February 23, 2007: Happy Birthday Drew Barrymore, Child Star Survivor

Drew Barrymore turns 32. Doesn't it seem like it should be 132? When was she not in the picture?

From the cute little girl in ET to crazed, wild 12-year-old (Dakota Fanning, are you watching?) to ingenue to mogul to future travel writer. Go Drew. You are making me have a celebri-spiral, because I am buying into what you say, though I know it's all spin, spin, spin. But you have great timing.

This week, while celebrity culture lost its mind, you went to Hawaii with your friends to celebrate, and laughed as paparazzi chased you through LAX. You didn't care. Whatever. Peace out, bitches, I am going on vacay.

Occasionally, you get melodramatic, like during 9-11 when you repeatedly wailed that you didn't know how to do your job. Well, who did, sweetheart? But that's OK.

A celebrity who notices that there are other redeemable things to be in life. A famous person not throwing tantrums or behaving badly. An ex-rehabber who seems to have it together, and can maybe offer a little celebri-hope. That's worth a post.

Now, in your Jane interview, you thumb your nose at Hollywood and consider life, love, and what's really important. Some notable excerpts from mediawiredaily.com:

ON HER UNSTABLE FAMILY LIFE:
“I’ve got one wacky family…I understood early that we were not going to have stability. You just have to find your own way and not sit in sh-t and cry about what you think you don’t have. Get over it.”

ON HER FRIENDS:
“Beyond any [romantic] relationship I’ve ever had, my friends are the ones who have been consistent rocks in my life. They make me feel like everything will be okay.”

ON HER FATHER AND GROWING UP WITHOUT HIM…“My dad was a free bird and didn’t want to be a dad—he was gone from the start. Somehow I grasped that as a kid and didn’t hate him for it. I still don’t. I loved the way he was such a lover of things. I would visit him, and he’d talk about how when he went on his 4 a.m. walk, he could feel the blades of grass under his feet and could tell which ones were broken. When he said that, it brought up an emotion of, ‘I’m just glad there’s someone in the world like this—a real free spirit.’ Even though he was a hippie, he was a fuckin’ rascal. I like that combination because I can only take peace and meditation for so long. I want a little bit of mischievousness.”

ON STAYING ACTIVE…“I’m such a workaholic and so fucking on fire all the time, it bewilders the shit out of me…If you’re interested in something, you have to act on it. When you get ideas, don’t just let them be fleeting thoughts that flow into the universe, so that later you look back and think, ‘God, I wish I had done something about that.’ Just go for it and never be afraid.”

ON HER MOTHER…“I think my mom is a good person. Maybe we haven’t had a traditional relationship, but as I get older, I’m able to enjoy her more, because I’m not looking at her as a mom but more as a friend.”

ON HAVING A FAMILY AND GETTING OLD…“I would definitely like to have a family one day. I don’t know when or with who, but I don’t picture myself alone and bitter…When I get old, I am not going to be wearing polyester pants. I’m going to wear old Levi’s and Birkenstocks. And hopefully I’ll have enough hair to wear braids.”

ON POLITICS…“I wasn’t raised in a household that talked about politics…I’m a Democrat and a liberal but I will vote Republican if I think it’s for the better candidate. There are Republicans out there I really respect.”

ON WHAT SHE WANTS HER KIDS TO BE LIKE…“I would love for them to become adults who have a positive effect whether that’s through kindness or if they are scientists or humanitarians or entertainers … if they give something back. The last thing I want is a selfish child.”

Sexy yet sane. I relate to what she says. She was never high on my must-see list, but she just went up a notch. Now if my non-celebrity friends said the same smart things, just not in a magazine, would I give them the same credit?