Michelle Pfeiffer used to be in a cult. And no, by cult we don't mean Hollywood. According to an article in the Telegraph, the fifty-five-year-old actress famous for her roles in Batman Returns and Dangerous Liaisons recently revealed she was a part of a cult when she was just starting out at age twenty.
The story goes that Pfeiffer met a couple who was very strict and controlling about her lifestyle.
"They worked with weights and put people on diets. Their thing was vegetarianism," she said. "They were very controlling. I wasn't living with them, but I was there a lot and they were always telling me I needed to come more. I had to pay for all the time I was there, so it was financially very draining."
The sect known as breatharianism—in which people forswear food and strive to live on sunlight alone—makes Scientology, even the Cult of Madonna, look tame by comparison. (I'm going out on a limb here, but how does this differ from most personal trainers currently working out of L.A... Gwyneth?)
It was only after researching the Moonies with her first husband, actor Peter Horton, that Pfeiffer, still a strict vegan, realized she had once been part of a cult. Things went even darker from there.
Pfeiffer's latest film is called The Family.
What's the weirdest diet/lifestyle you've ever tried out?
OK, so Halloween 2013 has been and gone. But the bitter aftertaste lingers on. And I'm not not talking too many sour gummies, but the shockingly ill conceived costumes that are still making headlines. From the twenty-two-year-old woman dressed as a victim of the Boston Marathon bombings, to the seven-year-old boy cloaked in KKK that would have been better used as a quintessential ghost. And who can forget this gem?
Is it just me or are people sinking to unprecedented lows when 31 October rolls around? Is Halloween now a convenient excuse to wear your hate, insensitivity, or pure ignorance (see: Julianne Hough) on your sleeve?
Whatever the reason, it's not going over well with the masses. Michigan's Alicia Ann Lynch, aka the Boston bombing victim costume, found out the hard way that you do not piss off the internet. After posting photos of herself decked out in the office, she was fired from her job. Her parents were threatened (as further prior foolishness led her to post a pic of her driver's licence, revealing personal details).
Virginia-based mom Jessica Black, who handmade her son's Klu Klux Klan garb, which she labelled "family tradition" (would that tradition be racism or sewing your own costumes?) also faced threats after posting pictures on her Facebook page.
She stands by her choice for obvious reasons:
"It's suppose to be white with white. Black with black. Man with woman and all of that," she said in the Gawker article. "That's what the KKK stands for."
I love Halloween, always have. But costumes like these are setting the bar far too low. I'm all for gore, but human decency must come above all.
I hate to say it but with so many people with pumpkin seeds for brains, it might be time to retire Halloween, after all.
Thoughts?
A little Monday morning cheer for y'all. A bona fide study (hailing from the University of Oxford no less) has concluded that there are proven benefits to having a big bottom. Yes, J-Los of the world rejoice because a generous booty means you may well be healthier and smarter than your less endowed peers.
According to an article in Elite Daily, research indicates that women with bigger bums have lower cholesterol levels, and their hormones are better at metabolizing sugar, which means they are less likely to have diabetes or heart problems.
Further, women with big butts tend to have increased levels of Omega 3 fats, which "catalyze brain development."
The Oxford team analyzed data from 16,000 women, and its findings corroborate that of smaller studies undertaken by universities in California and Pittsburgh.
The bottom line: women with big bums, wide hips and small waists may not be able to squeeze into those skinny jeans, but we will live longer.
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