"Showgirls" star mentors teen girls: how do moms feel?

Elizabeth Berkley with her new book for teens. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)
Elizabeth Berkley with her new book for teens. (Photo by Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images)

The last time Elizabeth Berkley made headlines it was for "Showgirls". Now it's for being a mentor to teen girls. How did that happen?

"Ask Elizabeth" is Berkley's new 'diary-style' advice book for teenagers-offering positive approaches to self-esteem and empowerment. And according to Entertainment Weekly, it's pretty great.

EW's Maggie Pehanick writes: "Berkley hits a tone that's neither condescending nor above the reader's head. She shares personal stories without delving into TMI territory. Her empathy is refreshing and though her background gives her the experience and material necessary to write a book like this, it doesn't become the forefront of why she's writing."

But what of her past? After serving as a role model for smart girls on teen TV, she took a direct-route-to-fame role in a film the Washington Post called, "An overcoat movie for men who don't want to be seen going into a porno theater."
That movie is "Showgirls", of course, and Berkley's new career as mentor banishes even the word. According to NYMag.com, her book publicists have banned media outlets from mentioning the movie she's most famous for.

We all make regrettable choices, especially when we're young, and Berkley has since built a formidable film career that she worked hard to achieve. She also spent the past four years touring the country, hosting seminars with organizations like the Girl Scouts, educating girls on the value of listening to each other and opening up about their secret concerns. After fielded questions about friendship, parents, body issues and dating from teens she met around the country, she started the websiteAsk-Elizabeth and now the book. MTV was also developing a show about her seminars at one point.


Clearly, Berkley's hit a nerve with teenagers, but how do moms feel? To women who watched Jessie Spano turn into the prime example of female exploitation on film: is Berkley someone you're comfortable advising your daughter? Or the reverse: should she be penalized forever for making one crappy movie just because she had lots of sex in it? Hey, Kyle McLaughlin doesn't get razzed about it, but then again he's not mentoring teenagers.

Berkley's book has no direct mention of the movie, though it does refer to how she dealt with harsh criticism for an unnamed movie. But if you buy the book for your daughter, prepare to have the movie named after a quick internet search. In fact, the more they know about Berkley, the more likely they are to want to watch the famously bad NC-17 flick. Ruh-roh. As encouraging as Berkley is about openness between girls (her seminars feature an anonymous q&a box), she's not addressing the elephant in the room...dressed in clear platform heels. It almost seems like a missed opportunity for a teachable moment.


In light of the good, the bad and the unsaid about "Ask Elizabeth": will you buy the book for your daughter?

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