When real-world guys just don’t do it for us (like when they string us along and make us think they want something only to send us an IM saying they’re not looking for something serious….Sorry, I’m bitter), we love to escape to our favorite TV shows and live vicariously through the ladies with great boyfriends, even with all the baggage and dramz. There’s just something about leading men that makes us go crazy with adoration/jealousy/excitement/OMG-THEY-FINALLY-GOT-TOGETHER!

Oh, and the guys on TV are usually so. damn. cute.

But with all the amazing TV shows out there and their equally amazing hunks, how do you pick one to swoon over? I know, it’s a tough choice, but this guide might help you decide which boy is right for you:

Warning: Possible spoilers ahead if you’re not caught up with these shows!

If you like…a bad boy with a heart of gold:

Jess Mariano (Gilmore Girls)

When Jess first arrives in Stars Hollow, it’s obvious that he and Rory are going to collide somehow. And when they finally do, after a tumultuous season full of romantic tension, it is awesome. I’m extremely biased, but Jess is, and will forever be, the ultimate TV boyfriend. Sarcastic and mysterious, yet intelligent and (in his own way) caring, Jess is simply the ideal man. Who can resist a leather jacket-clad guy with a Hemingway novel in his back pocket?

Ryan Atwood (The O.C.)

At the start of the series, we get a taste of how bad boy Ryan is going to shake up the posh community of Newport Beach, California that leaves us begging for more. He meets Marissa Cooper, the girl next door, and thus begins a whirlwind romance. Ryan eventually steals Marissa from her banal beau Luke, and our hearts sing when they share their first kiss. Although he comes from a troubled past, he’s really a sweet guy with a caring heart underneath it all.

If you like…a loveable geek:

Seth Cohen (The O.C.)

Seth Cohen made being a nerd a cool thing when the show first debuted. From Batman comics to Dynasty Warriors video games, Seth just screams geek. And yet, Summer still falls for him, as do we all. It’s inevitable, really; he’s sweet, sensitive, and is just too damn cute to resist when he starts rambling. Plus, a Spiderman-style upside down kiss? Isn’t that every girl’s fantasy…and not just mine?

Jim Halpert (The Office)

It’s a familiar story: two best friends who have feelings for each other and, after a long, tormented struggle, finally get together and live happily ever after. Somehow, the writers of The Office managed to skillfully weave such a fairy tale storyline into the mockumentary aspect of the show. They also managed to make Jim absolutely perfect while still grounding him in reality. He’s smart, funny, adorable, and a total sweetheart, even if he is a bit on the dorkier side. But, like Pam, we love him that way!

If you like…the artistic type:

Lucas Scott (One Tree Hill)

Whether you wanted him to end up with Brooke or Peyton, you have to admit that Lucas Scott is one fine specimen of a man. He may have been an athlete in his high school heyday, but in his heart he’s always been a writer. He has the brooding artist thing down perfectly – and it never fails to make us swoon! It’s no surprise that three women on the show (plus the millions of fans out there) all want a piece of him for themselves.

Charlie Pace (Lost)

What is it about a boy with a guitar that drives us crazy? Well, if he’s Charlie Pace, we have other reasons to swoon like mad. It’s easier to overlook his troubled past when you see him with Claire, caring for her and for Aaron as if he were his own son. In addition to being a brooding artist, he’s a real sweetheart. And the accent…oh, that accent!

If you like…someone out-of-this-world:

Max Evans (Roswell)

Roswell may have been a short-lived and little-known show, but the romance between human Liz Parker and alien Max Evans was cosmic in scale. Imagine dating an alien with amazing powers such as healing! Not to mention the complex inner-workings of Max Evans that made him a completely human character in a different way. He’s shy and quiet, more of the sensitive type, and completely in love with Liz. If only I had a guy like that! I could watch the pilot’s opening scene over and over…

Bill Compton (True Blood)

The recent vampire trend has graced both the silver and small screens with un-dead hotties. (Editor’s Note: Anyone else think those two words would never be strung together in a sentence?) But the hottest of them all has to be Bill Compton of True Blood. Besides being, well, gorgeous, he’s a well-mannered gent who dearly loves his human girlfriend and will do whatever it takes to keep her safe. Sure, his language is a bit antiquated, but he can’t help it; he was turned into a vampire when he was a soldier in the Civil War. And I happen to think his old-fashioned vocabulary adds to his charm. I don’t know about you all, but he could call on me any time he wants to!

If you like…a guy who’ll make you feel good better:

Derek Shepherd (Grey’s Anatomy)

McDreamy truly lives up to his nickname on Grey’s Anatomy. He’s a charming, handsome, intelligent doctor – and, conveniently, a bachelor (after his divorce goes through, of course!). Meredith really hit the jackpot with Derek, even if she doesn’t always realize it. Their relationship is proof that something good can come of a drunken one-night-stand, although you have to make sure to go to the bar near the hospital where all the doctors hang out.

Christopher Turk (Scrubs)

Turk and Carla’s romance on Scrubs is often overshadowed by Turk and JD’s bromance, but if you look hard enough, you see a sweet love story. Turk may be somewhat of a buffoon (especially when JD is in the picture), but at heart, he’s a great guy and loves Carla. Plus, a sense of humor is an absolute necessity when it comes to a guy. Turk has plenty of it, so if you like to clown around with your man, he’s not a bad choice at all. He can also be quite sentimental when the situation calls for it.

If you like…a party animal:

Chuck Bass (Gossip Girl)

When it comes to Chuck Bass, you either love him or hate him. Although he often is a disgusting pig of a man, you have to admit that he has style. Chuck Bass parties only with the best, so if you’re sole purpose is to have a good time, get on the guest list to one of Bass’s bashes. If he likes you, he’ll make sure you have the time of your life. In fact, he’ll guarantee it. Oh, did you feel that shiver down your spine?

This is nowhere near an exhaustive list of the best TV boyfriends. Who are some of the guys you’d like to steal from their leading ladies?

[There are some women out there that we just can’t get out of our minds. No, we aren’t switching teams - yet - but we do have some serious crushes on some pretty fierce females. These ladies are all special in their own right and we aren’t ashamed to tell the world we love them.]

Despite the fact that I have issues pronouncing her last name, I have a huge girl crush on Hayden Panettiere.

Hayden has been around for awhile – starring in commercials at 11 months old, stealing the show at 11-years-old in Remember the Titans, and making appearances on The Guiding Light and One Life to Live – but my crush developed while watching her as Clare on Heroes, one of the kick-ass female leads. While Hayden may not have the ability to heal herself or run through fire in real life, she has shown herself to be a pretty kick-ass lady.

Hayden is an active animal-rights advocate.  She’s been arrested in Japan for interfering with a dolphin hunt, proving she’s not all talk.  On top of her work for animals, Hayden was also vocal during the 2008 election.  She was a strong supporter of Obama, though she encouraged young people to get out and vote before all else.

Like many celebs these days, Hayden has dealt with a lot of gossip and criticism. Who doesn’t remember when,   shortly after her 18th birthday, Hayden and co-star Milo Ventimiglia (who’s last name I also cannot pronounce), came out as an item? Normally this would have been in the tabloids based on the fact they are co-workers, but Hayden took an even bigger blow seeing as Milo is also 12 years her senior.

But she didn’t care. She just kept on going.

And look at her now. She’s super successful, not to mention gorgeous. This woman looks good in just about anything. And I should know, seeing as the paparazzi follow her and photograph her everywhere she is (including the gym…). Hayden’s also got a huge and varied fan-base, from tween girls to old people to Comic-con nerds, something that most celebrities can’t boast and something that means she might be around for awhile.

I love Hayden…a lot….for many reasons, but I think the coolest thing about her is that despite spending her entire life in front of a camera, she isn’t afraid to laugh at herself.  She filmed two “PSAs” for funnyordie – that made me LOL till stuff shot out of my nose. And isn’t that what crushes are made of?

Though there are no new Heroes episodes for the summer, I am looking forward to getting my Hayden fix in the new teen comedy, I Love You Beth Cooper. Hopefully that will get me through until my favorite show (with my favorite actress) starts up again.

Well, not really. Only McMahon, Fawcett, Jackson, and Mays have passed; the rest of the celebrities are alive and well. Just more proof that you can’t believe everything you read these days.

Since last Friday, the Internet has been abuzz with rumors of numerous celebrity deaths, from the currently famous to the has-beens. None of these rumors are true, and yet, they are spreading like wildfire, with new ones popping up every day. Why has the rumor mill been working overtime lately? What makes people spread such tasteless gossip, especially in the wake of four tragic deaths?

If you look at how pop culture has progressed over the past several years, there is a strong trend toward the desire for attention. Everyone wants their fifteen minutes of fame, and tech-savvy people know that if you break news on the Internet, your name will live in infamy. It’s the perfect recipe for publicity: celebrity death (true or false, it doesn’t matter) + hysteria + the Internet = fame. Write up a blog post about a random celebrity’s death, and you’ve got all the attention you could want, and more. Take TMZ, for example, the site that broke the news of Michael Jackson’s death and that is now, for lack of a better phrase, reaping the benefits of having done so.

There are also plenty of people out there who find this sort of thing utterly hilarious. This is all fairly tame if you consider some of the crazy sh*t you find on the Internet. I admit, it’s hard not to smile when reading the unbelievable and random stories people make up, and the celebrities’ responses to the rumors, especially Jeff Goldblum’s, can be very funny. But getting real gratification from falsifying reports of someone’s death, even that of a public figure such as a celebrity, is just plain sick. The deaths that occurred last week are tragic in many ways; it’s inhuman to exploit tragedy for emotional gain.

But there is a silver lining in the fact that, like all Internet trends, this one will (no pun intended) die out. Eventually, Internet users will grow tired of the joke and move on to preying on some wannabe YouTube star. Until then, however, take everything you read with a grain of salt. Your nerves will be shot by the end of the week if you don’t.

*Apologies for any distress reading this sentence may have caused you. I nearly hyperventilated and cried when I read about the supposed fate of my dear Milo.

Lunchtime liposuction?

Online shopping made even easier.

Rihanna is not buying Chris Brown’s apology.

Katy Perry is not bumping uglies with Benji Madden.

Carolina Herrera hair and makeup how-to.

How does sex in space work, exactly?

Live luxuriously on a budget.

M.I.A’s baby is adorable!

A-Rod specifies what drug he used.

The new Facebook terms are not that big of a deal, so chill the eff out, people.

Seriously. Wal-mart shoppers trampled and killed an employee.

Michael Phelps bring his GF home to mama.

Carry your lunch in (super cute) style!

Make your hair look 10 years younger! 

Old people aren’t so safe about sex. 

Milo Ventimiglia is better than sweeter than pumpkin pie. 

Jessica Simpson is anti-bras, apparently.

He’s Just Not That Into You, the movie.

Creative ideas for downing those leftovers. 

But we just might reconsider our devotion if reports like this keep coming out.

According to PrettyBoring, our precious Piven was “doing his best” to mack on 19-year-old Hayden Panettiere at some post-Emmy party a few weeks back. Although there’s no source linked out to the report, if this is true, we will be pissed because A) Hayen in 19 years old. We’re in our mid-twenties, Piven can totally make us his May-December, but he should really stay away from a girl who is still two years too young to legally drink, and B) she’s already in a relationship with that weird looking guy from Heroes. Everyone knows that.

Lots of people who write blogs seem to think J. Piv is a prime assh*le. We’re going to hold out until there’s actual taped proof (you know how some people won’t believe in God until they see his face in a grilled cheese sandwich?), and until that day…we’ll love every possibly smarmy inch of him.

• Katherine Heigl’s sunglasses… Hayden Panettiere’s Maxene boots… Get the look for less.

• If you could only choose 5 cable channels… which ones would they be?

• The Shin’s Martin Crandall roughs up America’s ‘Almost’ Next Top Model.

• Anne Frank’s Diary… The Musical???

• Milo Ventimiglia is a baby.

My cut off is somewhere around 5 years. Any older than that and I think my partner and I would be in different life stages (unless of course Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt are looking. I’ll do anything for them).

Apparently, Hayden Panettiere doesn’t share my opinion of an appropriate age gap, because it’s recently been reported and she and 30-year-old Milo Ventimiglia (who?) are an official item.

These two Heroes co-stars (honestly, the only reason I even know their names is because I watched an episode of the show once) have a 12 year age difference between them, and while some people might not think that’s a big deal, I can’t help but think that just 18 and 30 is pretty much the biggest gap you can have.

18 means college, smoking legally if you feel like it, waiting three more years to drink, and finally moving out of your parents’ house. 30 means mortgages, thinking about a family, and maybe writing up the first draft of your will. Could these two people be any more at odds?

No one in Hollywood seems to care, but I’ll admit that hearing about a 30-year-old dating an 18-year-old (celebrity or not) gives me the momentary creeps. It’s easy to see what a barely legal girl sees in an older guy (or think she sees), but what makes a guy decide to forgo everyone in his age group for a chick who basically just learned to drive?

Is anyone else weirded out by this, or am I just tragically un-hip?

 Since cozying up at an Emmys party in September, Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Panettiere have dodged rumors that they are dating.Two months later, the duo some call “Halo” are still close, hanging together at Wednesday’s Race in the Fight Against Epilepsy fundraiser, in Calabasas, Calif. But could these Heroes be a couple? When asked about the reports of romance, Ventimiglia, 30, chuckled then paused. After a few seconds, he answered, “She and I are close friends. It’s only natural that people are going to couple us together.”

The actor and Panettiere, 18, hung together outside the bash while awaiting their fellow Heroes costars. And although they spoke closely in a shadowy corner, they remained strictly hands-off. (Once inside, the two were ushered into a private VIP room.)

First of all, Milo has that weird Sylvester Stallone/Popeye mouth thing going, where he kind of talks out of one side of his mouth. Then there is the whole, HE’S 30 THING! Don’t get me wrong, I am not much older than Hayden and get the whole sexy-older-guy think – but 30 is a pretty big step. This poses the question, how old is too old?