerable people and for animals. I’m a great connector and producer, and I seem to fall into the right hands always. Even if I’m a little bizarre. [Laughs.] I’m not afraid to take this into zones where no one has gone before. The aim is to support activists, people who have a cause. There’s also a tenure programme, which is artist driven. As for me, I’m travelling the world on my own dime, speaking to people who I know make a difference and who are able to make big, real, impactful choices. I won’t just sit around waiting for others to act.

What exactly are the foundation’s goals, and how do you intend to go about achieving them?

My foundation is evolving, and I’m evolving as an activist. I have intelligent, educated friends. I learn every day. My priority with the foundation is to get resources out to the people who are doing the hard work. The front lines. I recently became chair of the board of directors of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. It’s something I take extremely seriously. I think the Sea Shepherds are one of our saving graces. And I really encourage everyone to get on board.

You’re known for writing letters to politicians – Vladimir Putin, Barack Obama, the Danish Prime Minister and so on. What kind of reaction do you get?

I write every day. I write letters consistently to world leaders, activists, friends, lovers. People I admire. Letters are a lost art. It’s important to continue the fight on all levels. This is an effective way for me. And I can tell you that everyone always responds.

You also recently went to Russia to meet their minister for natural resources.

I’m just back from the Kremlin. Russia is my friend. I’ve had great success there. We’re working together on legislation to protect endangered species. Not only in Russia, but from other parts of the world too. Specifically to ban importation of any endangered species. They are doers, and I respect that.

You wrote on the foundation’s website that it “must be outspoken and brave ... in a provocative way.” What kind of provocation are we talking about here?

I believe that being provocative is the key to my success in every aspect of my life. I’m a pusher, a squeezer, I’m relentless with love, with science, with all that I am and all those I know. Yet I’m not ambitious or calculating. I listen – I take it all in. I resonate with almost everything. It’s a love affair with the planet and all its beings. Women are good at this. I was raised by amazing women. They taught me to use all I am to get the results I desire, but in a compassionate way that’s both humble and excitingly surprising.

I believe that you’ve also founded your own environmentally friendly companies.

I have a few. There’s pammieslife.com, which makes vegan footwear and other products out of recycled electronics and other materials: snow to surf, boots, beanies, blankets. It’s a sensual, cozy lifestyle brand. I have another vegan shoe company I’m involved with, in collaboration with Amélie Pichard. I also have a beauty-water company I’m part of. We are changing the recyclable bottles to a better, more earth-friendly biodegradable package. It’s evolving as I get involved.I have integrity as a brand. I’ve self funded both shoe companies. I can’t wait for others to catch up. Luckily, I think the time is now. We are getting an incredible response – vegan luxury brands!

What exactly does “vegan” imply for a shoe?

Vegan means absolutely no animal products – no animal skins, parts, or anything that might harm animals. It’s the only choice now. There’s no need for animals to be slaughtered for fashion or for food, or to be used for entertainment. It’s time to let those dark ages go. Never go to a sea aquarium, don’t go to zoos, stop eating meat, chicken, fish or any dairy products – you can save the world this way!

How would you describe your collection with Amélie Pichard?

The Amélie collection is very 90s inspired. But also inspired by our mutual lifestyles – beach resorts, boats, parties – a sexy compassionate artistic life. Amélie has used me as her muse in other collections, but this time it was a collaboration. It was very exciting for me. Every “celebrity” seems to have a clothing line, it’s kind of goofy, but I hope this isn’t comparable. I funded this so that people can have more non-animal pieces in their wardrobe. I also believe in supporting artists like Amélie, so this project has many benefits. 

I’m a pusher, a squeezer, I’m relentless with love, with science, with all that I am and all those I know. 

Your two sons are also activists I believe.

Both my boys have been very active their entire lives. They’ve given clean-water filters on surf trips with the charity Waves for Water. They’ve been to the Faroe Islands to raise awareness of the horrible slaughter of innocent pilot-whale families as a blood sport. I also have an adopted third son who is always with us. I’m so proud of him. He’s off on a mission to protect dolphins with one of the Sea Shepherd boats right now, as a volunteer. Both my boys have done internships in fashion and music. They’ve volunteered at wildlife centers with me cleaning cages, and feeding squirrels and hawks. It’s in them. And having infuences like Vivienne and my wild artist friends – David Lachapelle, Christian Rosa, Sam Simon – has given them a colourful taste of life. They’re creative academics, smart artists. I’m excited to see where life takes them.

What were your parents like?

My dad was a “bad boy,” my mom was bouncy blonde full of life, quick- witted and sarcastic. We had a joyful life. They were 18 and 19 when they had me, and are still together, more in love than ever. They’re voracious readers, but simple people.

What influence would you say they had on you?

Along with my grandparents, they taught me to be a good person, to protect the earth and have fun doing it. And that’s just what I am doing!

Where did your love for animals come from?

I’ve protected animals since I was very young. My father was a hunter, and I made him stop. I realized early on that information and words are very powerful. If it comes from your heart, it’s the most powerful, and that’s how you can make the most change.

Do you have animals at home?

I have two dogs right now. But that changes. We foster animals too.

Your private life has been constantly exposed in the tabloids, but I don’t think you could say we know the “true” Pamela Anderson. Are you a romantic, for instance?

I’m always in love, I’m always broken hearted. I don’t feel like a victim. Searching is the fun part – the dance, the mystery.

How would you define love?

For me love means loving without attachment – supporting each other’s dreams, selflessly, without ego. It’s difficult, it’s painful at times and it drives us mad. But that’s the blessing of being human. We don’t own anyone. I’m a wildflower, everyone knows that. I’m hard to tame. But I’m loyal and old-fashioned too. 

Is there a love of your life?

I’m not sure there’s a man who embodies that role for me yet. But my boys are my loves. My family too, and my dogs

What do you seek in a relationship? Are you still attracted by bad guys?

Everyone is good and bad. The bad is usually a shield for insecurity. Once there’s safety, the bad melts away. Then you just have to hope it’s still interesting. Love is not skin deep.

What would you say was the most romantic moment of your life?

My life is filled with romance. I romance myself. I love flowers and I don’t wait for others to shower me with affection. It’s okay to be alone. I write very romantic tales. I fantasize. I wonder who can handle me, then someone appears and says, “I can!” Even if it’s in a dream!

Right now you’re on the cover of the very last nude issue of Playboy [the January/February 2016 issue]. You and Playboy go back a long way. How important would you say Hugh Hefner and his magazine have been in your life? 

Mr. Hefner has been everything to me – I’m part of the Playboy DNA. This is my 15th American cover, and I’ve done hundreds worldwide. My very first cover was 26 years ago. It’s really hard to believe that so much time has passed.

And what about Baywatch, the series that made you a household star? What are your memories 20 years on?

Baywatch was my favourite job ever! Being on the beach every day with my dog, enjoying the sand and the ocean. I would have been there anyway. So to get paid too? I couldn’t believe my luck!

What happened to your famous red Baywatch bathing suit? Did you really sell it at auction to raise money for your foundation? 

I’m selling everything for my foundation! I don’t need a storage unit of things I’ll hardly wear or use. Time is of the essence. There are too many important organizations to support now. I think everyone should do it: eBay has a way for you to sell things and give to charity. And it’s recycling. I’m not a big consumer – I have too much already.

Interview by Thibaut Wychowanok - Photos by Vijat Mohindra

Pamela Anderson: Fearless Female Visionary.

photo: Emma Dunlavey

Pamela Anderson: Fearless Female Visionary.

Never underestimate the power of breasts, they can shutdown Instagram for one thing. And it’s probably fair to say that bouncing around in a bikini on the beach (in Baywatch), or as a Playboy bunny, definitely helped make Pamela Anderson’s breasts (and her), a powerful household name. Playing a provocatively prominent role in popular culture for over 20 years, she appears for a record-breaking 14th time on the cover of the former top-shelf magazine's last nude issue, shot by Ellen von Unwerth - yes, from its once hallowed status and probably a decade too late, it finally succumbed to the pressure of a world where nudity is just a free click away.

But behind the tabloid tales (dating the bad boys of rock), and inflated poster girl imagery, Anderson, 48, has always been a fearless female visionary - businesswoman, mother, author, actress, fashion designer, hardline vegan and passionate environmental and animal rights campaigner. We caught up with the modern-day pin up to talk inspirational icons, being an old soul, and her new vegan shoe collaboration with French designer Amélie Pichard.

Your first Playboy shoot was in 1989 and you’ve appeared on more of the magazine’s covers than any other model including the final nude issue for Jan / Feb 2016 (shot by Ellen von Unwerth) - I guess we can say you don’t have any regrets about posing for the magazine then?

I can already tell you have a twisted idea of what Playboy is all about. A little backwards and insulting but I’ll play along. No regrets. 

That endless stream of boobs and sex ended up making the magazine a tacky, parody of itself - as it now descends from the top shelf, what would you like to see for it in the future? Perhaps a more diverse representation of body types and female perspectives?

I don’t think that Playboy was tacky in its day. It just became hard to compete with the internet and a desensitised society – Playboy wasn’t risqué enough anymore? Just to be a little naughty isn’t enough these days when young kids are seeing explicit sex on their computers. Playboy was innocent, it was a lifestyle of beautiful girls and charming men. There is no such thing as the girl next door anymore, everyone wants to be famous and takes selfies. It’s a different time. We didn’t ask our managers to be in the magazine we asked our moms and most of us girls had never taken a photo professionally before Playboy. It had a very different feel. 

What are your recollections of those early years in Hollywood, living in a mansion in Bel Air with Hef and lots of Bunnies, what went on behind closed doors that you’re allowed to say, apart from the obvious?

I never lived in the Playboy mansion. We had a lot of parties there and movie screenings, played some backgammon, picnics at Easter and we all brought our kids up for an Easter egg hunt. 

And then came Baywatch in 1992 - life guards with huge boobs running in slow-mo, it was more sex on the beach than saving lives! Do you still own the red bathing suit? 

Baywatch had very sweet storylines, and it may have been kind of sexy but that was not what we were thinking about. I don’t remember anything salacious, it was a show on the beach. We wore one piece athletic style swimsuits. Yes I still have a few of them. 

Talking about your boobs is so 1999 now, but let’s talk about them anyway. Yours adorned many bedroom walls and pretty much had their own career - was it hard to move away from being typecast and reinvent your public image?

You seem obsessed with breasts, I have never been typecast. I have never tried to reinvent myself. It just happens as you get older. 

That vacuous plasticity that was associated with you is obviously very different to the real person you’ve unveiled in recent years - do you enjoy seeing the surprised reactions when people actually realise you can form a sentence, and that you watch culturally diverse art house films?

I don't pay attention to tabloids as you seem to do. I've read some hurtful things then just shut it all out. I learned quickly that it was out of my hands. I just wanted to be in love, raise my boys, be healthy and save animals. Most of what I do now is my Activism. I am the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society, I have my own namesake foundation, and I’ve been knighted for my philanthropy. I work a lot with PETA, with Climate revolution, Cool Earth. I am building an extension of my foundation to protect activists. I’ve been working with PETA for over 20 years. From the very beginning - people just didn’t see that back then. 

We have changed and created animal welfare laws all over the world. I’ve spoken at Cambridge and Oxford University about the negative impact of the meat industry on the environment. 

I’ve always watched art house films. I love David Lynch, Jim Jarmusch (was an extra on VIP just to meet me), Quentin Tarantino's favourite TV show was Baywatch. He tried to cast me in a movie but I got too nervous and wouldn’t take the meeting. I love John Waters. All these indie cool kids coming up. Safdie Brothers met with me. Luke Guilford and I shot a short film - about a woman ageing, losing everything and joining a cult. I love Russ Meyers. Always have watched him, Fellini. And David LaChapelle and I have plans to do a film. 

“I actually think it’s much more in style now to be compassionate and conscious. I have a Vegan luxury brand. Compassion is sexy.” 

And what's your view on female empowerment now, away from your Playboy days - are you a feminist?

I don’t think I’m a feminist. I do care about the health and welfare of women and I work with the National Domestic Violence hot line. I’ve raised almost $200,000.00 for them in the last few years, it’s important to have somewhere to turn. 

Which other past/present female icons do you personally admire and why? 

I love Jane Fonda. I love her movies and her political points of view. How brave she was - and how misunderstood she was at times. I relate to that part. And - she is still gorgeous. 

I read that you once said ‘natural beauty takes about two hours in front of a mirror’ - so you’re not toning down the glamour then?

My Mom said this jokingly. I don’t wear a lot of makeup in my daily life. 

Do you think you’re growing older gracefully - do you look forward to the coming seasons of life, or are you afraid of losing youth like a lot of Hollywood stars who go under the knife? 

I love getting older. I have to say I’ve never felt beautiful. I’ve always felt it was my personality and self-deprecating ways. Un-alarmed people. I love my garden. My Jazz and blues. I’m an old soul. 

So from actress, model and pinup to activist, you set up your own foundation which protects human, animal and environmental rights - what drove you to start that?

I saw how good of a connector I was. My foundation gives to people on the front lines - protecting the rainforest, vulnerable people and animals and helps to protect delicate and complicated biospheres. If the oceans die - so does the planet - with everyone on it. It is urgent. It has to be on everyone's mind. 

A lot of the work you do within the foundation is artist driven, such as working with Ai Wei Wei, why are you particularly drawn to artists?

Artists are also drawn to me. I’m surrounded by them. David LaChapelle, Ed Ruscha, Richard Prince and Jeff Koons have all used me in their works. I love it. 

And you’ve also just released a line of leather-free footwear with French designer Amélie Pichard, inspired by veganism, bohemianism, sex symbols and the 90s - how did that collaboration come about? 

A friend of Amelie’s introduced us. I was asked to fund a vegan line of fun shoes. She’s used me as muse in the past and I was grateful finally someone was as interested as I was about creating an alternative to cruel animal fashion.

There’s still a stigma attached to vegan fashion as being associated with hippies and boho-types living in trees - but it’s actually meat-eating fur wearers who are really out of touch with saving the planet right?

I actually think it’s much more in style now to be compassionate and conscious. I have a Vegan luxury brand. Compassion is sexy. 

Your friend and photographer David LaChapelle shot the campaign for the collection - his hyper-sexed, provocative, theatrical and surrealistic aesthetic is so unique - how has your working relationship with him evolved over the years?

I’ve known David for 20 years. We love to shoot together. I trust him completely. I rarely look at photos I just like to do them. It drives him crazy. He said I’m the only one who never wants to see. 

David’s work is also rebellious and eccentric with an erotic energy, which fits with your past quite well, having being part of some of Hollywood’s wilder couples (Tommy Lee, Kid Rock etc) - have you calmed down more these days or is there still a little of the rebel in you? 

This interview is funny. I am rebellious as always. 

Are you an exhibitionist, do you like the attention?

I love attention and may be a bit of an exhibitionist. It’s like playing characters. I used to be quite shy until I realised no one with a brain really cares, or makes assumptions about others. I’m just going to live my life. Enjoying it. Like performance art - not hurting anyone. 

What about true love, have you found it now along with an inner peace? 

I'm always in love but I wouldn’t say I have inner peace. But searching is the fun part. I meditate, I write a lot. 

“I love attention and may be a bit of an exhibitionist. It’s like playing characters.” 

How has being a Mother changed you - do you think having your sons kept you in check and what kind of relationship do you have with them? 

I’m a good Mom. I have raised two beautiful boys. Having kids may have saved my life but I’m not as wild as you might think. I know how to compartmentalise my life. My boys are always #1. I’ve never had nannies. I raised my boys practically alone. I am so proud of us. Our family. 

And what’s a typical day like for you, where do you most like to be?

I live at the beach. I walk my dogs. I write letters to governments. I work. I travel. I go to museums. I’ve always wanted to be a docent. I know a lot about art and see that in my future and I’m sure I'll write a few books. 

Describe your home for me, are there Playboy covers framed on the walls? And what’s on your bedside table? 

No pictures of me in my house (accept a couple with my boys). No framed Playboy covers. I’ve kept nothing. I don’t do that. On my bedside table are a stack of books - Nin, Arenas, Bouvier, Neruda. Some garden roses. A feu de bois candle by Dyptique and my phone. My house is sustainable teak and white linen. My guest house is in the works. But I love construction. When it is done it will be the jewellery of the house. A floating glass tree house. 

Looking back at your life, who are your closest friends, the people who’ve stuck by you and you still see now?

I talk to my best friend from high school regularly. My friends are a close group of misfits, artists, acrobats. We have fun together. A lot of love. I never feel alone. 

You’ve said many times your public persona was like some kind of cartoon image - so who is the real Pamela Anderson, surprise me with something I don’t know about you?

I think that's what happens. Tabloid culture can be insensitive and mean. I never had consistent managers, agents/ publicists. I just closed my eyes to it all. The girl on Baywatch was me. They were my personal stories a lot of the time. CJ was Vegan. Ahead of her time. 

What journey are you on now, what’s your life motto going forward?

I have a lot left to do in life. I don’t think I’ve scratched the surface of what I’m capable of. I’ve taken a much more serious and effective role as an activist and will continue the fight till my dying day. 

By Kate Lawson http://www.inbedwith.com/en/iamafan_article/pamela-anderson-fearless-female-visionary