Tell me about yourself. It is obvious that you are an attractive woman but what makes you different from all the other models in the market?
"Thank you for the compliment. There are countless models on the net so I guess the first thing would be my age. I'm 32, so typically I'm quite a bit older than most out there, which means I should be wiser I guess? [Laughter] Secondly, I don't do nude photography which narrows the field down even further."
We'll get back to that last comment in a moment. By the way, you are a very youthful-looking 32-year-old. There's something good about the late sixties for childrearing. What kind of attitude do you have when approaching the rigid demands of a job?
"I have a very outgoing, upbeat attitude. Modeling is a job, a lot harder than most people think. Although there are times I can get really frustrated, I remember that I chose this job, it did not choose me. [Laughter] The photographers I have shot with all tell me how easy I am to work with. I am not one of those prima donna types. I appreciate the hard work from everyone involved in a shoot. It is a team effort."
Can you share any modeling tips, secrets and insights?
"Be on time; be courteous; don't burn bridges with a bad attitude. Promote yourself at every given opportunity; be aggressive -- don't just wait for your agent to get you the jobs you want."
You have a great attitude for your career. Let's see how that plays out in your personal life. How do you think a woman should act on a date? What are the different strategies she should use when dealing with a timid or aggressive man that she likes?
"Well my take on this may be a bit different. I personally don't have the time to plot and plan a strategy to snare a man. The end result of trying to be what someone else wants is just a big waste of time. I think a woman should be real. She should just be herself and let the guy fall for who she is, not what she thinks he wants her to be. If women would do that they would save themselves a lot of trouble later on. I am a very upfront person, so If I liked a guy, he would be the first to know it! I think men appreciate the honest approach, timid or aggressive."
Can you reflect on your own dating experiences?
"How many hours do you have? [Laughter] I was a professional 'dater' for many years I know exactly what I am looking for and dont waste their or my time with 'well maybe if he would change' scenarios. I know pretty quickly if it could be more than a dinner date. I've dated all types: muscle bound hunks, geeks, short, tall, etc. I think you have to be open minded when looking for 'the one'."
What dating adventures have you had that our readers would be surprised to learn? Don't hold back.
"I meet so many people in my profession, but the most interesting would be that I met a fan who had been emailing me for quite awhile, an internet romance if you will... [Laughter] It's funny the positive thing about talking to someone extensively before you meet, is you get over the physical attraction that can sometimes cloud your judgment. You know, we've all been there... The he is soooo hot, maybe it won't bother me that he has the IQ of a tree stump syndrome. Getting to know what makes a person tick first really has its advantages. I had a great time and look forward to seeing him again. [Smile]"
Since you are not seeing anyone seriously, it will make my next question that much more interesting. Should a woman sleep with a man on a first date?
"My personal belief is NO!! Not that its wrong for other people, but for me its a no-way deal."
Why? When is the 'right' time?
"I love sex. It's the greatest thing ever. When I am involved with someone, I am the ultimate good girl/bad girl behind doors -- ever. But sex is the most intimate thing you can give man, the closest you can be to him. So to throw that around to someone you don't even really know, seems a waste to me. I think the right time for me at least is when a commitment is made and you feel this is someone you cherish, trust, and you want to give yourself to. I work very hard on my body. I'm not just going to give it to anyone. Plus if you have sex too fast, what is there to look forward to? Gee, do I sound like the biggest prude or what??? [Laughter]"
Making sound judgements is in no way prudish. Now if you said you only had sex for procreation, I might think differently. [Grin] Let's tackle the other side of this issue. What can a man do to impress a woman? Should men open doors, pull out chairs and offer other courtesy gestures with women or is this behavior no longer acceptable in light of equal rights?
"I think listening is a big one. Really listen to her and compliment her a lot. If he makes her feel sexy she'll act it. I am very old-fashioned -- there's a shocker [Laughter] -- so I appreciate when a man treats me like a lady. I am quite aware of my capability to open my own door, so I wouldn't look at it like someone is imposing on my right to do something I can do myself. I would view it as him being a gentleman, which you don't always find these days."
Let's move to politics. I have been patiently waiting to have the following issue addressed by a model. Some women are very opposed to models such as yourself who wear scantily cladded clothing and pose for the camera for money. They feel that it is demeaning and it hurts woman's rights. What are your thoughts on this topic? What would you say to women who express thoughts like this?
"Well here we go... Have you SEEN the women who usually make those comments? -- not a lot of hotties in the bunch. Did I say that? I doubt there are many women in the world who wouldn't love the chance to be thought pretty enough to be a model and admired for their beauty by the opposite sex. I find that in most cases, not all. It is usually the 'haters' that say such things. Considering the salary a good model can make, I think it's one of the careers a women can make more money than men. So they should look at that factor. I doubt my modeling career contributes to the decay of women's rights in this country. I believe you go out and get what you want in this world. Women and men do it every day. So I think they should get off their soap box and put those energies into something more positive, like getting a make-over. [Laughter] Just joking..."
There have been many concerns about age in modeling and acting careers. Even young women -- women in their early twenties! -- are being turned away from jobs because they are considered to be too old. What are your thoughts on the societal fixation towards extreme youth?
"I know this one first hand! Modeling is not a career that will last forever, that is for sure. There is always someone younger and prettier right around the corner. I mean, let's get real. If a man has a choice to look at a hard, 20-year-old body vs a 30-plus-okay body, what's he going to choose? I dont see it as fixation towards extreme youth, but more so that advertisers want their product to be most appealing to their audience. There's no crime in that. It would be great if age wasn't a factor, but it always has and it always will be; so I say enjoy it while you can."
Models realize they are working on borrowed time, so it would appear, in their modeling careers. They feel motivated to extract as much as they can from the market before being replaced by younger models. What are your thoughts on your future in modeling?
"Myself, I am going to keep modeling as long as there is some old geezer still telling me I look good... [Laughter] Seriously though you have a limited time to work with in this profession. So I plan on enjoying every minute I can and hope that I can be a positive role model for upcoming models. I also want to be able to show my grandkids that I used to be a hottie... [Laughter] When I'm even older, maybe get a commercial deal for one of those burial plot promos or the newest denture creame... [Laughter] They have to use older models. [Smile]"
Now that's hilarious! [Laughter] You know, it's as plain as day when you have the right perspective. You have a comment on your website that says, "I do NOT do nudes or erotic film/photography" and you made a statement earlier about not doing nude photography. Why have you decided to take this stand? Would you ever consider doing an artistic shoot for Playboy? Why/why not?
"This is one issue I wouldn't even think of compromising for Playboy or anyone else. It's great for some people to do nudes, but for me personally I look at it as a 'down the road issue.' When I eventually get married I don't want guys coming up to my husband saying I saw her naked... ewwww... I want him or even the current boyfriend to feel he has a private part of me that the public just wouldn't have. I am very proud of my body, but feel it should be for certain eyes only. An Arab offered me $5,000 to see a naked picture. I didn't even think twice about it. I think most men enjoy a certain mystery. Anyway, my site wouldn't get as many hits as it does otherwise. I truly believe that naked photos can do nothing but come back to haunt you later in life. You never know if the man you end up with might be president some day. [Laughter]"
It's funny how the past can creep up on people. The infamous Dr. Laura Schlessinger had trouble with nude photography. This conservative radio personality once wasn't so conservative, if you know what I mean.
I noticed that you have done communication work for Jolt. Are you considering a career in communications sometime down the road?
"I would LOVE that. I so enjoy meeting people! I do get teased a lot that my voice sounds like a 1-900 operator, so maybe radio? [Laughter]"
Is there anything you would like our surfers to know?
"Yes. I really appreciate everyone's support especially in the Miss Internet World Contest. I feel very fortunate to be where I am today considering all the obstacles. The contest is over August 9th so if you would cast a vote for me -- www.edencarpenter.com -- I would so appreciate it! I am starting an amateur models page on my site so if you or someone you know has ever wanted to be a model, tell them to submit pictures and a short bio to me. I do answer all my own mail and love to talk to new people. So please drop me line sometime. [Smile]"
You may regret that comment when you get buried in e-mail. [Smile] What do you think of The Liberator [www.liberator.net]?
"How can you not love it? I think it's the best out there. There is no sugar-coating; its 100% real and I prefer that!"
Thank you for the time we spent together on this tribute. You are an easy person to interview and your comments were absolutely superb! [Smile]
