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Normal distribution of body (androgenic) hair in Caucasian women and men

Androgenic hair, colloquially body hair, is the terminal hair that develops on the human body during and after puberty. It is differentiated from the head hair and less visible vellus hair, which are much finer and lighter in color. The growth of androgenic hair is related to the level of androgens (male hormones) in the individual. Due to a normally higher level of androgen, men tend to have more androgenic hair than women.

From childhood onward, regardless of gender, vellus hair covers almost the entire area of the human body. Exceptions include the lips, the backs of the ears, the palms of hands, the soles of the feet, certain external genital areas, the navel and scar tissue. The density of hair – the number of hair follicles per area of skin – varies from person to person. In many cases, areas on the human body that contain vellus hair will begin to produce darker, thicker body hair. An example of this is the growth of an adolescent's beard on a once smooth chin.

Androgenic hair follows the same growth pattern as the hair that grows on the scalp, only the anagen phase is shorter, and the telogen phase is longer. While the anagen phase for the hair on one's head lasts for years, the androgenic hair growing phase lasts a few months.^[1] The telogen phase for body hair lasts close to a year.^[1] This shortened growing period and extended dormant period explains why the hair on the head tends to be much longer than other hair found on the body. Differences in length seen in comparing the hair on the back of the hand and pubic hair, for example, can be explained by varied growth cycles in those two regions. The same goes for differences in body hair length seen in different people, especially when comparing men and women.

Development and growth[link]

Arrernte man with a hairy body

Leg hair of an adolescent male

Hair follicles are to varying degrees sensitive to androgen, primarily testosterone and its derivatives, with different areas on the body having different sensitivity. As androgen levels increase, the rate of hair growth and the weight of the hairs increase. Genetic factors determine both individual levels of androgen and the hair follicle's sensitivity to androgen, as well as other characteristics such as hair colour, type of hair and hair retention.

Rising levels of androgen during puberty cause vellus hair to transform into terminal hair over many areas of the body. The sequence of appearance of terminal hair reflects the level of androgen sensitivity, with pubic hair being the first to appear due to the area's especial sensitivity to androgen. The appearance of pubic hair in both sexes is usually seen as an indication of the start of a person's puberty. There is a sexual differentiation in the amount and distribution of androgenic hair, with men tending to have more terminal hair in more areas. This includes facial hair, chest hair, abdominal hair, leg and arm hair, and foot hair. Women retain more of the less visible vellus hair, although leg, arm, and foot hair can be noticeable on women. It is not unusual for women to have a few terminal hairs around their nipples as well. In the later decades of life, especially after the 5th decade, there begins a reduction in body hair especially marked in the legs. The reason for this is not known but it could be due to poorer circulation, lower free circulating hormone levels or other reasons.

Growth distribution[link]

Like much of the hair on the human body, leg, arm, chest, and back hair begin as vellus hair. As people age, the hair in these regions will often begin to grow darker and more abundantly. This will typically happen during or after puberty. Men will generally have more abundant, coarser hair on the legs, arms, chest, and back, while women tend to have a less drastic change in the hair growth in these areas. However, some women will grow darker, longer hair in one or more of these regions.

Arms[link]

Arm hair grows on a human's forearms, sometimes even on the elbow area. Terminal arm hair is concentrated on the wrist end of the forearm, extending over the hand. Terminal hair growth in adolescent and adult males is often much more intense than that in females, particularly for individuals with dark hair. In some cultures, it is common for women to remove arm hair, though this practice is less frequent than that of leg hair removal.

Terminal hair growth on arms is a secondary sexual characteristic in boys and appears in the last stages of puberty. Vellus arm hair is usually concentrated on the elbow end of the forearm and often ends on the lower part of the upper arm. This type of intense arm vellus hair growth sometimes occurs in young women and people of both genders until puberty. Even though this causes the arms to appear hairy, it is not caused by testosterone. The hair is softer and different from men's arm hair, in texture.

Feet[link]

Visible hair appearing on the top surfaces of the feet and toes generally begins with the onset of puberty. Terminal hair growth on the feet is typically more intense in adult and adolescent males than in females.

Legs[link]

Leg hair generally appears at the onset of adulthood, with the legs of men most often hairier than those of women. For a variety of reasons, people may shave their leg hair, including cultural practice or individual needs. Around the world, females generally shave their leg hair more regularly than men, to conform with the social norms of many cultures, many of which perceive smooth skin as a sign of youth and beauty. However, athletes of both sexes – swimmers, runners, cyclists and bodybuilders in particular – may shave their androgenic hair to reduce friction, highlight muscular development or to make it easier to get into and out of skin-tight clothing. The main reason why professional cyclists shave their legs is to make treatment of road rash less difficult.

Pubic[link]

Pubic hair is a collection of coarse hair found in the pubic region. It will often also grow on the thighs and abdomen. Zoologist Desmond Morris disputes theories that it developed to signal sexual maturity or protect the skin from chafing during copulation, and prefers the explanation that pubic hair acts as a scent trap.^[2]

The genital area of males and females are first inhabited by shorter, lighter vellus hairs that are next to invisible and only begin to develop into darker, thicker pubic hair at puberty. At this time, the pituitary gland secretes gonadotropin hormones which trigger the production of testosterone in the ovaries and testicles, respectively, promoting pubic hair growth. The average ages pubic hair begins to grow in males and females are 12 and 11, respectively.

Just as individual people differ in scalp hair color, they can also differ in pubic hair color. Differences in thickness, growth rate, and length are also evident.

Women of various cultures are encouraged to remove their pubic hair, for example Muslim women may shave their pubic area for reasons of cleanliness to do with their religion.^[3] In Western culture, in the 60's women were frequently portrayed in the media with full pubic hair, but in the following decades trends have influenced women to undertake more and more extreme forms of hair removal.^[4]

Facial[link]

Facial hair, as the name suggests, grows primarily on or around one's face. Both men and women experience facial hair growth, even though it is commonly accepted as a masculine trait. Like pubic hair, non-vellus facial hair will begin to grow in around puberty. Moustaches in young men usually begin to grow in at around the age of 13, although some men may not grow a moustache until they reach late teens.

Function[link]

Androgenic hair provides tactile sensory input by transferring hair movement and vibration via the shaft to sensory nerves within the skin. Follicular nerves detect displacement of hair shafts and other nerve ending in the surrounding skin detect vibration and distortions of the skin around the follicles. Androgenic hair extends the sense of touch beyond the surface of the skin into the air and space surrounding it, detecting air movements as well as hair displacement from contact by insects or objects.^[5][6]

Evolution[link]

Determining the evolutionary function of androgenic hair must take into account both human evolution and the thermal properties of hair itself.

The thermodynamic properties of hair are based on the properties of the keratin strands and amino acids that combine into a 'coiled' structure. This structure lends to many of the properties of hair, such as its ability to stretch and return to its original length. It should be noted that this coiled structure does not predispose curly or frizzy hair, both of which are defined by oval or triangular hair follicle cross-sections.^[7]

Evolution of less body hair[link]

Congo man and woman

Hair is a very good thermal conductor and aids both heat transfer into and out of the body. When goose pimples are observed, small muscles contract to raise the hairs both to provide insulation, by reducing cooling by air convection of the skin, as well as in response to central nervous stimulus, similar to the feeling of 'hairs standing up on the back of your neck'. This phenomenon also occurs when static charge is built up and stored in the hair. Keratin however can easily be damaged by excessive heat and dryness, suggesting that extreme sun exposure, perhaps due to a lack of clothing, would result in perpetual hair destruction, eventually resulting in the genes being bred out in favor of high skin pigmentation. It is also true that parasites can live on and in hair thus peoples who preserved their body hair would have required greater general hygiene in order to prevent diseases caused by such as well as a need for grooming, two predominant factors in the civilization of homo sapiens.^[8]

Markus J. Rantala of the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland, said humans evolved by "natural selection" to be hairless when the trade off of "having fewer parasites" became more important than having a "warming, furry coat".^[9]

P.E. Wheeler of the Department of Biology at Liverpool Polytechnic said quadrupedal Savannah mammals of similar volume to humans have body hair to keep warm while only larger quadrupedal Savannah mammals lack body hair, because their body volume itself is enough to keep them warm.^[10] Therefore, Wheeler said humans who should have body hair based on predictions of body volume alone for Savannah mammals evolved no body hair after evolving bipedalism which he said reduced the amount of body area exposed to the sun by 40%, reducing the solar warming effect on the human body.^[10]

Sexual selection[link]

Cambridge University zoologist Charles Goodhart believed men have long preferred the "hairless trait" in women, ever since the existence of the "hairless trait" occurred in our hairy forebears 70,000-120,000 years ago during the last episode of global warming. Goodhart argued that humans are relatively hairless today compared to our ancestors because women who were sexually selected for their "hairless trait" passed it on to both their male and female offspring.^[11]

Markus J. Rantala of the Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Finland, said the existence of "androgen dependent" hair on men "could be" explained by "sexual attraction" whereby hair on the genitals would trap "pheromones" and hair on the chin would make the chin appear "more massive".^[9]

Across races[link]

John Batchelor took a picture of this Ainu man who Batchelor said had body hair completely covering his body.

According to Ashley Montagu who taught anthropology at Princeton University, the "Mongoloid, "Bushmen" and "Negroid" are less hairy than the "Caucasoid" and Montagu said that the hairless feature is a neotenous trait.^[13]

Rodney P.R. Dawber of the Oxford Hair Foundation and Clinical Lecturer in Dermatology said "Mongoloid males" have "little or no facial or body hair" and Dawber also said "Mediterranean males are covered with an exuberant pelage".^[14]

Anthropologist Arnold Henry Savage Landor described the Ainu as having hairy bodies.^[15]

C.H. Danforth and Mildred Trotter of the Department of Anatomy at Washington University did a study using army soldiers of European origin where they concluded that dark-haired white men are generally more hairy than fair-haired white men.^[16]

H. Harris who published in the British Journal of Dermatology said American Indians have the least body hair, Chinese and "Negroes" have little body hair, white people have more body hair than "Negroes" and Ainu have the most body hair.^[17]

Milkica Nešić et al. of the Department of Physiology at the University of Niš, Serbia, said the "frequency of hair" in "peoples of the Caucasus" is "significantly higher than" in "Negroid populations".^[18]

Eike-Meinrad Winkler and Kerrin Christiansen of the Institut für Humanbiologie, Hamburg, Germany, did a study using Kavango people and !Kung people of body hair and hormone levels to investigate the reason Black Africans did not have bodies as hairy as Europeans.^[19] Winkler and Christiansen concluded the difference in hairiness between Black Africans and Europeans had to do with differences in androgen or estradiol production, in androgen metabolism, and in sex hormone action in the target cells.^[19]

Valerie Anne Randall of the Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Bradford, said beard growth in Caucasian men increases until the mid-thirties due to a delay caused by growth cycles changing from vellus hair to terminal hair.^[20] Randall said Caucasian men and women are hairier than Japanese men and women even with the same "total plasma androgen levels".^[20] Randall says that the reason for some people being hairy and some people not being hairy is unclear, but that it probably is related to differing sensitivity of hair follicles to 5α-reductase.^[20]

Stewart W. Hindley and Albert Damon of the Department of Anthropology at Stanford University said "Caucasians" are hairier than "Negroids" and "Mongoloids".^[21] Hindley and Damon said different groups of people have differing percentages of members with mid-phalangeal hair: Andamanese 0%, Eskimo 1%, American "Negroes" 16% or 28%, Ethiopians 25.6%, Mexicans of the Yucatan 20.9%, Penobscot and Shinnecook 22.7%, Gurkha 33.6%, Japanese 44.6%, "various Hindus" 40-50%, Egyptians 52.3%, Near Eastern peoples 62-71% , "various Europeans" 60-80%.^[21]

Anthropologist Joseph Deniker said the "very hairy" peoples are the Ainus, Iranians, Australian aborigines, Toda, Dravidians and Melanesians while Deniker said the American Indian, Bushmen, West African, Mongol and Malay people are "glabrous" (not hairy).^[22] Deniker said hairy peoples have thicker beards, eyelashes and eyebrows, but Deniker said hairy people tend to have fewer hairs on their scalp.^[22]

See also[link]

• Alopecia
• Hair removal
• Hirsutism
• Human hair color
• Trichotillomania

Notes[link]

Rémi Gaillard
Gaillard in 2011
Born	(1975-02-07) February 7, 1975 (age 37)
Occupation	Pranker, Humorist
Years active	1999–present
Home town	Montpellier, France
Internet information
Web alias(es)	Rémi Gaillard
Web hosting service(s)	YouTube
Website
nimportequi.com.

Rémi Gaillard (born 7 February 1975 in Montpellier, France) is a French humorist who uploads videos on YouTube. After losing his job at a shoe store, Rémi then began to use his free time to have fun and run some pranks on the public. He is the seventeenth most subscribed comedian on YouTube.^[1]

Gaillard gained attention in the French media after performing a well-documented series of pranks, including an appearance disguised as a Lorient soccer player in the 2002 Coupe de France final match, during which he took part in the winners' celebrations and was greeted by the then president of the French Republic, Jacques Chirac. He is also an extremely talented soccer player and has posted videos of his skills.

Gaillard has appeared in several sport events, TV game shows and political rallies.

Concept[link]

Rémi Gaillard became famous for his videos where he displays an "outrageous" style of humour, challenging public norms.^[2] Recurring themes include dressing up as and interpreting the behaviour of various animals in public, racing unsuspecting car-drivers whilst dressed up as Mario, and numerous provocative interactions with parking enforcement officers and the police.

Through his various stunts and pranks Rémi is involved in Culture jamming. In his videos, he is often found mocking the law and induces his viewers to think twice about the norms in today's society.

Gaillard's satirical motto is C'est en faisant n'importe quoi qu'on devient n'importe qui (literally, "It's by doing anything, that one becomes anybody").

Sketches[link]

The majority of Gaillard's sketches are of the hidden camera type, often disguising himself in outlandish costumes for his pranks. In some videos, Gaillard is accompanied by a crowd of friends, giving the action a flashmob-like nature.

Gaillard shot his first sketch in 1999^[2] with a friend in Montpellier, and in 2001, he launched his website nimportequi.com.^[2]

He gained notoriety in 2002 at the finals of the Coupe de France. Disguised as an FC Lorient player, he celebrated the team's victory with the players, shook the hand of the then French President Jacques Chirac and signed autographs, without anyone realizing that he was not a player on the team.

He achieved further YouTube notoriety through his Rocky Balboa parodies, Pac Man costume prank, Mario Kart prank, and his soccer videos. His recent pranks often entail dressing up in large animal costumes; namely, a pig, dog, cat, turtle, snail, bee, shark, kangaroo, spider, beaver, fly, gorilla, chicken, penguin, giraffe, rabbit, butterfly, bat and a sheep.

He occasionally ran into some trouble while shooting his videos but never of the legal kind. He does not have a police record. ^[3]

In 2007, he gained the attention of journalists from Le Monde and made occasional television appearances.^{[citation needed]}. Gaillard also appeared in Orangina, Pepsi, Durex and LG commercials.^{[citation needed]}

On his official site, Gaillard claims over 1.35 billion views on his videos on the web.^[4]. As each of his videos claim at least 1,000,000 views. His most popular video, "Mario Kart", has over 47 million views alone.^[5]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website
• Gaillard's channel on YouTube
• Gaillard's Dailymotion channel

Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian Fragrance Launch, Glendale, CA on February 22, 2011
Born	Kimberly Noel Kardashian (1980-10-21) October 21, 1980 (age 31) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Nationality	American
Ethnicity	Armenian, Dutch, Scottish
Occupation	Businesswoman, socialite, television personality, model, actress
Years active	2007–present
Height	5 ft 2.5 in (1.59 m)
Television	Keeping Up with the Kardashians Kourtney and Kim Take New York
Spouse	Damon Thomas (m. 2000–2004) «start: (2000)–end+1: (2005)»"Marriage: Damon Thomas to Kim Kardashian" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Kim_Kardashian) Kris Humphries (m. 2011) «start: (2011)»"Marriage: Kris Humphries to Kim Kardashian" Location: (linkback:http://en-wiki.pop.wn.com/index.php/Kim_Kardashian) (separated)
Parents	Robert Kardashian (father) Kris Jenner (mother) Bruce Jenner (stepfather)
Relatives	Kourtney Kardashian (sister) Khloé Kardashian (sister) Robert Kardashian Jr. (brother) Kylie Jenner (half-sister) Kendall Jenner (half-sister)
Website
kimkardashian.celebuzz.com

Kimberly Noel "Kim" Kardashian^[1] (born October 21, 1980^[2]) is an American socialite, celebutante, television personality, model, actress and businesswoman. She is known for starring in Keeping Up with the Kardashians, the E! reality series that she shares with her family, and its spin-offs including Kourtney and Kim Take New York.^[3]

Prior to the development of her career as a reality television star, Kardashian gained notoriety as the subject of a sex tape that subsequently resulted in a court awarding her $5 million. She has been involved in the production of several lines of clothing and fragrances. In 2010, she was the highest earning reality star, with estimated earnings of $6 million, and is one of the most highly documented and followed celebrities in the world in popular media.

In August 2011, Kardashian married basketball player Kris Humphries in a widely publicized ceremony. In October 2011, Kardashian filed for divorce, 72 days after the wedding.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Kardashian was born in Los Angeles, California, the daughter of attorney Robert Kardashian and his wife Kris Kardashian (née Houghton). Her father was a third generation Armenian American, and her mother is of Dutch and Scottish descent.^[4] Kardashian has two sisters, Kourtney and Khloé, and one brother, Robert. She has stepbrothers Burton Jenner, Brandon Jenner, and reality TV star Brody Jenner, step-sister Casey Jenner, and half-sisters Kendall Jenner and Kylie Jenner.^[5] She attended Marymount High School.^[6]

In 2000, Kardashian married music producer Damon Thomas; their relationship ended in divorce in 2004. Subsequently she dated R&B singer Ray J, NFL star Reggie Bush^[7] and Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Miles Austin.^[8] She also dated model Gabriel Aubry.^[9]

2003–07: Controversy and reality television[link]

In February 2007, a home sex video that she made with singer Ray J in 2003^[10] was leaked.^[11] Vivid Entertainment bought the rights for $1 million and released the film as Kim Kardashian: Superstar on February 21.^[11] Kardashian sued Vivid for ownership of the tape. In late April 2007, Kardashian dropped the suit and settled with Vivid Entertainment for $5 million.^[12]

Kardashian was a friend of Paris Hilton, who introduced her to the socialite scene.^[13] Her first acting role was in the television series Beyond the Break. In October 2007, along with her two sisters, mother, brother, half-sisters, and stepfather she starred in the E! television series, Keeping Up with the Kardashians. As of October 2011, the series has aired 69 episodes over six seasons.

2007–2010: Modeling and retail[link]

Kardashian in Santa Monica, California on May 13, 2009 at Maxim's 10th Annual Hot 100 Celebration

Kardashian co-owns a clothing boutique called D-A-S-H with her sisters Kourtney and Khloé.^[14] In December 2007, Kardashian posed nude for Playboy.^[15] In February 2008, Bongo Jeans announced that she would be their face model.^[16] She has also modeled for Carl's Jr., Sugar Factory lollipops, and various other products.^[17][18]

Kardashian starred in the 2008 disaster film spoof Disaster Movie as Lisa,^[19] and appeared in the How I Met Your Mother episode "Benefits". She also appeared on the Season 3 premiere of the series 90210 with her sisters Khloé and Kourtney; they all played themselves.^[20] Kardashian was a guest hostess of WrestleMania XXIV and appeared as a guest judge during Cycle 13 of America's Next Top Model.^[21] On December 16, 2009, Kardashian made a guest star appearance on CBS's CSI: NY with Vanessa Minnillo.^[22][19] In 2009 she had a cameo as club bouncer in the 2009 porn film spoof Deep in the Valley^[19]

Kardashian was one of 13 participants on the seventh season of Dancing with the Stars.^[23][19] She was partnered with Mark Ballas and was the third contestant voted off the show on September 30, 2008, finishing in 11th place overall.^[24] Sanford Siegal, the creator of the Cookie Diet, sued Kardashian, claiming she defamed him on Twitter. According to Siegal, Kardashian tweeted in October 2009 that he was "falsely promoting" that she was on the cookie diet. Siegal filed a claim in a Florida state court claiming the statements are false and defamatory. He also alleges that Kardashian was on QuickTrim's payroll when she posted the tweet. Kardashian's tweet appears to stem from an article on CookieDiet.com, that named Kardashian as one of many celebrities who saw positive results on the diet. Kardashian sent a cease-and-desist order to Siegal, demanding the link be removed.^[25]

Kardashian released her own fragrance product in 2010.^[26] In March 2009, Kardashian launched an endorsement with ShoeDazzle shopping,^[27] of which she is the co-founder and chief fashion stylist.^[17] The following month on April 9, 2009, Kardashian released a workout DVD series, Fit In Your Jeans By Friday, with trainers Jennifer Galardi and Patrick Goudeau.^[14][28] In September 2009, Fusion Beauty and Seven Bar Foundation launched "Kiss Away Poverty", with Kardashian as the face of the campaign. For every LipFusion lipgloss sold, $1 went to the Foundation to fund women entrepreneurs in the US.^[29]

She has also been featured in numerous international editions of FHM, including the cover of the April 2010 Australian edition and the UK March 2011 edition.^[30] Famous Cupcakes, a Los Angeles bakery, created a vanilla cupcake mix for Kardashian. The cupcake flavor is called Va-Va-Va-Nilla.^[17] Kardashian has also created jewelry along with her sisters, Khloé and Kourtney. They produced a collection for Virgins, Saints, and Angels in 2010.^[31]

Again with her sisters, Kardashian has released various clothing lines. One called K-Dash was to be sold on QVC in 2010,^[32] and in the same year they produced a range for Bebe.^[33][34][35] As of August 2011 they are creating another for Sears, called the Kardashian Kollection.^[36] In addition, Kardashian and her sisters created a sunless tanner called Kardashian Glamour Tan in 2010.^[37] On July 1, 2010, the New York City branch of Madame Tussauds revealed a wax figure of Kardashian.^[38]

2010–present: Marriage and other ventures[link]

Kardashian is the producer of The Spin Crowd, a reality television show about Command PR, a New York City public relations firm, run by Jonathan Cheban and Simon Huck. The show follows them as they settle into their new offices in Los Angeles. Kardashian is friends with both, specifically Cheban, and frequently appears on her reality shows. She also appeared at the 2010 MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.^[39] She also appeared in and was the subject and judge of a task on the ninth episode of Season 10 of The Apprentice in 2010; the two teams had to create an in-store display for her new perfume line, to be sold at Perfumania.^[40][41] Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé wrote an autobiography entitled Kardashian Konfidential, which was released in stores on November 23, 2010.^[42]

Kardashian at the Style Your Slim event.

In April 2010, Kardashian sparked controversy over the way she held a cat for a photograph.^[43] The same year, animal rights organization PETA criticized Kardashian for repeatedly wearing fur coats, and named her as one of the five worst people or organizations of 2010 when it came to animal welfare.^[44] In June 2010, The Guardian commented on her ability to attract payments of up to US$10,000 from sponsors for each tweet that she broadcasts.^[45]

In December 2010, Kardashian filmed a music video for a song titled "Jam (Turn It Up)". The video was directed by Hype Williams; Kanye West makes a cameo in the video.^[46] Kardashian premiered the song during a New Year's Eve party at TAO Las Vegas on December 31, 2010.^[47] The song was produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart. When asked if an album is in the works, Kardashian replied: "There's no album in the works or anything – just one song we did for Kourtney and Kim Take New York, and a video Hype Williams directed, half of the proceeds we're giving away to a cancer foundation, because The-Dream's and one of my parents passed away from cancer. It's just all having fun – with a good cause".^[48] Jim Farber, writing for the Daily News, called the song a "dead-brained piece of generic dance music, without a single distinguishing feature," and suggested that the single made Kardashian the "worst singer in the reality TV universe."^[49]

Kardashian's 2010 earnings were the highest among Hollywood-based reality stars, being estimated at $6 million.^[50]

Kardashian has supported the recognition of the Armenian Genocide on numerous occasions and has encouraged Barack Obama and the United States government to consider its acknowledgement. On April 21, 2011, a few days before the 96th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide, she wrote about the issue on her blog in an effort to put it under spotlight and also sent a tweet to her fans urging its recognition.^[51]

Kardashian began dating NBA player Kris Humphries of the New Jersey Nets in October 2010. They became engaged in May 2011,^[52] and married on August 20, 2011 in Montecito, California.^[53] A two-part TV special showing the preparations and the wedding itself aired on E! in early October 2011, amidst what the Washington Post called a "media blitz" related to the wedding.^[54] After 72 days of marriage, Kardashian filed for divorce from Humphries on October 31, 2011, citing irreconcilable differences.^[55] After filing for the divorce, Kardashian asked the court to order Humphries to pay his own legal expenses.^[56] On December 1, 2011, Humphries filed his response to Kardashian's petition, requesting an annulment on the grounds of fraud or if the court will not grant an annulment, a decree of legal separation rather than Kardashian's requested divorce.^[57]

Several news outlets have surmised that Kardashian's marriage to Humphries was merely a publicity stunt to promote the Kardashian family's brand and their subsequent television ventures.^[58] Her former publicist has also claimed that her short-lived wedding was indeed staged and a ploy to generate money. Kardashian has since filed suit against him, saying his claims were untrue.^[59] A widely circulated petition asking to remove all Kardashian related programing off the air has been followed since their split.^[60] In March 2012, Kardashian and her sisters Kourtney and Khloe were named in a $5 million class action lawsuit against QuickTrim, the weight loss supplement they endorse.^[61]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (March 2012)

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Kim Kardashian

• Official website
• Kim Kardashian at the Internet Movie Database
• Kardashians join forces with Australian designer at Mediasearch

Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray in 2007
Born	Rachael Domenica Ray (1968-08-25) August 25, 1968 (age 43) Glens Falls, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Television personality, businesswoman, author, celebrity chef[1]
Years active	2001–present
Spouse	John Cusimano (2005–present)
Website
"rachelray.com". http://www.rachaelray.com.

Rachael Domenica Ray (born August 25, 1968) is an American television personality, businesswoman, celebrity chef and author. She hosts the syndicated talk and lifestyle program Rachael Ray and three Food Network series, 30 Minute Meals, Rachael Ray's Tasty Travels and $40 a Day. Ray wrote cookbooks based on the 30 Minute Meals concept, and launched a magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray, in 2006. Ray's television shows have won two Daytime Emmy Awards.

Personal life[link]

Ray was born in Glens Falls, New York.^[2][3] Her parents are Elsa Scuderi, an Italian (Sicilian) American, and James Ray, who is of French, Scottish and Welsh descent.^[4] She moved to Cape Cod, Massachusetts where her family owned four restaurants. When Ray was 8, her family moved to Lake George, New York. Her mother managed restaurants in upstate New York.^[2]

In 1995 Ray moved to New York City.^[5] One of her first jobs there was at the candy counter at Macy's, where she eventually managed the fresh foods department. She later helped open a New York City market. Moving back to upstate New York, Ray managed Mister Brown's Pub at The Sagamore, a hotel on Lake George. From there, she became a buyer at Cowan & Lobel, a gourmet market in Albany. Ray credits the concept of 30 Minute Meals to her experience working at the store, where she met people who were reluctant to cook. She taught a course in which she showed how to make meals in less than thirty minutes. With the success of her "30 Minute Meals" classes, WRGB (the local CBS TV affiliate) asked her to appear in a weekly segment on their newscasts. This, along with a public radio appearance and the publication of her first book, led to a Today show spot and her first Food Network contract in 2001.

On September 24, 2005, in Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy, Ray married John Cusimano, an American lawyer and lead singer of the rock band "The Cringe." She owns homes in Lake Luzerne, New York, and Manhattan's Greenwich Village.^[6][7]

Career[link]

Cooking[link]

Ray teaches simple recipes that she says can be completed in 30 minutes or less, although critics claim that her concept does not include preparation.^[8]

Ray says that her Sicilian maternal grandfather, Emmanuel Scuderi, and her Cajun ancestry serve as a strong influence on her cooking. She uses ingredients such as fresh herbs, garlic and chicken stock to boost flavors. She believes that measuring "takes away from the creative, hands-on process of cooking" and instead favors approximations such as "half a palmful". To critics of her shortcut techniques, Ray responds, "I have no formal anything. I'm completely unqualified for any job I've ever had."^[5] She acknowledges that she cannot bake because it requires measured ingredients, that she cannot make coffee, and that she burns bread under the broiler.

On her television programs, she has used catchphrases such as "E-V-O-O" (extra-virgin olive oil), "yum-o," "G.B." (garbage bowl), "Oh my gravy!", "entréetizer" (entrée-sized appetizer), "stoup" (cross between a soup and stew),^[9] and "choup" (thicker than a soup but thinner than a chowder).^[10] In 2007, The Oxford American College Dictionary announced the addition of the term EVOO, short for extra-virgin olive oil, which Ray had helped to popularize, and credited her with coining the phrase.^[11][12]

The set of 30 Minute Meals uses a yellow Model 61C Chambers stove from the 1950s, notable for its top-opening broiler, super-insulated oven, and unique Thermowell.

On November 12, 2006, Ray and Mario Batali defeated the team of Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis on an episode of Iron Chef America during which cranberries were the secret ingredient. On March 18, 2007, Food Network debuted a Rachael Ray episode of its special Chefography series, on which she stated that "the worst day of [her] life" was Iron Chef America, admitting to being anxious about it for weeks before. She also told commentator Alton Brown that she was "a cook, not a chef."

Television[link]

In 2005, Ray signed a deal with Oprah Winfrey and King World Productions to host a syndicated daytime TV talk show.^[13] The show, Rachael Ray, premiered on September 18, 2006. Recurrent appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show were used to fuel the launch, much as Dr. Phil's show was spun off based on his own frequent visits to Oprah.^[14] The show tapes in New York City. In coordination with the syndication announcement, Ray said, "People know me for my love of food, but I have so much more I want to share."

Ray has appeared on The View, The Today Show, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Nightline, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, Larry King Live, Cake Boss, Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson and The Dr. Oz Show.

For Sesame Street’s 38th season, Ray appeared in an episode to present "pumpernickel" as the word of the day.

On January 12, 2008, Ray's television series Rachael's Vacation premiered on the Food Network.^[15] The show is a five-part food travelogue shot in various European countries.^[16]

In 2008, Ray became a television executive producer^[17] of a short-ran Latin cooking show on the Food Network called Viva Daisy!, starring Daisy Martínez.

In August 2009, Ray appeared as herself on Million Dollar Password for charity for Yum-O! and her own charity for animal rescue with Regis Philbin.

Ray also appeared on the hidden-camera show I Get That a Lot, pretending to be an employee at a dry cleaners.

In September 2010, a new show, her first new cooking show in eight years, Rachael Ray's Week In a Day began airing on the Cooking Channel.

In January 2012, Rachael will be one of the two team captains (along with Guy Fieri) in the Food Network reality series Rachael vs. Guy: Celebrity Cook-Off.^[18]

Magazines[link]

In 2003, she posed for the men's magazine FHM. A writer for The New York Times wrote, "The shots feature Ray in short-shorts with an exposed midriff, licking chocolate off a big wooden spoon, eating a strawberry and sitting in a sink, laughing as suds cascade down her thighs."^[5] In a March 2009 interview with Nightline co-anchor Cynthia McFadden, Ray defended her decision to pose in the magazine.^[19]

The Reader's Digest Association launched Ray's eponymous magazine, Every Day with Rachael Ray on October 25, 2005. The magazine featured seven issues in 2006, and increased to ten issues in 2007.

On October 12, 2011, it was announced that Meredith Corporation had reached an agreement to acquire Every Day with Rachael Ray. ^[20]

Product endorsements[link]

In November 2006, Ray became a spokeswoman for Nabisco crackers. She appears in commercials and on boxes for the many Nabisco products. Many boxes with Ray's picture have her recipes.

In February 2007, WestPoint Home launched sheets, blankets, and coverlets designed by Ray.^[21] Within six months, WestPoint expanded Ray's bed and bath line to include the "Moppine", a two-in-one dish towel/oven mitt, as Ray is often seen with a kitchen towel over her shoulder that doubles for her as an ersatz mitt.^[22]

In March 2007, the Dunkin' Donuts company announced Ray as its celebrity endorser, mainly of its coffee, since she had denied being able to make coffee herself.^[23] As part of a promotional campaign, Ray describes the company's coffee as "fantabulous."^[24] Celebrity chef and Travel Channel personality Anthony Bourdain, however, disparagingly referred to Ray's affiliation with Dunkin' Donuts as "evil," and went on to compare it to "endorsing crack for kids."^[25]

In May 2007, Ray's recipes were made available on AT&T cellular phones via the "Rachael Ray Recipes on the Run" feature.^[26]

In July 2008, Rachael Ray Nutrish pet food was introduced. The dog foods are created from recipes that Ray developed for her pit bull, Isaboo. All proceeds from the sale of these products go to Rachael's Rescue, a charity founded by Ray to help at-risk animals.^[27]

Awards and recognition[link]

Rachael Ray attending a high school social event in Enterprise, Alabama in 2007

• 2004: ranked #92 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2004"
• 2006: ranked #71 on "FHM-U.S.'s 100 Sexiest Women 2006"
• 2006: 30 Minute Meals received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Service Show. Ray was also nominated for Outstanding Service Show Host
• 2006: named one of Time magazine's 100 most influential people. She was nominated by fellow Food Network star Mario Batali^[28]
• 2006: according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $6 million June 2005–June 2006^[29] from her books and television shows (excluding her new series, Rachael Ray)
• February 21, 2007, Ray announced on her show that a wax creation was made of her and that this wax figure will be on display at Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum in New York City
• 2007: nominated for Daytime Emmy Award, Outstanding Talk Show Host
• April 2007, Ray launched a charity, "The Yum-O! Organization", with help from Bill Clinton, to help children eat healthier^[30]
• June 2008, The Rachael Ray Show received a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment^[31]
• June 2008, according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $18 million June 2007-June 2008^[32]
• June 2009, according to Forbes magazine, Ray earned about $15 million in the year ending June 2009, as well as naming her as the 79th most powerful celebrity in the world^[33]
• August 2009, The Rachael Ray Show received a second Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Talk Show/Entertainment^[34]
• January 2011, Ray won a People's Choice Award for Favorite TV Chef, over fellow nominees Bobby Flay, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Paula Deen