It has been six days since my boyfriend and I broke up. So obviously the best thing to do was watch a romantic “comedy” (I’ll explain the quotation marks in a minute). What I didn’t realize is that even a movie about falling in love could explain so much about an ended relationship.

Going the Distance is essentially Knocked Up minus the baby and the funny. Oh, and plus about 3,000 miles. Erin (Drew Barrymore) is a reporter on an internship who meets Garrett (Justin Long) six weeks before she has to return to her hometown of San Francisco. Garrett works for a record label where he is unable to give the bands he loves any big breaks. I know, a news office and a record label – now there are two places that we don’t see enough of in films today. Neither Erin nor Garrett really like the way their life is going and they make each other laugh, so naturally, they fall in love and commit to be long distance.

The mastermind behind this film clearly thought that because Drew Barrymore, Justin Long, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, and Christina Applegate are funny in other movies and TV shows, they would be able to somehow make the dialogue infinitely more hysterical than it actually was on paper. When they realized that wasn’t working, I guess they just decided that Judd Apatow is pretty popular, so why not have three goofy looking friends talk about masturbation while two blonde sisters (the older, anal-retentive one with a crazy family that she can’t handle and the younger one falling in love) talk about how stupid men are.

The sad part is, the characters have that true, realistic wit that your own friends might have. I also surround myself with people who are quick with their comebacks and pop culture references. Unfortunately, the film doesn’t want to make it about your friends. It wants to be something that it never could be – a popular, raunchy comedy that makes a billion dollars. If director Nanette Burstein had told the cast to go “real,” especially in the scenes where Garrett and his boys are hanging out, then Going the Distance could have been a relatable story. Instead, Long, Day, and Sudeikis ham for the camera and overdo the obvious jokes, but undersell the truly witty lines.

Looking beyond the clear problems with creativity and humor, Going the Distance has an interesting underlying theme to it. Consider the title, “Going the Distance.” Throughout the film, Erin and Garrett meet, commit to a long distance relationship, fall in love, fight, miss each other, fight some more, and then miss each other some more. The film also makes it very clear that both Erin and Garrett could have chosen a simpler life, because they both have people at their workplace who are obviously interested in them (another example of the lack of creativity…).

So, the film asks in its own way, are Erin and Garrett making the right choice? Do they love each other enough that it is worth it to “go the distance” for each other? This distance isn’t just in a physical sense; it is completely emotional. Both have clearly committed to put themselves through the emotional turmoil of missing each other, jealousy, and loneliness. This connects so well to every relationship, because even if there isn’t physical distance, there are always differences; everyone eventually has to decide whether or not it’s worth it to fight for each other and accept the inevitable problems.

I hope that you can understand my own personal epiphany without me having to explain it, but let me just say that I have been so much happier since the break up, and after reading a little too deeply into what was supposed to be a distraction from my life, I think I’m starting to better understand why it feels like a weight has been lifted.

So this is how the whole swine flu thing started.

Thank god we don’t live in Boston.

Will Chris Brown go free?

Hef wants Holly back. Obvi.

Looks like The Real World: Cancun isn’t happening…

So this week, rather than choosing a specific celebrity whose style I admire, I decided to give an ode to awards season by picking out some of the best red carpet looks of the season and explaining why these starlets succeeded in looking amazing.

You may not have any red carpet events coming up (What? You weren’t invited to the Oscars?), but that doesn’t mean you can’t learn a thing or two from these fashion experts.

Anne Hathaway looks lovely at the SAG awards in this amazing Grecian-inspired Azzaro gown. The cut complements her figure, the white – a shift from basic black – makes a statement, and the detailing is glamorous without being over-the-top. You can’t take your eyes off of her and that is what embodies red carpet glamor.

Kate Winslet is one of my favorite actresses, and she also happens to be a consistent winner on the red carpet. She’s got curves and she isn’t afraid to show them off, as she illustrates with this beautiful electric blue Narciso Rodriguez dress.

Another curvaceous babe who brazenly (and beautifully) flaunts her fabulous womanly figure and puts all those skinny minnies to shame, Christina Hendricks (of Mad Men) rocks the red carpet in a lovely emerald green Todashi Shoji gown.

Carrie Underwood glows at the Grammys in this stunning Zuhair Murad gown. It’s a classic cut, but the beading adds the glitter and glitz of old Hollywood, making her a true shining star.

Taylor Swift looks phenomenal in this Kaufman Franco gown. You can’t go wrong with basic black, but the patent leather straps and detailing give the gown a modern twist and make her look sophisticated and chic.

Despite a traumatic year, Jennifer Hudson looks better than ever and proves she’s a winner both at the Grammys and on the red carpet by wearing this risky origami pleated dress (designer unknown). Wearing avant-garde/unusual looks can be a hit or miss, but this dress does a great job of accenting her curves and the color blocking makes the dress flow well and come together beautifully.

Penelope Cruz almost never disappoints when it comes to her red carpet looks, and she does a great job of playing up her beauty by choosing classic pieces. This gown is no exception to that rule and is the epitome of what you can do right by going with a seemingly basic gown. Her hair, make-up and jewelry choices only play up the elegance of the dress.

Another dress that is unconventional but is a total winner is this Reem Acra gown on Christina Applegate. With its powder blue color, gold flowers, one shoulder and dramatic bow around the hip, she’s a definite stand-out and showing off her unique style.

So, overall lessons in red carpet fabulousness (or general fabulousness, really) are:

-Take risks, have fun, but don’t go overboard or too wacky.

-If you’re going to go with basic black, choose something with a new and modern take (but again, nothing too off-the-wall).

-Picking an eye-popping color is a great way to catch eyes, but color choice is key. Make sure the color complements your skin, instead of simply picking the “in” color of the moment.

-Details are another way to have some fun, but subtlety is important; too much can really ruin it.

-Picking a cut that highlights your best features will win you style points every time.

It’s important to remember that breast cancer does not discriminate. The American Cancer Society estimates 182,460 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed among women in the United States this year. Here’s a look at some well known faces who beat the disease and lived to tell about it.

[album=69]

There are virtually no female comedic ensembles who can sell movies like these guys can.

In the stand-up circuit, men generally receive the biggest reception. Recently, I went to a stand-up comedy review that featured twenty comics in one night. Of those twenty, only three women took the stage. Three. WTF?

Women are pretty damn funny, so why don’t we get the same appraisal as men get? Films like Old School put the Frat Pack on the map, while the hysterical chick flick The Sweetest Thing flopped at the box office. The Wedding Crashers cast has people rolling in the aisles, while far too many people have never seen Christina Applegate, Cameron Diaz, and Selma Blair sing The Penis Song.

I took this assignment to cover the 5 Funniest Women out there, but quickly realized there is just too much talent to narrow it down so far. That said, what follows is my personal list of five of the wittiest women in the world, along with some honorable mentions. I welcome feedback, comments, and nominations, because I’m sure I’ve missed some ladies that can more than keep up with the boys.

1. Tina Fey

Tina Fey is one of my personal icons, and I give her kudos for becoming Saturday Night Live’s first female head writer. Fey’s writing has earned her a 2001 Writers Guild of America Award for SNL’s 25th anniversary special as well as a 2002 Emmy for the show.

Tina’s script for Mean Girls is distinctive from teen movies in the vein of Can’t Hardly Wait thanks to its satiric critique of high school. I don’t care how old I get; I will probably always find a way to greet someone with “Jambo!”, or a way to work, “Your mom’s chest hair” into a heated argument. Of course, let’s not forget her more recent work on Emmy Award-winning 30 Rock and Baby Mama.

One of my favorite recent Tina Fey bits is the Bitch is the New Black segment from Fey’s recent SNL hosting gig.

2. Wanda Sykes

Some people might equate the sound of Sykes’ voice to nails on a chalkboard, but I think this trait makes her stand out. A longtime colleague of Chris Rock, Sykes served on the writing team for The Chris Rock Show, which was nominated for four Emmys, winning one in 1999. I appreciate Sykes’ ability to add hilarity and sass to supporting roles in films such as Pootie Tang and Down to Earth.

On a personal note, I’ve seen Wanda Sykes’ stand up, and it can hold its own against the likes of male phenom, Chris Rock.

3. Margaret Cho

I think that Margaret Cho is one of the most underrated comedians out there. Her stand up career led to opening acts for Seinfeld and spots on a Bob Hope special and The Arsenio Hall Show. Though she won the American Comedy Award for Best Female Comedian in 1994, this distinction is often overshadowed by her flop sitcom All-American Girl (which I happened to watch religiously for its short cable career). On a side note, I think it’s awesome that Cho has been deputized by the City of San Francisco to perform marriages after same-sex marriage was legalized in California earlier this year. Humor and human rights are a great combination.

If you disagree with my putting Cho on this list, I suggest you watch the video she created with fellow comic Diana Yanez, a viral hit entitled My Puss. Then, Netflix some of her DVDs.

4. Sarah Silverman

I wasn’t impressed with Silverman’s role in School of Rock, but I do applaud her blunt comments at last year’s MTV VMA’s and Movie Awards.

In a couple of days, Paris Hilton is going to jail… As a matter of fact, I heard that to make her feel more comfortable in prison, the guards are going to paint the bars to look like penises. I think it is wrong, too. I just worry she is going to break her teeth on those things

Wow, [Britney Spears] is amazing. I mean, she is 25 years old, and she has already accomplished everything she’s going to accomplish in her life. It’s mind-blowing.

The real reason that Silverman is on this list is… you guessed it: the little gem of a birthday video presented to then-boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel. How do you even think of something like this?

5. Ellen DeGeneres

Part of Ellen’s appeal (for me) is her genuine personality. I know, it’s all about humor here, but Ellen can make people laugh just by dancing around the set of her talk show. In the 1980s, Ellen was dubbed “a distaff version of Bob Newhart,” and won the title of funniest person in America (read: person not just “funniest female“).

In the 1990s, I was a fan of her sitcom Ellen, and of course, in addition to being a great show, Ellen and her show had a monumental impact on the Gay Rights Movement, also earning a 1997 Emmy for Outstanding Writing in a Comedy Series for the famous “coming out” episode. During the 90′s, Ellen was often referred to as a “female Seinfeld.”

I’m not usually a fan of talk shows, but Ellen’s sincere humor has earned 10 Daytime Emmy Awards. So, go Ellen, and congrats on finally marrying Portia DeRossi!

Honorable Mentions

I really wanted to include Amy Poehler and Maya Rudolph in the top five, but thought my obsession with SNL would make for a biased ‘Top Five’ list. Poehler was the first SNL member to be nominated for a Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Emmy, and has loaned her quirky facial expressions to films such as Wet Hot American Summer, Mean Girls, Deuce Bigalow, Blades of Glory, and, of course, Baby Mama. She was the only one “man” enough to take Jimmy Fallon’s spot on Weekend Update, making her and Tina Fey the show’s first female team to host the segment.

As for Maya Rudolph? Come on! She can play just about any gender and any race. Whether playing Oprah Winfrey, Justin Guarini, Mario Vazquez, Christina Aguilera, Paris Hilton, Latoya Jackson, and Donatella Versace, Rudolph is always both convincing and side-splitting. Besides: she can freaking sing!

*Leslie Hall is probably a name you’ve never heard. But I highly recommend checking out some of the work from this satirical rap artist from Iowa who also operates a “gem sweater museum.”

*Natalie Portman is not someone you’d think of when you think of comediennes, but her SNL rap deserves some praise.

I know I’ve left out a lot of noteworthy women, but hey, it’s all relative. So if you disagree, feel free to let me know who you would vote for funniest female!

As we approach August, we may have started to take summer vacay for granted. In the dog days of summer, it’s easy to sleep until 2 p.m., get caught up on Maury, and not realize we still have our PJs on until it’s time to go back to bed. But with the countdown to Fall Semester ticking fast, it’s important to make the most of every spare minute. Whether you’re working your ass off or dedicated to being a lazy bum until a full courseload kicks back in, it’s time to get in gear and create some glorious summer memories.

1. Take a roadtrip. Sure, gas prices are skyrocketing, but you’re only young once, right? And once you’re shackled into a nine-to-five, you’re going to crave the spontaneity that’s currently yours for the taking. I’m a self-professed workaholic, but even I’ve been known to squeeze in a few quality roadtrips between May and August each year. One summer, I took a fourteen-hour drive to Ohio with two girls from work I barely knew, for the birthday party of one of my brother’s grad school friends. And no, my brother didn’t go. So, three random girls showed up at a party in the boondocks (aka Wooster), and promptly put on our party shoes. Liquor flowed, regrettable hook-ups were had, and the girls and I totally bonded over the experience. Even if you can only spare one day, find a town you’ve never been to before, and head out to explore. You never know what adventures might arise.

2. Go multimedia. Have a photo or videoshoot with your friends. No, you don’t need to be drunk, you just need to be creative. Use the summer foliage as a backdrop. Pretend you’re on America’s Next Top Model and work the runway. Yes, it’s childish, but nobody will know if you seal all the evidence in the vault. I have countless “Dress-Up” portraits, in which I’m dressed as anything from a Spice Girl to a Showgirl, as well as some priceless dance routines caught on tape to Tupac’s “California Love,” in which we substituted rolled-up toilet paper for Pac’s signature bandanna headband. It makes for a quick pick-me-up on future bad days. I didn’t make this stuff myself– go watch Cameron Diaz and Christina Applegates’ “Movie Montage” scene from The Sweetest Thing.

3. Get off your ass. There’s a variety of activities that can fall into this category. Take a bike ride, go rollerblading, go hiking. Hell, go to the local playground and play on the jungle gym. We all know exercise boosts your endorphins, but it’s a also a great way to maintain your tan and your bikini bod. Side note: some of my most romantic summer kisses have occurred on the docks of the local lake or underneath the monkey bars once the sun sets on a sultry summer’s eve.

4. Enjoy the local festivities. Whether it’s a local fair or a weekly farmer’s market, a tour of a historic landmark or a downtown block party… what do you have better to do? Besides, even the smallest towns have kooky summer activities. I know a guy who runs in a citywide roadrace every year, donning nothing but a loincloth. You can also check out the local downhome watering hole that reeks of flannel and flasks. Who knows what goes down when the townies come out to play?

5. Have a midday drinking festival. Seriously, this is the time in our lives when we can do it without being labeled an alcoholic. During every spring semester of my college career, I wouldn’t skip a single class until the first nice day of spring. Then, my friends and I would cut every single class to sit out on the quad and booze it up from inconspicuous Nalgene bottles. Sure, school’s been out for weeks, but you can still have a good old daylight drinking binge on a random Tuesday. The good news? You’ll probably pass out early enough to get a head start on tomorrow. The better news? If you follow this step, you can move on to the local festivities or the multimedia extravaganza.

Just don’t attempt a summer roadtrip if you’ve already been hitting the bottle in 90-degree weather.