Print this Coupon, Get a Discount :)

Heavy Rebel Weekender! July 4th Weekend SALE!

Hey, errybody!

The Rebel Deb will be manning a booth at this weekend's Heavy Rebel Weekender -- a kick-ass music and art festival happening this Friday, July 2nd - Sunday, July 4th at the Millennium Center in downtown Winston-Salem.

I'll be there from noon till 1am all weekend long, selling cool NEW Rebel Deb t-shirts, shorts, books (both hardcover and paperback) and women's lingerie! I'll also be posting all my new merchandise on the Rebel Deb shop starting this THURSDAY.

And guess what?! Ya'll get a discount just for reading/commenting/following my blog! Just print the coupon (pictured above), come by my booth and get 20% off your choice of any Rebel Deb books or clothing!

So come over to the MC and check me out! I love meeting and greeting new Rebel Debs of any age, shape or size. Give me a holler, ya'll :)

xoxo,

Rebel Deb

Tool of the Month: Prince Albert of Monaco

Who the hell would want to have sex with this guy? He looks like my middle-school bus driver.

Yet, according to the Associated Press:

Albert acknowledged that he had fathered a boy, Alexandre, out of wedlock by a former flight attendant. The following year, he acknowledged an American daughter, Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, now a teenager, born to a California woman. Neither can assume the throne because they were born out of wedlock. Pringle suggested that Albert's advancing age, and the long time since his mother's passing, meant that the time was right for him to give up bachelorhood. "He's 50-something. It's time," she said.

YA THINK?? What a sleaze-ball. Read the whole story HERE.

xoxo,

Rebel Deb

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Marilyn Monroe

Random, I know... but timeless, don't you think? Move over, diamonds! Rebutantes are a girl's NEW best friend(s). :)

xoxo,

Rebel Deb

The Rebutante's Random Thought for the Day: Small Boobies are Cool!

And a special "thanks!" to the good folks at Starbucks for naming their smallest cup-size "Tall" so as not to hurt its feelings. I wish my bra manufacturer would follow suit. It could start referring to my purchase as "34 A-mazing!"

xoxo,

Rebel Deb

What the Tea Party Protestors are REALLY Trying To Say...

How the Reb-Deb Feels When She Reads a Mean Review of Her Blog/Book/Website...

Thanks, Natalie Dee, for putting my feelings so perfectly into online comic form!

xoxo,

Rebel Deb

Confessions of a Rebel Deb - the paperback edition - Coming SOON!

Check out the new cover, ya'll! It'll hit stores next February, 2011 -- just in time for Valentine's Day!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Deb Rocks Flat Rock

Hey, ya'll.

Today, I visited the sixth grade girls at Flat Rock Middle School. I was a special end-of-the-year speaker, who was supposed to talk to them about careers, boys, and female empowerment. All topics I LOVE to discuss, and all of which I could go on and on (and on) about, right? And in the past couple years, I've done TONS of public speaking, literally all over the country. In Indianapolis, I charmed a crowd of 950 women and men -- most of them much older than me, and many of them predisposed to think of me as a sarcastic, over-sexed "whippersnapper." And yet, I sold them 350 (!!) copies of my book... every single copy I had on me that day. After that, you'd think I could face down anyone...

And yet, there I was this morning: Nervous. A bit shaky. Wondering how in God's green earth I was going to entertain (and hopefully help) these young girls, all of them caught right in the midst of hellish adolescence.

There were about 50 girls in the room when I walked in. All the usual suspects... the cliches of preppy, pretty, fancily-dressed cheerleaders. The angry loners. The shy, quiet, studious types who had their notebooks open and pencils ready as they attempted to capture my (supposed) pearls of wisdom. At first, I wasn't sure how to begin. There was SO MUCH I had to tell them:

1) Don't get pregnant!
2) Go to college
3) LOVE (and stop being so hard on) yourself
4) And that goes for others, too. Stop being so mean; you're only eleven!
5) Remember to stay true to who you are -- not who others might want you to be, and
6) Did I mention the "don't get pregnant" part? Well, don't. (Please?)

Looking around the room, taking a beat to really examine their different faces, I saw myself as a sixth grader: Insecure. Lonely. Scared. Hurt. But most of all: Wanting to feel like there was something better awaiting me. A light at the end of horrible tunnel of middle-school.

And that's when all my fears evaporated.

I'd prepared to speak for about 45 minutes -- long enough to teach them something about choosing a career path that makes you happy (instead of simply making you money), but not long enough to lose their attention altogether. But instead, I ended up staying almost two hours. I told them all about myself as a sixth grader -- how I felt chubby and unpopular and weird and loserish -- and, somehow, I reached them. They could all relate somehow -- even the preppy, pretty ones felt ugly and alone sometimes. I could feel their enthusiasm rising, and they started asking questions, and I felt myself changing (in some small part) their feelings about themselves. Got them thinking about how to help one another to achieve instead of tearing each other down. Started them on the path towards empowerment instead of pettiness. Encouraged them to believe in their potential.

This, more than any other speaking engagement I've done or any book signing I've taken part in, was my favorite Rebel Deb event. Because instead of the world getting to meet the Rebel Debutante, the Rebel Debutante got to meet the world... of the future, that is. The best part of today: When you move past all the negative influences (bad parenting, biased media, hormones and peer pressure, etc etc etc) that these girls are facing... it looks pretty bright. And full of future Rebel Debs.

xoxo,
Rebel Debs

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Rue Macclanahan

A classy, sexy, outspoken Rebel Deb then...


And now...


xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Get Your Daily Candy - Right Here!

Check it out! Daily Candy's Weekend Events gave the Rebel Deb a holler :)

READ
Confessions of a Rebel Debutante Author Signing
What: Anna Fields’s hilarious memoir covers everything from tutoring the daughter of one of the women from The Real Housewives of New York City to advice she received at the Woolworth’s counter in her small Southern hometown.
Why: See what duking it out with sass looks like. 

When: Sat., 1 p.m.
Where: Borders, 3637 Peachtree Rd., Buckhead (404-237-0707). Admission is free.

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Deb's Summer Reads!

Hey, ya'll. Since I've spent the last four weeks flying all over the place, I've had time to compile a list of my FAVORITE books, just in time for this summer's beach trip... check out these hot titles, sure to satisfy all your wordie (kinda like a foodie! You like?) cravings!

1) FEAR OF FLYING by Erica Jong -- one of my all-time personal favorites. Get ready to be stimulated, empowered and excited, ladies!

2) ARE YOU THERE, VODKA? IT'S MY CHELSEA by Chelsea Handler -- hilarious! I couldn't put it down! A great read!

3) A MERCY by Toni Morrison -- beautiful, poignant, powerful. Need I say more? It's Toni effing Morrison, folks. Read it. NOW.

4) A TICKET TO THE CIRCUS by Norris Church Mailer -- a personal friend and all-around great lady!

5) MY HORIZONTAL LIFE by Chelsea Handler -- ditto my comment above from "AYTV, IMC?"

6) THE HEIGHTS by Peter Hedges -- the writer/director of What's Eating Gilbert Grape and another friend of mine!

7) TWENTIES GIRL by Sophie Kinsella -- not nearly as annoying as some of her other titles, although the whole ghost thing is kinda... well, yeah. You get it.

8) CHELSEA CHELSEA, BANG BANG by you-know-who -- maybe not as good as her first two, but still very funny! And I love the touching parts about her Mom and her doggie, Chunk.

9) SOMETHING BORROWED by Emily Giffin -- an oldie but a goodie. Extra brownie points: Emily's a fellow Wake grad and Southern girl. :)

10) THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas -- hey! It's an amazing read and considered classic literature for a reason, folks! I know it's a hefty for summer reading by the pool, but trust me (like all good investments in life) it's WELL WORTH the wait.

Happy reading errrybody!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Deb Takes On Atlanta

Check out my headliner in this month's issue of SKIRT! Atlanta...

Confessions of a Rebel Debutante Signing

By skirtySteph

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

"Confessions of a Rebel Debutante" author Anna Fields will be in Atlanta at the Borders in Buckhead at 2 pm for a reading/signing. After being kicked out of Cotillion classes in her hometown of Winston-Salem, NC, Anna went to a yankee school, headed to L.A. where she had a disastrous stint as Diana Ross's personal assistant, came back east to the Big Apple, where she worked for one of the Bravo Real Housewives and realized you can never take the South out of the girl!

Sunday, May 30, 2010 - 2:00pm
3637 Peachtree Rd. NE, Ste. C
Atlanta, GA 30319


xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Deb Gets BUSTed!

Check out Alyssa Pinsker's latest review of my book!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

And the Winners Are....

Straight off the presses! Here are the winners of the latest Rebel Deb giveaway! And, I think it's pretty cool none of them are from Debutante country, either.

#1 -- Lisa Chamblee of Fort Smith, AR

#2 -- Cheryl C. Malandrinos of Wilbraham, MA

#3 -- Natalie Wadel of Bonners Ferry, ID

Thanks so much for entering to win, ladies! I hope you enjoy reading my book as much as I enjoyed writing it. :)

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Cynthia Brian

According the Net:

Cynthia Brian, "The Oprah of the Airwaves", hosts a show produced by Starstyle® Productions for Be the Star You Are! charity, which focus is on providing authors and experts an arena to empower audiences. This upbeat radio show speaks about preparing to star in your own life while igniting the flame that is already inside you..."

Cynthia's a big fan of authors and celebs who promote courage, self-confidence, self-awareness and literacy. In fact, during my recent interview with StarStyle Radio, that's pretty much all we talked about! How to believe in, trust and support yourself in becoming the gutsy, glamourous Rebel Debutante that you are. And that make *her* a true Celeb Rebel Deb in my book.

So go out and be the stars you are, ladies!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Bye-Bye Brett-y?

According to the gossip rags, maybe not. It's all over the Net that Brett Michaels is in recovery and may even be back on tour at the end of May. Whoa! Unfortunately, according to People Magazine, he'll also walk away with a "side effect" that may lead to seizures. Ouch.

Seems Brett-y may not bite the tour-bus dust after all. But, after all that brain surgery, the question remains...

Will his extensions?

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Thanks So Much to Christamore House in Indianapolis!

Because of ya'll, I got to hang out and talk books with Elizabeth Berg, Norris Mailer, Bill Andrews and Peter Hedges! yes, yes, ya'll :)

xoxo
Rebel Deb

Want a Free Copy of "Confessions of a Rebel Debutante?"

Want to win a free copy of my book? Enter here to win!

Contest ends at MIDNIGHT on April 30th!




Here are the deets... from GirlfromtheGhetto.wordpress.com:

I’m happy to announce that I have 3 copies of Confessions of a Rebel Debutante by Anna Fields to giveaway!

Anna Fields deliciously describes her childhood and what life was like going through (and eventually getting kicked out of) cotillion was like, beginning at age eleven, all the while making fun of everything about debbing including herself down to her big butt. After seeing her photo on the back of my book, I had a hard time believing she was ever fat, because she reminds me a little bit of Reese Witherspoon. But she forces me to believe it with tales of being a tall girl who wore glasses and had bad skin and a white girl ‘fro after reading her hilarious cheerleading tryout story to the tune of Too Legit to Quit.

Who would have thought a Winston-Salem girl could escape society by getting an Ivy League education, move to New York and LA and work for major celebrities such as Diana Ross and Jill Zarin, let alone act alongside the best of young hollywood in a major motion picture called Mona Lisa Smile, and eventually become a successful playwright, standup comedian and writer for As the World Turns? I can, after reading this book. I cracked up when Ms. Fields starts her memoir off with this line – I’ve only got one good story: How I became a Rebel Debutante. She’s got more than a hundred good stories in this book alone and I can not begin to cover most of them.

You would be absolutely bonkers not to read this book, because not only would you not get to learn all about her very interesting and entertaining life, but you would miss out reading all of the celebrity dirt she has collected through the years. My god, the things she has written in this book and didn’t even hint at on the cover or in the press! An unnamed female Grey’s Anatomy star telling her they loved anal and want to make out with her, her interview with Dr. Ruth that had the famous sex counselor personally offended, and her time spent working a private waiting gig at Calabasas home for three sisters (who, to me, had to have been Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian) which ended in a FBI drug bust.


A special thanks to Anna Fields and her representation for sponsoring this fantastic book giveaway!

RULES:
**U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
**NO P.O. BOXES, PLEASE
**MUST INCLUDE EMAIL ADDRESS IN COMMENT
**ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO COUNT

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY: Go to Anna Fields website HERE and tell me via your comment below what fun or interesting thing you learned or noticed on her website.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Go to Anna Fields blog HERE. Check out her jewelry and t-shirt shop, and tell me what you liked from her Rebel Deb wear. I’ll even throw in an extra entry for you if you also comment on Anna’s post where she gives me a shout out on her blog.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Comment if you are a loyal follower of hers, either on Facebook or Goodreads, or if you are on her mailing list. Tell me where and how you follow her.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Blog about this giveaway, share a link via Twitter, or post a link via Facebook about my Rebel Deb giveaway and come back here and comment with that link.

+1 MORE ENTRY: Read my full review on Confessions of a Rebel Debutante HERE. Then comment here and tell me why you need to win this book!

Contest ends next Friday, April 30th at midnight. Good luck to you all.

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Yee HAW! The Rebel Deb Takes on San Antonio

According to San Antonio Magazine...

Southern belles are supposed to be proper, polite and pretty much perfect. AnnaBelle bucks that trend with her sharp spoken wit and impertinent personality, which explains why she was kicked out of her cotillion classes. Native Southerner Anna Fields’ memoir, Confessions of a Rebel Debutante, is guaranteed to give you a good laugh. Borders Books, 255 E. Basse Road, 828-9496, borders.com.

So come on out and see me, ya'll!

April 24, 2010 2:00 PM
San Antonio - Basse - Borders
255 E. Basse Road, Suite 350
San Antonio, TX 78209

xoxo,
RD

Howdy from Indiana!

Come over to the Christamore House in Indianapolis and see me, ya'll!

According to the Indianapolis Observer:

"Five authors will talk about their work during the 30th annual Book & Author Luncheon sponsored by the Christamore House Guild. The benefit begins at 10 a.m. with books available for purchase and signing. The luncheon program is 11 a.m to 2 p.m. (although, if truth be told, it usually runs later than that). Diane Willis is mistress of ceremonies for the event, held in the Indiana Roof Ballroom, 140 West Washington Street, Indianapolis.

The authors and books are William Alexander (52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust), Elizabeth Berg (The Last Time I Saw You), Anna Fields (Confessions of a Rebel Debutante), Peter Hedges (The Heights) and Norris Church Mailer (A Ticket to the Circus).

Tickets are $85. For information, contact Jane Kroot, 317:849-5330. Proceeds from the luncheon support the Frances Carter Coburn Scholarship Fund and educational programs offered through Christamore House, 502 North Tremont Street, Indianapolis. Since 1981, more than $1 million has been awarded to more than 570 scholarship recipients from Indianapolis' Haughville neighborhood."

Books! Food! Fun! Norman Mailer's widow! It'll be *spectacular* :)

Check out the rest of the (sorta) star-studded line-up here

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Gets Real... on the Radio, That Is

Video killed the radio star?

Um... I don't f-ing think so!

Listen to my interview with Paul Nagy @ Carborro Book Beat WCOM

xoxo
RD

A Great Review of "Confessions of a Rebel Debutante!"

"My review of Confessions of a Rebel Debutante, which in a word, was fabulous" -Girl from the Ghetto

from thegirlfromtheghetto.com

"Anna Fields, you had me at You can take the girl out of the South, but you can’t take the South out of the girl! I love nothing more than reading a story set in the south, or devouring a good memoir. When I heard that a book was coming out that had the best of both worlds, I knew I had to read this book.

I was literally jumping with joy when I got my advanced reader copy of Confessions of a Rebel Debutante in the mail last month. I knew I was going to love it, and love it I did. Anne Fields not only has written a charming, funny and fabulous memoir, but she tells a great story about what happens when a North Carolina society girl gets kicked out of cotillion classes and doesn’t make it as a deb. You can not believe where this Rebel Deb’s life leads her.

Anna Fields deliciously describes her childhood and what life was like going through (and eventually getting kicked out of) cotillion was like, beginning at age eleven, all the while making fun of everything about debbing including herself down to her big butt. After seeing her photo on the back of my book, I had a hard time believing she was ever fat, because she reminds me a little bit of Reese Witherspoon. But she forces me to believe it with tales of being a tall girl who wore glasses and had bad skin and a white girl ‘fro after reading her hilarious cheerleading tryout story to the tune of Too Legit to Quit.

As much as I enjoyed hearing what life was like behind the scenes of debbing, I found the heart of Anna’s story in her own personal story, and not the story of the other rich and often drunk debutantes. Things really get rolling in the book when she began writing about her life at boarding school, the prestigious Wellington Academy run by a woman named Miss Freeze. Anna never fit in to begin with, but once she became best friends with her wild roommate Alma who was a fan of public ladyscaping, known as the campus queer for her unladylike and non-deb ways, and who told outrageous tall tales that even involved the Playboy Mansion, well, fun and adventures began that were even better than attending cotillion-related events. Alma, needless to say, was a bad influence on a Anna to begin with, but the two of them together had them both on some crazy adventures. They got caught drinking at a college fraternity party, and once stumbled across a girl from school who had just been raped, but they still were the ones who got in trouble because they were caught vacationing on the wrong side of town in Myrtle Beach, let alone their biggest adventure that included a tragedy I’ll let you discover on your own.

Who would have thought a Winston-Salem girl could escape society by getting an Ivy League education, move to New York and LA and work for major celebrities such as Diana Ross and Jill Zarin, let alone act alongside the best of young hollywood in a major motion picture called Mona Lisa Smile, and eventually become a successful playwright, standup comedian and writer for As the World Turns? I can, after reading this book. I cracked up when Ms. Fields starts her memoir off with this line – I’ve only got one good story: How I became a Rebel Debutante. She’s got more than a hundred good stories in this book alone and I can not begin to cover most of them.

You would be absolutely bonkers not to read this book, because not only would you not get to learn all about her very interesting and entertaining life, but you would miss out reading all of the celebrity dirt she has collected through the years. My god, the things she has written in this book and didn’t even hint at on the cover or in the press! An unnamed female Grey’s Anatomy star telling her they loved anal and want to make out with her, her interview with Dr. Ruth that had the famous sex counselor personally offended, and her time spent working a private waiting gig at Calabasas home for three sisters (who, to me, had to have been Kim, Kourtney and Khloe Kardashian) which ended in a FBI drug bust."


xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Biatch is Back! At Least, for Tonight...

Last night at Lincoln Center was great! Excellent turnout, a welcoming crowd and tons of laughs (mostly at my expense, which I'm totally cool with!)... and tonight? I'm back in Winston-Salem, the town that (kinda) started it all. Where I went to boarding school. Where I gotted "kicked out" (basically just not invited) of debbing. Where I got my first hickey... oh, wait? Was that a teensy bit TMI? Oh, well. Guess you'll have to read the rest in my book. So come on down and getcha a signed copy!

When: TONIGHT! Friday, April 16th @7pm
Where: Barnes & Noble Booksellers Winston Salem
Stones Throw Plaza
1925 Hampton Inn Court, Winston-Salem, NC 27103
(336) 774-0800

Come On Down and See Me, Folks! You'll Be Glad Ya Did!

Okay... so this isn't me. But I wish it were! And who knows, maybe she'll show up to my opening night book launch at the Lincoln Center Barnes & Noble? And maybe she'll make out with the first fifty of ya'll who buy a book?! (Okay, probs not. But come anyway!)

Confessions of a Rebel Debutante

Author Event, Author Discussion

Anna Fields brings us a delicious, laugh-out-loud funny Southern-fried memoir about growing up a proper young lady... or not. Confessions of a Rebel Debutante proves you can take the girl out of the South, but you can't take the South out of the girl!


When: Thursday April 15, 2010 7:30 PM
Where: Lincoln Triangle
1972 Broadway, New York, NY 10023
212-595-6859

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Anna Paquin

Though her Southern dialect on True Blood could use some... err... serious work... Anna Paquin still rocks my world. Especially lately. And why? Check out her recent PSA...

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: True Blood Star Reveals True Self -- Anna Paquin Says She's Bisexual | RadarOnline.com

You have major balls, Anna. And we Rebel Debs salute both of them!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Real Rebel Deb... in Her Natural Habitat

many thanks to my photographer, Stephanie King!
www.slkphoto.com

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Lassie!

Hells yes, Lassie is a girl! And though she has an IQ of 14 and only four, non-opposable digits on her massive paws, she still manages to flip a huge bird to gender stereotypes. What's that, Timmy? Only men can be rescuers on circa 1960 television dramas, did you say? Yeah, well. Looks like somebody'll be leaving you locked up for a little while longer...

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Deb's Comin' to Little Rock!

If you're in the Little Rock area on April 9th or 10th, please join me for Friday's beautiful soiree (did I mention the cash bar?), followed by Saturday's reading and solo discussion with your very own Rebel Debutante!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

"I Give You Two Kitties Tomorrow for One Kitty Today?"

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Rebel Deb's Gettin' Some Skirt! (Magazine, that is.)

Read the Rebel Deb's latest write-up in this month's issue of Skirt! Magazine...

They like me! They really, *really* like me!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

What Would Happen if Women Ran Wall Street?

Testosterone and Risk

from NY Magazine
By Sheelah Kolhatkar

"Early in the morning on a typical weekday, men can be seen resolutely streaming down lower Broadway, braced against a pulverizing wind. They are preparing to enter their office buildings, put on their headsets, flick on their Bloombergs, and go to war. And if they look miserable—or weary, frustrated, angry, or petrified—it’s because they have one of the most emotionally taxing jobs in the world. Playing the market is a constant ricochet between panic and euphoria. There’s a reason the burnout rate is high. But the formula for succeeding in a high-stress financial environment is simpler than you might think. If you ask a trader, or someone who studies them, what the single most important factor is in determining whether a person will be good at trading, they will say that it’s the ability to control one’s emotions.

The trouble for all those men pouring into the trading desks is that recent studies suggest purely rational behavior may not come as naturally to them as gender stereotypes would suggest. A couple of weeks ago, for instance, the investment-management company Vanguard released data showing that men were more likely than women to sell stocks at the bottom of the market. Could it be that the fairer sex is better able to ride the ups and downs of Wall Street without letting their emotions get in the way?

“There were always very few women on the floor of the exchanges,” says a hedge-fund manager named Henry Lee, who spent years on the floor of the American Stock Exchange. “But the women who were successful at it were unbelievable.”

Lee is sitting at a trading desk with his friend Harley Evans, a derivatives trader at a firm called Mako Financial Markets, talking about gender differences in their line of work. “They never got ruffled, never got upset,” Lee continues. “Losing their temper? Never.”

“I think women can be very emotional, too,” Evans says, not entirely convinced.

“Women respond to stress differently,” Lee says. Rather than throwing the phone across the room, “women cry.”

“Well, I’ve cried, too,” Evans says.

“Not that I’ve seen. You cried alone in your closet,” says Lee.

“I cried in my beer.”

“The notion of taking chances is definitely more male,” Lee says. “Look, men are much more willing to take a shot on something with incomplete knowledge.”

So, I ask, how would Wall Street be different if there were more women making decisions? Lee offers an analogy based on the fact that he’s going through a divorce: “I would say that when you’re married, your life is much more level,” he says. “And when you’re single, you tend to experience many more swings. For example, you might not go skydiving if you’re married, or go out drinking all night with your buddies, or you may not pursue that Ironman.” Having women around, in other words, “prevents extreme behavior—or irrational exuberance.”

Despite what we’ve been led to believe, the market isn’t rational or efficient at all—it’s all about feelings. The major plot points of the crisis largely turned on emotion: Dick Fuld was too egotistical to sell Lehman Brothers when he had the chance, so his pride drove it into the ground; Bear Stearns hedge-fund managers lost huge sums of money on subprime mortgages despite the fact that they suspected the worst (“I’m fearful of these markets,” Ralph Cioffi e-mailed a colleague back in 2007); Merrill Lynch was the “fat kid,” as the investor Steve Eisman has put it, so desperate to be like Goldman Sachs that it barreled into every dumb investment imaginable and had to be bailed out by Bank of America. Almost every single bank chief doubled down on mortgage junk at exactly the wrong moment. Emotions led otherwise intelligent men—because, let’s face it, all of them were men—to make terrible decisions.

According to a new breed of researchers from the field of behavioral finance, Wall Street’s volatility is really driven by our body chemistry. It’s the chemicals pulsing through traders’ veins that propel them to place insane bets and enable bank executives to make risky decisions—and those same chemicals tend to have the same effect on everyone, turning them into a herd of overheated animals. And because the vast majority of these traders and finance executives are men, the most important chemical in question is testosterone.

Here are a few things we know about testosterone: Both men and women produce it, but men make fifteen times as much of it as women, on average. It causes all sorts of physical differences—in body hair, muscle mass, jawlines, and so on. Behaviorally, it does all the things that one would expect: It is linked to increased aggression and dominance, confidence, hostility, violence, sensation-seeking, and the searching out of mates (“I felt like I had to have sex once a day or I would die,” Drew—formerly Susan—Seidman told The Village Voice, after having testosterone injections as part of his transformation from a woman to a man). One of the most fascinating things about testosterone is the way it can be influenced by the environment. A man who stays home with his kids, for example, is likely to see his testosterone level drop over time. Testosterone varies throughout the day, peaking in the morning and gradually ebbing through the afternoon. Perhaps not surprisingly, single men have higher levels than married men. If you eat more meat, it tends to be higher. As it does when a man is in the presence of an attractive woman, or looking at the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. Or in a highly competitive environment with other guys, like a rugby game—or the Bear Stearns trading floor."

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Happy 25th Anniversary, Dollywood!

Let's all celebrate Dolly's Woods and their emergent quarter-life crisis by retelling one of my favorite blonde jokes...

A college student goes back to her dorm and says to her blonde roommate, “I slept with a Brazilian man last night.” Her roommate replies, “OMG, you slut! How many is a Brazilian??”

And by the way, my old U.S. History teacher went to high school with Dolly and says her "dollies" are completely real... the debate continues!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Pullin' a "Kanye" on ObamaCare

Whether you're for or against the bill, it's still kinda funny... right? I think so. :)

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Stuff Hipsters Hate: When Their Friends Go to Law School

from http://lizbert.tumblr.com

"Janelle: Hey dude, Jason is having a fucking awesome party tonight at some loft in Bushwick. Wanna get there early? Like 1 a.m. or somethin’?

Tyron: Sorry, lady. I have to study.

Janelle: What the fuck do you have to study for? You’ve been outta school for five years…

Tyron: The LSATs.

Janelle. Are you shitting me?

Tyron: Naw, I mean, this whole poet thing isn’t really working out. I mean, no one wants to pay me to write, so I figured I would, like, learn a trade.

Janelle: Are you going to be an LSAT tutor…?

Tyron: No, asshole. I’m going to law school.

Janelle: What the fuck? When have you ever expressed interest in the law? You don’t even like motherfucking Law & Order—and there’s like six versions of that show to choose from.

Tyron: Well, lawyers make a lot of money, which is something I don’t have. I can’t shelve books at an indie bookstore and do poetry slams forever, Jan. I can’t. I need stuff like, I dunno, a real bed. A room with walls. Last week I brought this chick home and she took one look at my so-called room—a shower curtain and bed sheets do not a bedroom make—and announced that she had to get up early. She’s a fucking freelancer. How many freelancers do you know who have to “get up early”? I can’t deal with this anymore, dude. I need to eat. I need to get laid. I need cash. I mean, yeah, I would probably have to wear a suit year-round to cover up my sleeve tats, and, sure, I would have to shave more often and probably move to Manhattan and drink with I-bankers at shitty places like Blondies, and I would most definitely have to pretend to get excited about sports and shit—but I can do it. I can suck it up. I’m almost 30. It’s time to get serious.

Janelle: Dude, you’re not going to get into law school. I mean, that’s just a stone cold fucking science fact.

Tyron: Why the fuck not? I got like fucking straight A’s in college.

Janelle: Well, for one, you majored in abstract sculpture and Victorian poetry, and two, the most experience you’ve had with the legal system was that time you got arrested for breaking into that construction site, getting smashed and passing out in your own vomit.

Tyron: Dude. That was like a fucking minor offense. Like, you know, a misnomer.

Janelle: Um. I rest my case."

xoxo,
Rebel

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Sandra Bullock

OH, yes, Sandra B. Whether you're winning Oscars or kicking your lyin', cheatin' hubby out on his douche-bag dumper... you're always rocking our world. You're a Southern girl (who graduated from my Momma's alma mater, ECU!), a kick-ass, down-to-earth celeb, and we Rebel Debs salute you.

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Southern Jewish Wedding Singer, Part I

From funnyordie.com...

"The Southern Jewish Wedding Singer" : Part One - watch more funny videos

"Shalom, Ya'll! L'Chaim and Eat Up!"

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Letter from a Redneck Momma

Just discovered the following... nothing like a little redneck humor to brighten your bleak Monday morning!

"Dearest Son,

I'm writing this slow because I know you can't read fast. We don't live where we did when you left home. Your dad read in the newspaper that most accidents happen within 20 miles of your home, so we moved. I won't be able to send you the address because the last West Virginia family that lived here took the house numbers when they moved so they wouldn't have to change their address.

This place is really nice. It even has a washing machine. I'm not sure about it. I put a load of clothes in and pulled the chain. We haven't seen them since.

The weather isn't bad here. It only rained twice last week; the first time for three days and the second time for four days.

About that coat you wanted me to send; your Uncle Billy Bob said it would be too heavy to send in the mail with the buttons on, so we cut them off and put them in the pockets.

Bubba locked his keys in the car yesterday. We were really worried because it took him two hours to get me and your father out.

Your sister had a baby this morning, but I haven't found out what it is yet so I don't know if you are an aunt or uncle.

Uncle Bobby Ray fell into a whiskey vat last week. Some men tried to pull him out but he fought them off and drowned. We had him cremated, he burned for three days.

Three of your friends went off a bridge in a pickup truck. Butch was driving. He rolled down the window and swam to safety. Your other two friends were in the back. They drowned because they couldn't get the tailgate down!

There isn't much more news at this time. Nothing much out of the normal has happened.

Your Favorite Aunt,
Mom"

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Daisy (of Love) De La Hoya

I don't know why. I just love anybody who reminds me of a Muppet. Oh, and did you hear she was dating the late Corey Haim up until he died? Those muppets are trouble, I tell ya! Trouble!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Check Out the Rebel Deb's New Article in This Month's "Marie Claire"...

Eating disorders, ladies. They're serious (and sometimes deadly) business. Check out my article and read about how I overcame one of the biggest challenges facing young girls today...


xoxo,
Rebel Deb

Happy International Women's Day!

From then...



To now...



What a way to celebrate, huh? Way to go, Kathryn. You make us proud.

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

In Tim We Trust!

In the words of my friend, Rachel: "I often ask myself, What Would Tim Gunn Do?"

Well, apparently, he would trash the Dash, referring to her style as having "a cheapness and tawdriness"... Um, yeah:



Needless to say, we Rebel Debs agree! It's *cool* to be sexy, Kim. But flashing your boobs all over Hollywood/the Internet/magazine stands nationwide? That's no way to keep it classy. In fact, that reeks of the kind of desperate, "famous for being me!" attitude made famous by Paris Hilton, Nicole Richie and... well, almost every "socialite" with her own Reality TV show. Read Tim's comments and decide for yourself!

xoxo,
Rebel Deb

This Week's Celeb Rebel Deb: Ellen!

We salute you, Ellen Degeneres, for braving your first few months as the new sailor on the sinking ship that is "American Idol." This season of AI has gone straight into the toilet. On the bright side, you're here to make us all smile through our Titanic-esque tears. In fact, as a hard-working, ground-breaking celeb Rebel Deb, I consider you to be the best thing to come aboard that show since, well... the last thing that left:



xoxo,
Rebel Deb

The Fourth Horseman of the Apocalypse: Forbes Magazine Becomes Just Another Victim of Culture *FAIL*

xoxo,
Rebel Deb