Classic Rant #370 (November 8, 2010): Pan Am

Wow, it's funny how washed up former stars always seem to get into the headlines one way or another.

I have read that Pamela Anderson, who is competing in the Israeli version of "Dancing With the Stars," is also in the country for another reason: to speak with Orthodox Jews and ask them to forgo their traditional fur hats.

For Orthodox Jews both in Israel and the United States and for that matter, around the world, the fur hat is part of their traditional clothing, which includes black coats. For them to give up their black, fur hats would be tantamount to people like Pamela giving up the spotlight.

But Anderson, an honorary director of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), won't have any of that. She claims that with so many choices--including fake fur--why should the Orthodox choose the real thing?

And she is on a mission to keep Orthodox Jews, err, abreast of the situation.

She intends to talk to religious leaders while she is in Israel about this topic, and will continue to try to educate people about the uses of fur when she participates in other "Dancing With the Stars" competitions that she participates in around the world.

I guess what Anderson is trying to do is a noble gesture, but honestly, she is speaking to people who are so set in their ways that I wouldn't be surprised if it falls on deaf ears.

They have kept up their traditions for centuries--do you really think the former Playboy model will be able to sway them to her side?

Many Orthodox Jews--and more to the point, many ultra-Orthodox Jews--live lifestyles that harken back to a different century. They are never slaves of fashion, and they are not going to give up something traditional like this--a garment that they have been wearing for centuries--just because Anderson is asking them to.

It's funny that Anderson--who made a name for herself initially by keeping very few clothes on--wants to educate Orthodox Jews about clothing.

But honestly, if we were face to face, I would tell her that she is barking up the wrong tree here.

Save your breast, err, breath, and preach your cause somewhere else, like the next country's "Dancing With the Stars" that you bounce into.

Shalom.