03/21/2006

Madonna Endorses Hillary--Life Imitates Cartoon Art
Photo: Cartoon of Madonna endorsing Hillary Clinton by Katharine DeBrecht

March 21  -- Madonna, the diva of decadency has endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2008 Presidential election with an eerie resemblance to a page out of the new children’s book, “Help Mom! Hollywood is in my Hamper,” by Katharine DeBrecht.

"Hillary Clinton should go for it, definitely," Madonna told ContactMusic.com. "You've got to start somewhere in terms of women leading the US." Madonna’s endorsement ironically comes at a time when a new children’s book by best-selling author Katharine DeBrecht hit bookstore shelves March 7.

Conducting Talk Show interviews on this topic is author Katharine DeBrecht, whose illustrated book features characters reminiscent of Barbra Streisand, Madonna, Britney Spears, Tom Cruise, and Sean Penn as cartoon villains in her book that depicts a Madonna-type character comfortably at Hillary’s side as she kicks off a presidential campaign.

Sexism was the main reason for not having women in high offices, Madonna claimed, saying, "In America, men are still afraid of women. And women, I don't think, trust women. I find that amazing."

When asked about the coincidence, DeBrecht laughed “Sexism? Pardon me, but didn't she make millions in her career portraying women as sex objects?” DeBrecht also noted the Clinton Administration’s years of exploiting women including the Lewinsky affair and Juanita Broderick allegations.

When asked about Madonna’s metamorphosis from queen of smut to queen of suburbia, DeBrecht quipped, “Oh, right, that is in the past. Now she is a mother and writes children's books that no one reads. Meanwhile, she and all the others – Britney Spears, Angelina Jolie ,etc., and others who wind up on Oprah’s couch after many have had babies out of wedlock, have made my job as a mother much harder.”

The book reunites DeBrecht with award-winning illustrator Jim Hummel to tell the story of Janie and Sam, two girls who were happy just being kids until celebrities start popping out of their hamper to tell them how to behave and to sell them useless clothes and trinkets. The girls encounter a number of goofy celebrities along the way and in the process learn that stars don’t always know best. The book is the highly anticipated sequel to last fall’s surprise hit Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed! which reached #1 on Barnes & Noble’s website but drew fiery criticism from liberals for its portrayal of Hillary Clinton and Ted Kennedy as cartoon villains who tax and regulate a lemonade stand.

Much to the chagrin of many of the Hollywood stars parodied in the book, it ironically made its way into the gift bags at one of the big Oscar parties. “Oddly enough, I didn’t get my invitation to the Academy Awards this year,” laughs DeBrecht.

Regarding George Clooney’s latest comments on out- of-touch Hollywood, DeBrecht responds, “Know-it-all liberal celebrities are in our faces every day, telling people how to live, what to buy, and often how to vote. Children need to understand that just because these people show up on television doesn’t mean they know what’s best for the rest of America. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite!” says DeBrecht

Madonna, however, may have taken what DeBrecht calls the Implosion of the Democratic Party to heart, noting, "I don't think maybe now is her time, or the Democrat's time."

DeBrecht laughs “Unfortunately for the likes of Dean, Clinton, Pelosi, and the rest of the Hollywood’s “Heart and Soul of America – just like movies about gay sheep herders and sympathizers to terrorists, Real America are just not buying what they are selling.”

Katharine DeBrecht is an author of children's books and a mother of three. Her first book Help! Mom! There Are Liberals Under My Bed! hit #1 on the Barnes & Noble website in September 2005 and was profiled by the Wall Street Journal, Publishers Weekly, and other publications. A graduate of Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, DeBrecht resides in South Carolina with her husband and children. Her latest book is titled Help! Mom! Hollywood's in My Hamper!