Bijou

She Declared herself emancipated from her famous parents at 14 and started living on her own in New York City. Is it any wonder she ended up walking on the wild side? She modeled for Calvin Klein, was a regular on the A-list party circuit as a young teen and made frequent tabloid headlines for her alleged psycho-brat behavior. She pulled a Drew Barrymore and entered rehab at 17. Since then she has devoted herself to her work. Her first album, I'd Rather Eat Glass, was well received critically, and she's acted in four movies to date. Media reports say she's still no angel, so we were expecting her high spirits. We discovered, however, a thoughtful, world-wise young woman, who, at the age of 20, is ready to make an entirely new splash with her appearance here.

Playboy: How has being the daughter of John Phillips (of the Mamas and the Papas) affected your career?

Phillips: It's helped me, but at the same time it hasn't. If I weren't his daughter I wonder if people would take the record more seriously. It's a double-edged sword and you're going to get cut on both sides.

Playboy: Why do you think Americans get so worked up about sex and nudity?

Phillips: Because they're the horniest people on the planet. They're afraid of the church, they're afraid of hell, they're afraid of what might happen if they are open about it.

Playboy: So what makes a man sexy?

Phillips: A belly. I like real men, I don't like pretty boys.

Playboy: You've said you're obsessed with stripping--the clothes, the darkness, the raunchiness. You even took to the pole in one of your videos. What is it that intrigues you about that lifestyle?

Phillips: I love going to strip clubs. I don't think it's bad or degrading. Guys are guys. The only time a woman really cares what a guy thinks is when she's in love with him or he's her boss. The rest of the time women wish guys would disappear. When the girls are up there and all eyes are on them and they're ready to dance, the adrenaline rush they get is amazing. I really respect a good dancer because it's painful to learn how to work the pole. That's a metal pole you're rubbing your legs, shins and calves against. Strippers get these huge calluses on their legs. It's hard-core.

Playboy: With your first album, I'd Rather Eat Glass, you were compared to Tori Amos and Ani DiFranco, among others. Who do you really identify with?

Phillips: Rickie Lee Jones is my favorite, but I like a lot of female artists. Madonna is God. She's the Queen Elizabeth of the music kingdom.

Playboy: Where do you rank in this monarchy?

Phillips: I'm in a dungeon somewhere. She has me hidden away. I'm not even a royal subject.

Playboy: You've started acting, appearing in the film Black and White with Robert Downey Jr. What's your next project?

Phillips: With music you have to set aside four or five months just to focus. Now it's music time, and it's been a nightmare because I don't know what kind of music I want to do.

Playboy: Your half sister Chynna Phillips dropped out of the music world, got married and is having a baby. Is that something you want someday?

Phillips: I don't think Chynna is really interested in selling herself anymore. I really just want to get married and have kids, too. That's my main goal in life. But I want to give myself a shot at other things first. Some people want to focus everything on their children. They don't believe you can both have a career and raise kids, because you really can't. We'll see what happens. I'm looking forward to being barefoot and pregnant at 28 or 29, with a house in Colorado--maybe Boulder. I want to raise horses and have my kids be able to ride their bikes to school every day.