Of all things corrupting the youth of America, the very worst is Cosmopolitan magazine. Sure, it’s the best-selling lifestyle bible of the female demographic, but now that the publication is putting actresses like Dakota Fanning and Selena Gomez on the cover, the printed pamphlet for blended orgasms and all-star blowjobs seems to be catering to a new generation of sexually active females—you know, middle school girls around twelve or thirteen years old, right?

Exactly. And over ten thousand women have had absolutely enough of the smut and are fighting to ensure that no girl under eighteen years of age ever lays eyes on a Cosmopolitan cover ever again.

This past August, a woman named Nicole Weider started a petition on Change.org to have Cosmopolitan be sold in an opaque wrapper at magazine stands and grocery stores so that its risque headlines stay hidden from the impressionable eyes of young girls.

“I happened to pick up an issue and was reading it and was completely shocked at how pornographic and explicit the content had become. I immediately thought of my young teenage brothers and it horrified me to think that they and their friends could be reading this material, and the damage it would do to them if they did,” Weider said. “So I decided to do something about it.”

But Weider doesn’t want to just stop minors from glancing at the cover while grocery shopping with their parents; she also wants to make sure that they don’t come back on their own and purchase the magazine to read later on. That’s right; she hopes that coming of age at eighteen years old means that a girl can legally buy cigarettes, lottery tickets and the latest issue of Cosmopolitan.

“I have contacted the Chairman of the FTC, John Leibowitz and received a letter from his office stating they will look into the issue and start an investigation only when they feel it’s a ‘threat’ to society,” she said. “This means they need more complaints—that is, signers of this petition.”

Weider asserts that her argument is valid because ever since she started the petition, she’s received hundreds of comments and emails—testimonies from girls as young as eleven years old.

“They write me letters detailing how they’ve tried the sexual tips written about in Cosmo, only to get their hearts broken, or worse — getting pregnant or catching an STD,” she said. “The obvious damage it could be doing is the girls getting STD’s at a young age, pregnancy and bullying.”

And why are girls so young buying Cosmopolitan anyway? According to Weider, it’s because child stars like Hayden Panettiere and Hilary Duff are constantly on the cover! 17-year-old Dakota Fanning is featured on the February issue with the headlines “His Best Sex Ever” and “3 Clues He’s Secretly Into You” plastered next to her face! And Disney Channel actress and goddess of all things tween, Selena Gomez, is slated to appear later this year—of course the eleven year olds of America are going to buy the issue, memorize it from cover to cover and have as much sex as possible with absolutely every guy in middle school!!!

On some level, I do have to agree with her. It is a little weird to see child stars on the cover of such a provocative magazine that usually offers pages and pages of sex advice to newlywed women and women who wish they were newlyweds. To me, it’s not about how old their covergirls are; no one protested when Keira Knightley and Kirsten Dunst appeared on the cover at age 19. It’s about these actresses’ target demographic: who made them famous in the first place, who watches their every move and who idolizes them. And yes, it is these impressionable eleven-year-old girls in middle school who look up to these celebrities a little too much.

Even more so, the dating advice offered inside Cosmo covers often crosses the border into completely ridiculous suggestions: sexting is sexy, cheating is normal, and making love in the club is romance defined! Little girls who don’t know better could seriously eat it all up, especially if spoonfed from something with Selena Gomez on the cover.

But honestly, Nicole Weider, tweens aren’t that easily persuaded. They’re not suddenly discovering the concept of sex when speed reading Cosmo covers while in line at the market. They’re learning about sexual tension from Twilight books and wondering how Kim Kardashian got famous in the first place, they already know what has to happen for Justin Bieber to become the father of any child. Maybe they even hear their parents’ mattresses squeak every once in a while. They’re learning about sex from everywhere else but Cosmopolitan magazine, and if they buy it, it’s because they’re already plenty curious about it. That seed was planted long ago, and the magazine just happens to be the most effective fertilizer toward cultivating great sex.

Sorry, but this ban won’t pass. The FCC will never take this seriously. Such a lucrative magazine in a struggling industry is not a threat to society. And Cosmopolitan will continue to “corrupt” tweens with saucy headlines and sexualized child stars, and there’s nothing that can be done that will actually make any kind of difference. Want tweens to stop having sex, parents? Educate your kids about STI’s and teen pregnancy (no, it does not happen as fast as Bella’s pregnancy in Twilight). Help them build self confidence outside receiving male attention and encourage some kind of moral code in the house. Oh, and make sure they aren’t so easily influenced that they’ll try out an idea that they read in passing on random magazine cover. Whose fault is it really?

Do you agree with Weider about Cosmopolitan’s persuasive effect on tween readers? Or do you also think it’s a little bit ridiculous to buy issues wrapped in cardboard paper whenever you want to thumb through a Cosmo?

Ashley is a UC San Diego grad who is holding on way too tightly to a potential career in magazines and goes to Vegas all too often. She’s fascinated with celebrities and strawberry beer and doubles as a pathological texter/emailer/blogger. Feed the addiction with tweets @cashleelee. Thanks in advance.

When we start having sex, we’re pretty likely to start emulating what we see portrayed in the media. How many of us have open, uncensored, honest conversations about our sex lives with our friends? In my experience, it’s only been very recent that I have encountered friends (and everyone who reads this column) who can talk about sex, without being coy or shrouding reality in coyness and exaggerations. So the only frame of reference we truly have is what we see in the media.

I only like rough sex. I can only orgasm from extremely intense penetration. I’ve tried “regular” sex and “making love” and I can never stick with it for long. I crave animalistic, aggressive, primal, unapologetically hardcore nookie. And I wonder how much of that is influenced by my  viewing of porn and my (almost excessive) consumption of what some  have referred to as “slutwave” pop (Ke$ha, anyone?) I know that my preferences are my own to have, but at the same time, I don’t exist in a vacuum. My body is connected to my brain, and my brain is constantly bombarded with certain images of sexuality. What if I was someone who only watched demure Hollywood classics and listened strictly to down-tempo classical music? Would I still be begging for it harder and faster in the bedroom? Would I take “you f*ck like a porn star” as a compliment?

As far as I know, there is no scientific study on the effect of the media on our sex lives, but I have to imagine that to some extent, many of us take our sexual cues from the media. I can’t imagine how many people feel ridiculous amounts of pressure to live up to the almost unattainable ideals of sex perpetrated by our cultural mediums. How many guys feel inadequate because they can’t thrust as hard and as aggressively as the dudes in porn (both professional and amateur)?  How many women feel less-than hot because they aren’t as extroverted in their sexuality as Lady Gaga or Rihanna? How many couples aspire to the candlelight romantic “lovemaking” that leaves both partners feeling unfulfilled and awkward.

The way that sex is talked about and acted out in pop culture should absolutely be more multifaceted than it is. There should be as much space for moderate expressions of sex as there is for the extremes. Sex is such a complex concept with so many different ways of interpretation — there’s no reason for that to not be see in our music, movies, porn, TV shows, and every other medium available to us.

We all know the movies don’t necessarily contain the most accurate depictions of actual life. Or do we?

Whether we realize it or not, we all pick up subtle things from movies that we expect to find in our actual lives. And while I’m willing to overlook some of the media’s follies (like the fact that people in any foreign country all speak English), some of their depictions of sex are just. so. wrong.

Sex requires a soundtrack.
Sure, some people like to have sex to music and watching couples do it to some big, romantic song in the movies makes us all think music will enhance our orgasms, too. But how many times have you set your iTunes to random and had the Spongebob theme song come on in the middle of your session? Awkward! Sometimes it’s best to leave the music off while you’re getting frisky (unless you’re trying to drown out the noise so your roommates don’t hear). It will still be just as good.

Couples always finish together.
Not only do women orgasm every time they have sex in movies, but they always do it at the exact same time as their partner. Anyone who’s ever had sex in the real world knows this couldn’t be further from the truth for most sexual encounters.

Women never walk around naked after sex.
I don’t know about you girls, but I have never, ever ripped a sheet off of a bed to cover myself when I need to walk around the morning after sex. Nor do I immediately dress myself in my boyfriend’s oversized, button-up shirt.

Sex makes babies, no matter what.
Of course, sex can lead to pregnancy. But the recent barrage of unplanned-pregnancy movies and TV shows (Knocked Up, Juno, Secret Life of the American Teenager) would make you think birth control had never been invented.

Losing your virginity is a really, really, really big deal.
If you’re a female TV character, chances are you spend at least a season deciding if, when, and with whom you lose your virginity. And when you finally do make the choice, you either A. hurt someone you love, B. get pregnant, or C. feel horribly insecure afterward. And if you’re in a slasher movie, your virginity was probably the only thing keeping you alive!

Only beautiful women have sex.
Or husbands, careers, educations, friends, or any type of life worth living, for that matter.

[This story was originally posted by Kylie - Simmons College]

Likey? Don’t worry, there are plenty more faves where this came from.

It all started with paparazzi, a pair of high waisted jeans, and an unflattering camera angle. Suddenly Jessica Simpson went from mostly forgotten pop-turned reality star to tabloid cover material. Everyone was quick to criticize the star for “getting fat.” But what kind of society would condemn a size-six beauty, when the average size for an American woman is a fourteen?

Bravo’s collection of Real Housewives has contributed many things to pop culture, such as the infamous New Jersey table flip, the term “prostitution whore,” multiple face-lifts and boob jobs (I’m looking at you Orange County!), and who can forget the song “Tardy for the Party”? Through all the drama though, one strong willed woman has truly climbed to the top – The Real Housewives of New York’s Bethenny Frankel.

The fast talking, quick witted, and always opinionated Bethenny first appeared on the Real Housewives as the only single lady looking for love, although skeptical about it from the get-go. More focused on her career and becoming a better version of herself, Bethenny stood out from the beginning as being an independent woman who wouldn’t stop until she got what she wanted. What a change in comparison to the rest of the housewives!

By the third season of the Real Housewives of New York, viewers got to see Bethenny in an entirely different light. She went from lonely career woman to a flourishing force to be reckoned with. While the majority of the Housewife characters spent the season arguing and stirring up drama amongst each other, Bethenny was constantly working her ass off on her multiple book deals, her “SkinnyGirl” brand, and her budding romance with her now husband, Jason Hoppy. She even found out that she was pregnant!

Now, with her new show on Bravo Bethenny Getting Married? featuring her marriage and pregnancy, it seems like Bethenny truly is sitting on top of the world. With the ultimate success in her public career life and her new private ventures, it seems like Bethenny has found a way to balance the best of both worlds – being a serious business entrepreneur while still managing to be a dedicated wife and mother, all while remaining true to the brand she created.

Media today rarely highlights success that women obtain in their careers, and it’s even less likely for the media to celebrate a woman who has everything they could aspire for. In a world of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears always being put under a negative spotlight, it is sometimes hard to remember that women are out making a name for themselves every day.

For example, Bethenny has shown that her hardwork has truly paid off. In the last two years, she has published two New York Times best selling books: Naturally Thin: Unleash Your SkinnyGirl and Free Yourself from a Lifetime of Dieting and The SkinnyGirl Dish: Easy Recipes for Your Naturally Thin Life. She has been featured on three seasons of The Real Housewives of New York, as well as her own exercise DVD Body by Bethenny. She has even created an audio book this past year! With these accomplishments, it’s no wonder Bravo offered her a show all her own.

Through everything though, it seems like Bethenny hasn’t compromised herself, showing that hard work actually pays off, instead of taking the easy way out. (She could have easily just settled for her fame on the Real Housewives, but instead decided to make a name for herself.) Remaining steadfast in getting exactly what she wants, Bethenny shows young women that a little bit of effort and a whole lot of hard work truly pays off – and with today’s economic climate and negative female media attention, that’s a positive thing to see.

So, when I grow up … I want to be my own version of Bethenny Frankel, because with all her accomplishments, her blunt wit, and her you-can-have-it-all attitude, who wouldn’t want to be?

Lately, Miley’s received a lot of flack for her onstage antics, from her revealing bondage-like costumes to her pseudo-lesbian kiss. Although, yes, she’s only 17-years-old and is still part of the controlling Disney family which has dictated her persona and image in the past, I think all the controversy surrounding Miley is unwarranted and, most of all, a double standard in an industry that expects their male pop stars to be lusted after (i.e. The Jonas Brothers) while the females remain prim and proper.

I agree with critics who comment that Miley should be a role model for the young girls who have looked up to her since her Hannah Montana days, but to be honest, what Miley is doing now is no different than what other male pop stars have done in the past. Many of them are provocative, crude and most of all, they speak their mind. What makes Miley so different from this other group is the fact she has boobs and a nice body, which automatically puts her in the “slut” category. Because she decides to dress and act to her own liking, people are getting all riled up because she’s no longer the doe-eyed, naive girl she once was.

What’s more, it frustrates me to no end to think about all the young male celebrities out there who have naked pictures of themselves on the internet or are caught doing doing drugs, but the public rarely scolds them for their mishaps. Why? Because guys don’t get the controversy.

Think: can you think of any male pop stars who have been scrutinized as much as Britney or Miley? It’s almost as if people expect these men to do these things and when it all actually happens, everyone excuses them for it. Not convinced? I can think of one perfect example: Chace Crawford and his recent drug arrest. Chace has always been the golden boy from the South whom everyone adored because of his pretty face and nice demeanor. And when he got arrested for possessing an untouched blunt in his car, what happened? Nothing. Yes, he was booked by the police and TMZ published his mugshot, but other than that, no one actually said anything about Chace’s arrest. If this were to happen to any female personality or actress, the aftermath would’ve been astounding and probably detrimental to their careers.

I’ve never liked Miley and always thought she was another Disney mannequin, but I respect her for stating something about the industry that has been so true for so long. For all the scrutiny and bad press they receive from not only the media but also faithful watchdogs (like us), it’s refreshing to see a female pop star take a stance on something as important as this.

You go Miley.

Feminist blogger (Feministing) and author of Full Frontal Feminism and He’s A Stud, She’s A Slut and 49 Other Double Standards Every Women Should Know, Jessica Valenti’s latest book The Purity Myth tackles the issue of “how America’s obsession with virginity is hurting young women.”

And it truly is.

Let’s get real. Regardless if you believe in saving sex for marriage or not, it is very alarming in a disparaging way to see girls only being granted value or worth for staying sexually pure instead of for their character. Why should sexuality (in the sense of remaining abstinent) be highly coveted over a teen girl’s qualities or accomplishments that make her unique? In a society that continues to worship abstinence (with virginity programs across the nation and federally funded purity balls), Valenti points out that while virginity is acceptable, having sex is also okay because at the end of the day, a young woman’s choice should not decide her existence as being morally up to standard or not.

From the get-go in The Purity Myth, Valenti confronts the definition of “virginity” and how for such an abstract idea, the concept controls and impacts girl culture today immeasurably: “The Purity Myth is for women who are suffering every day because of the lie that virginity exists, and that is has some bearing on who we are and how good we are.”

By exploring different aspects that impact and damage the concepts of sexuality and purity for young women, Valenti shows that issues such as pornography, abstinence-only education, and the obsession with keeping young girls ‘innocent’ are relative to girl culture and the development of young women having healthy sexual perspectives. For example, when the messages of pop culture tell girls they need to be sexy and desirable, Valenti points out that those images often exhibited do not correlate with the lessons girls are getting from programs that promote abstinence-only education. In The Purity Myth, Valenti shows that the Madonna/whore dichotomy is never-ending, all at the expense of young women.

While I believe that abstinence is a personal decision both men and women need to make, I do believe that America’s expectations of how women should be pure is ultimately hurting girl-culture. I see guys in college hooking-up without ever thinking for a second about the consequences that come from their choices, but I see girls struggling with the role of being a good girl vs. the fraternity ‘slut’, constantly. Girls in high school battle with the idea of losing their virginity to their high school sweetheart, while the majority of guys just look out to make sure they aren’t the last of their friends to cash in their v-card. Why is sexuality an ongoing struggle for young women, but not their male peers?

Although America’s obsession with sexuality continues to grow and hurt young girls, it doesn’t seem to touch masculinity in the way that it does femininity. Remember the anecdote about how the girls in my health class had to sign promise cards to remain pure till marriage? The boys in my 7^th grade class did not have to sign them. How is it acceptable or even fair to ask girls to remain pure while not asking the same of boys?

With The Purity Myth fighting to give young women value and worth beyond their sexual experience and the importance that society puts upon whether or not their hymen is intact, Valenti really hits the bottom line by showing that value does exist within young women and it’s time to start progressively moving forward to celebrate young girls and the characteristics that make them important, instead of focusing on sexuality which only seems to hold women back.

The Purity Myth is a must-read because it will not only change the way young women understand the sexualization put upon them, but it will also it will help all of us proactively empower ourselves in terms of our own sexuality.

First she comes out against gay marriage. Fine. She can have her opinions – we’re totally in support of that. But then we find out her boobs were purchased for her by the Miss California people. And then she wanted to milk her D-List fame a little more by starting a movement against gay marriage nationally. Oh, and now there are nudey photos circulating the web.

I normally tend to spend my time bashing people in the limelight because it is the only thing that makes me feel good without going directly to my ass (like my BFF, the McFlurry), but I’m already eating a McFlurry today, so I’m feelin groovy. And optimistic. And charitable.

So I am going to go out on a limb here and try to find some good in this Miss California sh*tshow. Namely, the lessons we can take away from it. Because she may not be the brightest bulb (“I love to live in a country where you can choose normal marriage or opposite marriage…”), but her dumb mistakes are worth learning from.

1. Don’t do pageants: They won’t catapult you to the fame you’d like them to (because 3 people watch them), and most Americans really don’t care or respect the women who take part in them. You are better off competing on Rock of Love (just look at Daisy!) than to spend thousands of dollars on hair, makeup, dresses (and boobs) for a pageant.

2. Stay Out of the Spotlight: I have longed to be famous since I made the crowd LOL during the candle lighting at my Bat Mitzvah. Seeing how the media has treated Ms. Prejean, though, I am beginning to have second thoughts. There are a lot of skeletons in my closet (and on my Google thread) that would be quickly exposed by the hundreds of enemies I have made in my 20-ish years on this planet. And don’t even get me started on the embarrassing photos. Let’s just say that life is a whole lot simpler when no one knows or cares enough about you to get the world to hate you.

3. Giant Fake Diamond Encrused Earrings Are Not Cute: Really, it’s just too much. Unless you are Flava Flav.

4. Stop Taking Naked Photos, PEOPLE: I would understand if Ms. California had taken some sexy shots in her early years to send to some thick-necked, tattooed boyfriend (because that is the kind of guy I imagine she’d like), but this princess took these knowing she’d be competing to represent her state in front of the entire country. Ok, so the 3 people who actually care. Anyways, the photo (and soon to be multiple photos) circulating the web is just further proof that no cameras should be present when nips, booty and other lady parts are exposed. That sh*t will get passed around, people (especially if you decide not to learn lessons #1 and #2), and everyone will finally know if your carpet matches your drapes.

5.  Don’t Piss off the Gay People: Those fabulous fashionistas can make or break you. You piss them off and you. are. dunzo.

I raise my empty McFlurry cup to you, Miss California, for teaching me what many other hot mess celebrities before you never could!

Enter Liz Funk, who knows the ins and outs of being a “Supergirl,” as she calls it: a girl who believes she must achieve perfection in every area of her life. Simultaneously a student, author, blogger and freelance writer, Liz is both living the dream and fulfilling her prophecy that young women today face enormous pressures to be successful. At just nineteen years old, she published her first book while balancing life at Pace University’s Honors College.

In the book, Supergirls Speak Out: Inside the Secret Crisis of Overachieving Girls (now available in stores and on Amazon.com) Liz investigates how societal forces impose dangerous pressures on young women to succeed—pressures which can often lead to depression, eating disorders, or other devastating emotional traumas. It is a godsend to any young woman who ever cried upon receiving that “little” envelope from Harvard or clocked hours on the elliptical just to maintain her size 6 frame.

I got the chance to speak with Liz about her book, her passions, and life as a Supergirl. I not only admire her success, but respect her for articulating a problem that affects too many young women. We are proud to feature her in our College Candy series, “The 5 Questions We Ask Everyone,” and wish her luck as she continues her nationwide book tour.

The 5 Questions We Ask Everyone:

1.    What is your favorite college memory/the most trouble you’ve ever gotten into?
I went to college in New York City, and my first year there, my friends and I got a flier for this rooftop party in a really dangerous neighborhood of Brooklyn that was a fundraiser for urban farming.  We went because there would be cheap alcohol and because it sounded fun, and when we got there, it was literally in a terrifying neighborhood, on this sketchy warehouse rooftop; people were doing drugs out in the open and there was a band with the lead singer wearing a snorkel mask and a red Speedo.  It was something out of a movie!  But we had a ton of fun!  The view was incredible.  I’m all about nice views in New York City.

2.    What are the five things you can’t live without?
My BlackBerry, Red Bull, champagne, Aveda leave-in conditioner, and my Coco Mademoiselle perfume. Plus, my family and friends.

3.    What’s your motto/advice you live by?
“I am open to exploring the wonder of my life.”  A life coach who I interviewed for the book, named Cathy Wasserman, told me that and I say that to myself everyday.

4.    Your favorite song to belt out in the car/for karaoke?
This is embarrassing: “Burning Up,” by the Jonas Brothers.

5.    Ten years from now you will be….
Hopefully still writing books, and maybe having something to do with Hollywood?  I really like screenwriting and I’ve been thinking about L.A. a little bit lately.  Plus, I need to be somewhere with warm weather.  As much as I’ve loved living in New York, when I’m in the warm weather, I am so happy almost all the time.

And now five questions specifically for Liz:

6. You have published your first book before finishing college! Would you say “Supergirls Speak Out” is more of a cathartic memoir or an attempt to discourage young women from trying to accomplish so much, so fast? In other words, how do you reconcile the message of your book with the fact that you are “Supergirl” yourself?

I think that because I’m a Supergirl, I gave an extra bit of insight to the book.  I think that if a writer who was covering this topic wasn’t a Supergirl, she might have trouble trying to wrap her head around the fact that a young woman on a Saturday night who doesn’t have plans is more likely to stay home and finish a paper due eventually or do a pilates DVD, instead of going to the movies and eating a box of chocolates by herself, because being a Supergirl is about always trying to improve yourself.  Because I was on the same page as most of the girls who I interviewed, it makes it easier for the idiosyncrasies of the Supergirl psyche to not get lost in translation.

7. A lot of young women who want to become writers seem to follow a similar formula for success: find a college with a good writing program, become editor of a campus publication, land an internship/job. How did you deviate from this “traditional” path, and did you ever have doubts along the way to success?

To be perfectly honest, I did what I did largely because I was a Supergirl and because I wanted my career to make me matter.  But I also wanted to write about issues in Generation Y because I don’t think that when adult reporters and commentators take on quintessentially Gen-Y things, like sexting and gossiping and posting racy photos on Facebook, that they get the story right, because they’re not really in the trenches and Gen Y is complicated!  There are some sociologists and media commentators lately who have been writing about how Generation Y is narcissistic and over-entitled and it’s so not true, and we need young writers and commentators in the media, speaking out and serving as a check on the media’s power.  Also, I had a feeling when I was younger that I wanted to be a freelance writer, not an editor, and when you freelance, you have to write full-time for awhile before you start to earn a living wage, so I knew that if I wanted to be able to support myself after college, I had to get acclimated with publications early.  We’ll see what happens!

8. What advice do you have for college-aged women who have a lot on their plate and can’t seem to manage it all?

Two things: first and foremost, I would recommend that girls take a look at their schedules and see if that they are making tasks bigger than they actually are.  I met a lot of Supergirls whose only commitments were 15 credits at school and participation in one student group, but they were mind-blowingly busy 50 hours a week, because they made every little task into a giant production because they wanted everything they did to be perfect and because they felt like they were valuable if they were busy all the time.  So I would encourage girls to consider whether they’re making themselves busy, and why being busy is such a big part of their identities and their sense of self-worth. Then, I would encourage girls to block out some time in their schedules, whether it’s Tuesday evenings or Saturday mornings, to be specifically for doing some completely fun and savoring their success–make yourself your favorite cocktail and watch a DVD marathon of your favorite show, or get a pedicure with your student discount, just for fun!  Girls need to cut stress out of their lives and reward themselves for their successes!

9. If you had one book to bring with you to a remote desert island, what would it be and why?

This is such a great question–and a hard one!  I’m debating between bringing a book that’s super long or one that’s super-complicated. It’s a tie between the 7th Harry Potter book or The Great Gatsby.  The 7th Harry Potter book is huge and has a lot of layers, so you could spend a lot of time reading it and thinking about it.  With the Great Gatsby, you could read that book five or six times and still pick up on some new detail or plot layer in the story every time you read it.

10. Name one person, living or dead, with whom you’d like to have lunch. What will you talk about?
I would love to have lunch with Katie Couric.  I have a feeling that she would have such fascinating insight as to women’s roles in society and the corporate elite, as well as world issues.  Plus, Katie Couric has mastered that tricky balance of having the best of feminine qualities (being relatable, funny, and charming) and also being a professional powerhouse.  I think there’s a lot we can learn from her.

Like the paps.

Being a mere mortal, I love the freedom I have of being able to go out of my house in sweatpants and no makeup without fear that an unflattering picture of it would show up online later that day, followed closely by the rag mags discussing my cellulite, my hair and my major fashion Don’t.

And I don’t even want to think of having to deal with my personal life in front of the world. After watching the media frenzy surrounding Lindsay and Sam’s recent breakup, I have really started to feel bad for our little LiLo. I know she’s sort of an attention whore (with a laundry list of issues), but the absolute last thing I’d want to deal with after a big break-up is constant media attention.

Just imagine what it would be like to have to deal with a heartbreaking break up while the world was watching your every move. Would you want the paparazzi swarming you when you’re walking to class in baggy sweats, no makeup, and puffy eyes from crying? Or have photos taken of you while you stock up on cookie dough and Doritos to numb the pain of a broken heart? I know I’d like to avoid any and all photos when I spontaneously burst into tears at the mere mention of beer (“OMG MY EX LOOOOVED BEEEEEEER. Waaaaah”). 

I guess having every aspect of your life broadcast to the whole world is just part of being famous (and it’s something I don’t understand because the only people that recognize me on campus are my BF and my other 4 friends), but I really think we should give Linds some space as she works her way through the steps of a breakup.

We all know how hard breakups can be so let’s let Lohan enjoy her Ben and Jerry’s in peace, shall we?

What do you think?