armen Electra is cool. Not just because she was in Playboy, or because she's on Singled Out, but because during the MTV movie awards she portrayed an Orion Slave Girl, and consequently won the hearts of trekkers all over the world. Now, for those of you who have been wasting your time on the wrong shows, or, heaven forbid, have actually turned off the TeeVee and gone out and lived life, the Orion Slave Girl is the single most erotically powerful persona in the Star Trek universe (beside Kirk, of course), and Carmen painted herself green to play the part.That's cool.

But now, Carmen is hot. Very hot. Although the day is surprisingly fair and clear for LA, the fickle smog-engineered weather can't compensate for a cramped location packed with hot lights and far too many people. The photographer finally gets the shot, and the crew begins lighting for the next setup. She takes a break from the shooting and we chat informally. We talk about our shared knowledge of the dreaded Mid-West, Star Trek , and, of course Oj. In an conspiratorial whisper, she admits that she's worried about her weight. When I tell her she has nothing to fret about, she gives me a sidelong glance, unsure of whether to trust me or not. B-Real, of Cypress Hill fame, has taken time out from recording his latest project, Cypress Hill Four, to accompany Electra. He wanders over to sit patiently by her side, lending her a gentle, unspoken support as we talk.

The lights are up, and as I reluctantly give Electra back to the photographer, I realize that this unassuming, almost-shy girl is diametrically opposite to the person the media has been hyping.

Everyone seems to want a piece of Carmen. Agents, producers, publicists, and studios are all clamoring over the right to woo this surprisingly unguarded young star. Magazines are fighting each other to put her on their covers, while fourteen-year-old boys all across the nation are failing in heart-rending, mind-bending love with her. In short, she has become the Next Big Thing.

Over the course of a few short months, Carmen has risen from relative obscurity into the media's "Siege Perilous." All eyes, all lenses, all the artifices that the Hollywood machine can extrude have been intently focused on her, their always-tenuous attentions poised to move on. But for some reason they stay on Electra. It could be that there truly is something more here than just another pretty face.

Now a household name, Carmen Electra is still something of a mystery to most. Her past accomplishments range from music to modeling (where her May 1996 photo-spread in Playboy garnered a great deal of critical attention) to comics, and now MTVs Singled Out, which is bringing the Electra Bootie Shake to millions of eager viewers every night.

Not surprisingly, all of the intense attention has become nearly overwhelming for this Sharonville, Ohio native. As B, Carmen and I share a few slices of a four-hour-old Domino's cheese pizza, she expresses frustration over the constant demands that have insinuated themselves into her personal and professional life. "People automatically think that you're Super-Woman, you know what I mean? They all think that you have the world in the palm of your hand. It's not true. It's not true." She pauses and admits, "I love it, but if I had time to gradually get used to it, I think it would be a lot easier to handle. For instance, when I went to NY to do David Letterman, I decided that I was going to get on the plane, (and that) I wasn't going to wear any make-up. I threw on a baggy sweat-suit and baseball cap. No stress. No worries. As I stepped into the airport there were at least 20 photographers waiting for me.And so that caught me off guard, because I'm not used to that."

Who could be. Over the course of our interview, this pressure could be seen as well as felt, with the constant messages, reminders, and courier deliveries, all which gave insight into the life of a star.This sudden overnight success, while welcome, has forced Electra to change not only her attitude, but her lifestyle as well. She's gone from notoriety to instant recognizabilty. "That's what's been so hard about it, because it's not something that's been gradual. I think that if it was, then I would have been able to take everything one step at a time."

As for the constant critical attention that stardom generates, as well as the inherent self-doubt, Carmen is reflective. "People want to know who the girl is. And what is she all about? Is she as good? Is she as pretty? Can she handle it? Is she funny?" Indeed, these questions seem to be on the minds of Hollywood career- makers as well as dedicated MTV viewers. Can she cut it?

Well, according to Carmen, she can, and she's not afraid of the new challenges that seem to appear daily. "It seems that my career just sort of branches out in new directions everyday, and I never know what new experience I'm gonna end up experiencing. But I like it like that. I like to be spontaneous."

A Cinderella story if there ever was one, Carmen came to LA at the ripe old age of 18 and found her Prince. The Prince, as a matter of fact. "My mother begged me not to come. You know, 'People get murdered, there's rapists and LA is crazy, and I don't want you to get hurt, you're my baby.' But I knew that this was what I wanted '".

Within a few months of arriving in the wretched hive of scum and villainy that her mother warned her about, she had signed on to do a record with Prince."I couldn't believe it. I mean, sometimes it still doesn't seem like reality, although I know it is. It's almost like a dream, because there are so many people in the business who would love to work with him and I had a chance to record an entire album with him' "

She fondly reflects on her time with Prince as a period during which she was able to explore her creativity. "Basically, that whole experience just inspired me to work harder and to achieve my goals, and it gave me a chance to realize what talents I have and that- if I work hard- that I can achieve anything in life that I want. He still is a big inspiration to me. He's defiantly a genius, and whatever he wants, he gets, and he works hard for it. So I look at it as a positive step."

With all of the rumors, and rumors of rumors, one has to wonder what lies ahead for Carmen.There have been veiled reports that she may start on Baywatch, as well as certain feature projects. Asked about these rumors and what she is focused on, she resolutely replies, "Singled Out and MTV, that's my priority, and I love being on the show, and it's fun. So I would never, you know, pick something else over the show, and not be able to put all my energy into the show. If I were to go on, to work on other projects, I would work it out so that I could do both '" She continues,"I have to be real careful and choosy, and I do have a lot of offers coming in, so I have to really know what I want, because it's easy to take the wrong route."

With Singled Out, Carmen was placed in an extreme position. Taking over for jenny McCarthy can't be an easy thing to do."At first I did feel a little pressure, but from what I've heard, (Chris Hardwick) was real supportive even before I started. He was on my side.We didn't know each other, but when we read together he was real supportive." When asked about the vibe on the set, she replies, "He is easy to work with because he's so funny and he's got a fast wit. He's so fast with comebacks, so I think we on the show- have a great bond, and we blend well together because were not competing. We're a team, and we work tighter."

Electra explains how this new realm of co-hosting gave her a chance to show a side of herself that she usually might not."It's all a new experience to me, and I love it. I love the fact that it is spontaneous, and raw and edgy." She adds, "I think it's hard for a lot of pretty girls to let go, and just say,'You know what, I'm gonna make fun of myself, I'm gonna be who I am and not worry about oh, 'I'm afraid I'm going to break a nail, or you know, people are gonna think I look ridiculous.' I'm not afraid to do that. My true friends know my silly side."

As for friends, she now has a multitude of them.With her sudden success, Carmen has had an influx of friends. New, old, and friends she never knew she had."Well, yeah, I have a few friends that I feel are my true friends, and they've stayed with me through hard times.And now they're still my friends through the good times, and I think they'll be with me forever, no matter what I go through in my life. But then there are some of the friends that I haven't heard from for years who are all of a sudden calling me, and now they're getting upset if I don't return their calls, when they weren't returning mine two years ago."

From friends, we move on the subject of love. As we talk, B seems to come alive.When Carmen and Be talk about the first time they met, there's something that eases into the room, some unnamable presence. Suddenly, there's a lot of easy laughter, gentle chiding, and warm fuzziness.The word "love" is mentioned an alarming number of times. I remark on this fact.

Carmen explains, "I came from a very loving family, and to say'l love you' was an everyday thing. I don't have a problem expressing myself about anything. I can't hold things in. I've always been taught to say what you feel, let it out, because then you can deal with it and get through it. So to say 'I love you' is positive and beautiful, and I think it's wonderful to love and be loved in return. For me, its never been a hard thing."

Be echoes her sentiment, "I got no problem saying I love her. When I first met her, I knew."

As the interview progresses, they keep interrupting each other like some old married couple, playfully arguing about the details of their first date.When asked whether being in love and failing in love are things she's comfortable with at this point in her life, Carmen pauses and glances at Be. "Well, being in love and being dedicated to somebody is a big responsibility.When you really love someone and it's true, it's not hard, but when you're in this business it's hard, and the only reason that it becomes hard is because you're so busy and it's hard to find the quality time that a relationship needs. " Laughing, she continues, "Things are just so exciting right now, and there's so much coming in, and I think that once everything gets organized... I think that that will change and I will have time to really spend time with the person I love, and enjoy that time.With us, the hard thing is that we're both in the business. I think, if it would have been just one of us, then it would be fine, because I could go with him to his shows and if he goes out of town, I could go visit him, and vice versa."

Besides time, what does this siren of the small screen look for in a relationship? "Trust. Honesty.As long as two people are real honest with each other, then they can handle what's going on and accept what they want to do in their life and understand each other for who they are as individuals. I think understanding, especially. It's hard to be with someone and get a lot of attention. It's hard to deal with that. It's hard for the other person to be able to say,'Okay, I know that she loves me and this is her job, this is what she does, this is what she loves, I'm gonna let her have her time, but I know she's really with me.' It's hard for a man to let go of that."

As her publicist less-than-gently reminds us of Carmen's other commitments, she reflects on her rapid rise to success. "I think, with my life, everything has just sort of fallen into place, and any time I put pressure on my career or any situation, it doesn't seem to work out, so I've realized that if you lay back and let things happen when they're supposed to happen, then it makes sense, and when the time comes you're ready for it. You know, you're not throwing yourself into a situation that you're not ready for." She laughs and adds, "I wish I could lay back and relax now."

Well, if things go the way they have been, Carmen might have to wait a very long time for that down time. http://www.speakcarmenese.com

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