Sean Young, star of Blade Runner and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, was arrested last night after getting into a physical fight with a security guard. And, no, she wasn’t celebrating a belated Oscar win for either of those high-brow flicks. She was crashing the Governors Ball, the super ritzy Oscar party thrown by the Academy itself. Apparently, she was placed under citizen’s arrest by security, until the LAPD arrived and took her into custody. No word yet on whether the fight broke out because the security guards at the door didn’t recognize her. Head over to TMZ for more details.

TMZ just released news that Gerard Butler has checked himself into rehab for prescription painkillers and cocaine. Interesting mix, huh? Apparently he started taking the painkillers for the “physical demands” of filming 300 in 2006 and started taking them even more often after a surfing accident in December. The good news is that Butler realized the magnitude of the situation and decided to check himself into rehab to prevent the addiction from getting even more serious. TMZ was told that Butler also developed a cocaine addiction but the main reason for checking himself into rehab is the painkillers.

I think it’s a good thing that Butler realized he had a problem and decided to fix it before it ruined his life. Addictions (to anything, really) can not only hurt you but the people around you. Kudos to Gerard Butler for keeping that from happening.

Ashley is a freshman at George Washington University and she’s majoring in “Overanalyzing Situations” and International Affairs. Follow her on twitter @ashleybrooks25

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.

In a move that could only come from the minds behind Jersey Shore, TMZ is reporting that a new series featuring the best in beer bellies, jorts, and John Deere hats will be coming to a television near you.  You’ve heard me right; Party Down South (they need to work on that title) is looking for twelve lucky rednecks to wave the rebel flag and disgrace the South in all ways possible.

Jersey Shore brought us new, orange-tinted reality stars that left us asking why they were suddenly famous (not to mention the advent of poofs, fist pumps, hair gel, spray tans, and senseless nicknames).  Am I alone in wondering what this new crop of southern imports will bring to prime time television?  Excuse me while I allow my mind to drift to all the horrors about to beset “normal” society…

1.  Just how many racist jokes can one audience handle before these new stars’ trailer homes get torched? I know it’s going to happen, you know it’s going to happen.  Someone will bring a white hood and suddenly the guy who punched Snooki looks like a saint.  It’s a sad, pathetic fact, but if it’s rednecks these casting people want, it’s rednecks they’ll get.

2.  Tractors, power tools, and So-Co. No, I’m not talking about Ty Pennington’s next season of Extreme Home Makeover.  I’m referring to all the fun this cast is going to have shacking up in the Deep South.  How long before someone loses an appendage while cow tipping or riding a 4-wheeler?

3.  Clean up on aisle ten, we’ve got a kegerator down. You know these shows always have set their participants up with jobs to add a little drama to the house.  Well, where do you find employment for a group of hayseeds?  Wal-Mart?  Home Depot?  God help anyone walking near the chainsaw display while Billy Bob’s on duty.

4.  Jersey Shore vs. Party Down South: The Uncivil War
Wait, no one else is feeling that spin off?  It’ll be just like the Real World/Road Rules Challenges.  Just think about it- races to see how quickly you can spray-tan your illegitimate children, fried chicken vs. chicken parm cook-offs, bedazzle your cow contests.  Maybe Party Down South isn’t such a bad idea after all…

The Pussycat Dolls pull a Destiny’s Child.

Christina Aguilera lets us all down.

Should you put love before your career?

Everything is better when little kids do it. Even TMZ.

What do you think of Selena Gomez’s line for KMart?

Miley’s totally going to regret this decision.

Perez Hilton… TMZ… The Superficial… dListed… You name it, I read it. Probably in the past 10 minutes. I even have a special folder under my bookmarks tab for my favorite gossip websites. And it’s gotten a lot worse since I’ve started interning this summer – there’s only so many coffee runs to make and so many papers to file until I get bored and start reading up on all the latest celeb gossip.

But are all these gossip websites really the best way to spend my time? Should I really take pride in the fact that I know the latest dramz behind the scenes at Jennifer Love Hewitt’s house? Help, I’m torn:

Love It
I have a not-so-hidden propensity for the gossip, the chitchat, the rumors, the hearsay, whatever you want to call it. Basically, I love me some dirty laundry. The dirtier, the better, I say. Britney’s mad head-shaving incident? I was one of the first to express my shock. Lindsay Lohan’s bobble-head phase? Get the girl a double cheeseburger and animal style fries please. And Paris’ poor little Tinkerbell nowhere to be found? Time for some, “MIA: Dog,” signs around the neighborhood.

What can I say? I like being in the know.

Juicy celeb gossip is always a good conversation starter when the babbling river runs a little dry, and there’s always something new happening. It keeps me on my toes, not to mention keeps my brain preoccupied over those hump days at work when the clock seems to be running low on batteries and I’m about to collapse onto my desk and start drooling all over those super important reports I’m supposed to be filing. Plus, it’s important to be a well-rounded individual who knows what is going on; if I want to accurately follow up on the world, I need to know what’s going on in Hollywood too, right?

Loathe It
Ok, I know. I could spend those countless hours of needless gossiping on more useful things, like picking up a new hobby (basket weaving, knitting, jewelry-making) or even learning a new language (conversational skills in French would be advantageous in case I meet any cute European boys in the future after all). I bet if you added up all the time I spent on gossip sites it’s probably more than I spend doing homework. And definitely more than I spent studying for the SAT (bad call, I must say). It seems like the more you read, the more you want to know, and with all the links to other gossip sites along the side there’s just no stopping any time soon.

But after spending hours brushing up on the latest goings-on in the Gosselin house, I do start to feel really bad. I mean, I’m not the one writing it, but I am the one people are writing this stuff for and is it really my business what is happening in someone’s personal life? Is it really OK for me to sit here and laugh as someone’s relationships/career/mental health go down the tubes? Celebrities are people too and I can’t imagine speaking this viciously about the people in my real life…

But I just don’t know if I can stop. It’s all so…juicy. And accessible. Just a click and a scroll and I’ve got my gossip fix…. I’m not sure if I can fight the urge.

You know you love me.

XOXO,

Gossip Girl

For times like those, magazines are the way to go (plus, who doesn’t like perfume samples and grocery coupons?). But you don’t want to waste your money on just any magazine; you want the one that will give you the most (gossip) bang for your buck.

So which ones are best? I scoured the grocery store check-out aisles for candy bars the top dogs in gossip magazines and here are my rankings:

People

This is definitely the cream of the crop, in terms of the amount of coverage, story quality, and reliability. It seems to actually like the people it talks about, showing amazing weight loss stories more than gains, and cute bikini pictures more than cellulite. Since it’s the most popular one and the most sympathetic towards its subjects, the stars are more willing to give interviews and send exclusive baby pictures that aren’t found elsewhere. The writers only print what they can back up with hard facts and legitimate sources, and always have a few pages of deeper articles, like “Real Heroes Among Us.” Sometimes, though, the articles are a bit too long for relaxed beach-reading material, and sometimes are a little depressing compared to the more fun and trashy mags.
Overall Score: 9

Us Weekly

If People is king, then Us Weekly is his lovely queen. I love the features like, “Stars- They’re Just Like Us!” or the snarky comments in the “Fashion Police.” Even though the articles are pretty shallow and not particularly well-written, they’re always fun and entertaining (meaning no deaths or disasters). And just like People, they’re pretty high in reliability and have the latest photos in the business.
Overall Score: 8

Star

This ugly duckling has transformed from a dirt-grubbing tabloid (National Enquirer, anyone?) to a certified glossy. Although it lacks the reliability of the top performers, Star is always a fun read that’s filled with attention-grabbing headliners, always accentuated with exclamation points. Titles like “Scariest Hollywood Makeovers!” and varying back-page features like “Public Displays of Consumption” (huh?) offer a wide breadth of topics, but don’t exactly have the most flattering pictures or correct information. Details…
Overall Score: 6

In Touch

Basically the poor man’s version of Us Weekly, and not even close in terms of credence and quality. The stories are kind of bland, tend to be more inaccurate, and the picture quality isn’t even very good. The only time you would want to buy this is if you only had $2 to spend, or if all the other magazines were sold out and you were about to get on a really long plane ride and had absolutely nothing else to do. Even then, though, I’d rather spend my money on Sour Patch Kids and read the back of the box.
Overall Score: 3

Do you have any favorites on the shelves? Or do you prefer to read juicy celebrity gossip online? Lemme know!

Allow me to refine this status: Americanization is not to be confused with Westernization, nor is it a put-down.

International Students take up a demographic in most US colleges and universities. They are usually easily spotted on campus. No, not because that of clothing choices or accents, but because they maintain a certain wide eyed fascination and solemn intelligence. International students seem refined and sophisticated. Hard working and goal oriented. They worked hard to get to this prestigious American university and they keep that in mind as they work even harder to graduate.

Most International Students stick together, seeking the comfort of the familiar. They tend to sit back in class and take notes as the more abrasive and comfortable students take over answering the questions, debating the topics and joking with classmates. As soon as class ends, they head to the library or the comforts of their dorm room to get started on the reading assigned. They never join the rest of campus at the weekend parties.

But then something starts to change. As the semester rolls on and these students find themselves more at ease in their new environment, they begin to engage in common American customs. They become The Americanized International.

The Americanized International has parted ways with his/her frequent dialect for slang, exchanging pleasant “hellos” for degraded “what ups.” Their freshly acquired iPods are now filled with the rhymes of Lil Wayne and the Billboard Top 100. Whereas studying used to take up most of their time, it has now been reduced due to their newfound love of Thirsty Thursdays and football pre-games.

Their love of food from “back home” (Moussaka, Wat, Masala) has been trumped by a new addiction to late night Mickey D’s or the Midnight Special at the campus pizza place.

The Americanized International has become fascinated by the media and pop culture and may know more than you about current events in Celebrityland. TMZ and Perez Hilton have become a fixture in their life.

Before you know it, the refreshing style of the International Student is been overcome by Uggs (no offense, Aussies), Crocs, North Face jackets and other over-rated trends. Their hair gets a little shorter/gel-ier/lighter, their jeans more expensive.

They begin drifting from their International friends who don’t embrace the new culture and immersing themselves more and more into their new world. They don’t deny their culture completely, but don’t embrace it readily. They are Americans now and do everything in their power to fit in.  Pretty soon you can’t tell where the Americanized International came from.

The men of the Oscars. Mmmm.

Jennifer Aniston was smokin’ last night!

There was no Brangelina/Jen drama at the Oscars, even though those cameramen tried. 

Who had the best Oscar dresses?

TMZ paid $62,000 for that awful Rihanna pic?

10 weird human sex facts. Iiiinteresting.

This makes women look awful.

Foods you should never give up for the sake of a diet.

Tips for keeping that hair shiny and strong.

The economy is only gonna get worse before it gets better…

While I laid on my couch and watched reruns of SVU, the celebs hit the Oscar parties.

Don’t lose your beer again!

Picture of Rihanna after her allegedly being beaten by boyfriend, Chris Brown.

I’m rooting for Kate Winslet for Best Actress…

Silkey smooth skin for under $5? Yes, please.

In honor of our economic downfall…suggestions for some new corporate logos.

We’ve all been there: your friends hate your bf, now what?

Top 20 fashion blogs…as if I need another reason to procrastinate my Sociology paper.

Why Buffalo Exchange is amazing…

The Heidi Klum toning work-out…I’m in.

Two adorable boys teach how to “do the stanky leggg”! So funny!

Oh man, Pamela Anderson will always be around. Always.