littering and wrapped tightly in black, Miss Electra had me fumbling with my tape recorder like a preteen with his first bra strap. The slinky funk of an old Prince song sashayed it's way into my head. "I knew a little girl named [Carmen]. You could say she was a real sex fiend. I met her in a hotel lobby [pleasuring herself] with a magazine."

If all the exposed, dark skin weren't unnerving enough, there was the formidable background to reckon with. A musician (she released a self-titled album on Prince/The Artists Paisley Pork label in 1992), actress (shes appeared on TV's "Bcywotch" cind in the film "Good Burger') and television hostess (MTV's 'Singled Out"), the points on her resume one only half as seductive as the vacuum sealed curves of her block lycra top. After hanging out for a while, we finally settled into an intimate little nook in The Georgian Terrace.

When we finally got down to it, ripping off each fashionable label, I was scandolized to find out just how un-scandalous this tabloid queen actually is. This is not the downloadable sex goddess, Carmen Electra. In person she is Tara Patrick from Cinncinatti, Ohio, your average girl next door (if you happen to live next to Frederick's of Hol ywood). There is a very seductive duality to the who a thing.

Feeling dirty for my lusty presumptions and for the inexcusable "girl next door cliche," I cleared my throat, straightened my tie and gradually settled in for a nice conversation with a nice girl. A girl who misses her parents, arrives on time, raises money for cancer research, a girl who, even when slyly prompted, refuses to speak incharitably about babe rival, Pcmela Lee. Without celebration or affectation, Miss Electra demystified her head ine relationships with The Artist (formerly known as Prince) and bosketball's bad boy Dennis Rodman. She laughed giddily and easily enough to give me on over-inflated ego for life), and once, when my thoughts drifted below Miss Electra's semi-permanent smile, I pictured an irate Dennis Rodman towering over her shoulder. I never strayed again...

JEZEBEL: You've been associated with men that are considered radical, namely Prince and Dennis Rodman. Is that a conscious choice, an instinct or just coincidence?

Carmen Electra: I think, as far as The Artist is concerned, we basically just had a working relationship, so that was really different. I think sometimes, you know how they say opposites attract, I don't necessarily believe that, but I think in this case, I was always shy. I grew up sort of to myself, and sort of through other people. So [I saw people] that [were] not afraid, people who just spoke their mind, who were not afraid to stand up for who they are and what they believe in. I think more than anything I'm attracted to that.

JEZ: Is that what attracted you to Dennis?

CE: Absolutely. And the softer side of him that most people don't get to see. He really does have a sweet, sensitive side. He's gonna hate that I'm saying that. You know he's actually from Texas. A country boy (laughs).

JEZ: Who is the sexiest man alive and why?

CE: My dad. Harry Patrick. He drove his motorcycle from Cincinnati, Ohio to LA to see me last year. He's the best. He played guitar with Bootsy Collins. He's the bomb.

JEZ: Is he still with your mom?

CE: My mom passed away. My mom had cancer, so I lost her a year ago. The fashion show I just did was for cancer... that's why I did it.

JEZ: (Removing foot from mouth) Does your father like to see what you're doing?

CE: Absolutely. My mom and dad pushed for me to be in this business. They spent their last money for me to take dance classes and voice lessons. He's so proud and excited.

JEZ: What's your favorite movie right now?

CE: (without hesitation) The Green Mile. I actually just did a fashion show with Michael [Clarke Duncan].

JEZ: How could he do a fashion show? He's like 9 feet tall.

CE: They make clothes for tall people. (laughs)

JEZ: Who are some of your favorite entertainers?

CE: God there's so many.... I really like Ricky Martin a lot. I like Latin music. And I really like his attitude. He seems really appreciative of what's happening to him. And I see so many celebrities take it all and they get so carried away. They think they're above everybody else. I like artists that keep it real, that are down to earth. And Madonna, I love Madonna. She's great.

JEZ: I keep it real.

CE.. (laughing) That's why I like you.

JEZ: Who is your favorite designer?

CE: Versace. And Gucci.

JEZ: When you think of the South what comes to mind?

CE: Hospitality. (emphatically) Good food. From what I've noticed, people here are more real. They'll invite you into their home and cook for you. You don't get that in LA. It's not a very family place. (laughs) I miss that a lot.

JEZ: When you think of Atlanta, what do you think of?

CE: I think of Freaknik.
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JEZ: Have you been to Freaknik?

CE: No. But I've seen it on TV. I think of, just partying, you know...

JEZ: Do you enjoy being in the public eye?

CE: I love it. (giddily) I love it. I love being in the public eye. I love being in front of cameras. It's fun.
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JEZ: What kind of projects are you working on now?
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CE: I have a movie coming out March 31 through Miramax. It's called Scary Movie. Keenan Ivory Wayans directed it. It's basically a spoof on scary movies [like] Scream and Halloween. They're all combined.
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JEZ: What's one thing that no one else knows about you?
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CE: Let's see .... (after a long pause, to a friend sitting behind her in the lobby) What can I tell them that nobody knows about me? (Friend mumbles unaudibly). Let's see. Let's see. Let's see. (another long pause) I have to sleep with the TV on. All night long. I leave the house, the TV's on. I drink, like, 8 Cokes a day. I go crazy. I take long hot baths. Every night I take a hot bath to relax.
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JEZ: Wow. You're nuts. Tell us something that most people might not know about Dennis.
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CE: I think he's an open book. He's so out there, I think everybody knows almost everything about him. There's definitely a softer side to him that some people might not notice. He loves his children. But I think everybody knows that.
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JEZ: Is it difficult to spend time together with both of your careers moving so quickly?
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CE: Yeah. If he's shooting somewhere far away and I'm in L.A. It's been hard to make it work.
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JEZ: Okay, let's get our business on ... If you had your own magazine, what would you put in it?
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CE: I like that! I like that. My own magazine... Wow ... There'd be a section on fashion, of course. Skin care, beauty products...
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JEZ: What would be on the first cover?
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CE: You know who I like and I just saw and I'd like to know more about is Pink... is that her name?
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JEZ: Yeah. She just performed at our Superbowl party.
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CE: That's right, I heard about that. I just saw her picture [in JEZEBEL]. I saw her video, and it was very cool. She's got a great look and she's a great singer.
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JEZ: What genre of music do you prefer to sing? How would you characterize your style?
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CE: My style would be dance music. Definitely. Good music to play out in clubs. I would like to add some of the Latin vibe to it.
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JEZ: Like Jennifer Lopez?
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CE: No. I would go in a different direction. More like Madonna. She's got some tracks where she's got, like, hardcore beats that are real funky, that you can sing over, talk over. She's always changing. That's what I love about her.
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JEZ: If you could live in any 3 cities, what would they be?
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CE: Miami. Hmmm... LA ... and somewhere in South America. I think when I get older I'm going to move to South America.
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JEZ: Have you been contacted by any web site companies to do a site?
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CE: Actually, I had no idea, but I was reading a magazine article and I'm [one of] the top 5 most downloaded [people] on the internet. I had no idea. And I have so many websites that people just put me on...
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JEZ: ... But you're not making any profit from them...
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CE: Exactly. Exactly. I'm not making any money off of them. When I get back to LA, that's the first thing I'm going to do is sit down and start negotiating and get the website going.
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JEZ: ... Just remember to give a magazine some love if the site goes public. What three people would you want to be stranded on a desert island with?
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CE: My mom, if I could bring her back. And Mida, she's like a step-mom to me. She's Cuban. She's so sweet. She's like my mother ... and the person I marry, whoever that may be. Time will tell.
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JEZ: Is there anything you wish that you could do differently?
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CE: Not at all. Everything is where it's supposed to be ... and you learn and you grow. Your mistakes take you to the next level. And it makes you the person you are. That's my philosophy. *

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