What’s even more beautiful than a gorgeous gal with sleek hair, smokey eyes, gleaming teeth and perfect skin?  When said girl–Jessica Simpson–donates her time and energy to promoting a cause like Operation Smile.  Jessica has been involved for years as a Celebrity Ambassador, using her name and image to help bring attention to the charity: one form of fame-exploitation we can definitely get behind!

If you’re not familiar with Operation Smile, they’re an organization that gives free medical treatment to children all over the world born with cleft palates.  There is real, powerful truth behind the idea that nothing makes you look more beautiful than a smile–so an organization dedicated to repairing and celebrating smiles is so vital.

Read more about Operation Smile here.

Do you remember Jessica Simpson?  That delightfully-dizzy blonde who ruled MTV in an era long ago and far away?  (You know: before Twitter, the Jonas Brothers, Octomom and So You Think the Plus Eight Stars are Rock of Love in The Hills?)  There was a time when I was–yes, I think I’m brave enough to admit it now–obsessed with Jessica Simpson.  Sure, I poked fun at her.  I ruled the Nick and Jessica Breakup Watch (RIP!) with an iron fist. I rolled my eyes in annoyance at her twee observations.  But I loved her all the same.  Truly.  She felt like family–that sister or aunt who frustrates you to no end, but when your boyfriend makes fun of her, you snap.

Improbably, over the past 4 years, Jess has become the underdog.  I can’t put my finger on it, but there’s something simultaneously heartbreaking and inspirational to me about Jessica Simpson.  I root for her.  I wish her well.  I feel–in the lamest possibly way–that we will someday be friends.  Despite being beautiful and having an air of the Homecoming Queen, she’s at her best when she’s dorky, relatable, stripped bare.  Glamorous Jess?  No.  Jess being propelled through the water and faceplanting into a dolphin’s belly?  Mais, oui.

I suspect I’m probably alone in my bizarre Jess-cheerleading.  That’s okay.  I’m waiting for her Britney-style comeback (make it happen!) and look forward to the day when we’re downing margaritas on my deck together and I say, “So…I have a confession.  I used to keep this blog called Nick and Jessica Breakup Watch…”

Stranger things have happened, right?

Longtime Jolie readers will remember that I used to cover Jessica Simpson a lot back in the day.  I was hoping to let the nasty comments surrounding recent photos go unnoticed as not to add fuel to the fire, but I thought a statement Ashlee Simpson issued was worthy of reprinting.

“I am completely disgusted by the headlines concerning my sister’s weight.  A week after the inauguration and with such a feeling of hope in the air for our country, I find it completely embarrassing and belittling to all women to read about a woman’s weight or figure.  All women come in different shapes, sizes, and forms and just because you’re a celebrity, there shouldn’t be a different standard…How can we expect teenage girls to love and respect themselves in an environment where we criticize a size 2 figure?  Now can we focus on the things that really matter.”

Let’s be real here–Jessica Simpson is totally gorgeous, is working her butt off trying to establish a country career (which is more than you can say for the majority of coasting fame-wannabes in the industry) and her weight is nobody’s damn business.  To all the bloggers and media outlets gleefully raking Jessica over the coals and picking her apart: for shame.  It’s gross.

Should I really call it “Daily Links”?  Maybe “When I Feel Like It Links” would be more appropriate.

Vanity Fair’s Sun-Hee Grinnell meets Patrick Dempsey, swoons, and checks out his new Avon fragrance Unscripted. 

Speaking of that rerun Jessica Simpson Elle cover?  New York Magazine’s The Cut points out that some trigger-fingered photoshopper lobbed off her hips.

Were you a Pretty Girl in high school?  (I was firmly in the “Jesus, I’m so awkward” camp, but it’s all good now, I suppose.  Yay for late-blooming confidence!)

One of my favorite recent time sucks: Park Avenue Peerage.  Best consumed with G&T’s and a hearty helping of irony.

Jessica Simpson’s on the cover of September Elle magazine, again.  Am I the only one who did a double take when they saw it?  Why is my beloved Elle obsessed with Jess wearing red flannel shirts and huge-ass belt buckles?  She’s a little bit country.  We get it. 

The September 2008 cover:

The September 2004 cover

Well, at least she seems happier now!  An obscene amount of mousse was likely necessary to acheive the big Texas hair above…but I still love it.

Both Jessica Simpson and Ashlee Simpson-Wentz have been frequently photographed on the town recently, always glowy, happy and beautiful.  I must confess, however, that I think Jessica’s hair looks too long, probably because it’s likely extensions as opposed to her natural locks.  (Awkwardly positioned layers are a telltale sign of extensions, as well as a sudden though nearly-imperceptible difference in the color, shine and texture of various areas of hair.  Speaking from experience here!)  Her California-beach-babe blonde is perfection, but I’d love to see her with a fresh, shorter haircut that allows her pretty face to take center stage.  Ashlee, on the other hand…well, pregnancy certainly agrees with her, doesn’t it?  (I’d never noticed that not-so-little tattoo on her wrist.  Leave it to me for that to be the thing I notice in this photo.)  Still completely digging the red…

Photos from People.com

Ashlee Simpson-Wentz confirmed her pregnancy with Pete Wentz last week, rightfully waiting until after the first trimester had passed to deliver the news to all the rubberneckers out here in blogland.  While queueing for my lunch today, I did the unthinkable and flipped through a nearby Star magazine, noticing a piece about Ashlee’s supposed worry over passing her (still ridiculously good) genes to her baby.  It was a fluff little piece, unless most of the very serious journalism in Star, but it did get me thinking…if you’re vain enough to drastically alter your appearance in the first place (we can call a spade a spade, right?), it stands to reason that you must indeed have a mini freak-out worrying about your baby getting your “bad” old nose, or weak chin, or protruding ears, or generous thighs, whatever.  (Insert celebrity name and plastic procedure here!)  After all, with a little pain tolerance and a lot of money, you can easily create a magazine cover-ready face and body, and most patients re-adjust their self-image to fit their new looks after surgery, conveniently “forgetting” what they were born with.  So having a kid pop out with features from the old you must be quite an unpleasant reminder, no?

Out with the old…

In with the new…

Photo from People.com

In other news, Jessica Simpson has never looked better recently: healthy, freshly blond, and just all around pretty.  The bronzed goddess glow suits her!