You might have noticed that lately, magazines and TV are being applauded for finally displaying “average” looking women. From America Ferrara starring on Ugly Betty, to Tina Fey on 30 Rock, to Glamour giving Crystal Renn her own spread, it seems like the media industry was actually making some headway in this department!

But here’s the thing- Crystal Renn is actually smaller than the average lady (and I’m willing to bet she’s not overweight by medical standards), America Ferrara is stunning, and as for Liz Lemon? She’s hot! I mean, you can’t slap glasses and a sense of humor on a gal and turn her ugly!

A recent post by Feministing examines my point in more detail. Author Chloe poses the question, “if Tina Fey, Lea Michele and America Ferrera are ugly, what hope is there for the rest of us?” Amen, sister Chloe! I’ve always been frustrated with the jokes about Michele being ugly (would anyone else give their right arm to look like her!?), and the Liz Lemon-bashing has never resonated with me either. Yeah, these characters might have some unfortunate wardrobe choices, but let’s face it – they’re (WAY) better lookin’ then the average chick.

Even the Washington Post agrees. Ezra Klein writes, 30 Rock “didn’t have the nerve to cast an actually frumpy actress in Liz Lemon’s role. About half the jokes focus on Lemon’s looks, and they’re all undercut when the camera focuses on the slim, beautiful Tina Fey.” In other words, not only does it not make sense to poke fun at these women for the way they look, but if these actresses are cast as the unattractive characters, what does that mean about the rest of us? Much like those super skinny models walking down the runways at Fashion Week, calling Liz Lemon ugly is setting the standard of beauty higher and higher, where perfection by modern standards is basically unattainable.

This article really makes me think. Is this movement towards average-looking characters actually a step backwards? I mean, what kind of message is the media sending us when Ugly Betty isn’t even ugly!?

What do you guys think?

I can’t tell if this is something I really want to know, but I kind of think I do.

But not about myself, of course; my mom tells me I’m pretty/I may cry if my cell phone tells me I’m ugly.  But this app could come in handy in so many other instances. For example, my sister always boasts that she is the beauty of the family. Oh yeah, Kimberly? Fibonacci says differently. In your ugly face, lil’ sis!

Or maybe you’ve donned your not-so-trusty beer goggles for the night and you’re just about ready to take home that stunning piece of man-meat you’ve been eyeing up all night. The “Fit or Fugly” app may just save you from making the worst mistake of your college career. Without it, you might have been waking up next to Alf tomorrow morning. The iPhone saves the day again.

So instead of putting your picture up on “Hot or Not” and letting strangers judge your overall attractiveness, let technology and math give you the empirical evidence you need to know that you (or your unsuspecting victim) are beautiful…. or not.

“Hey Christian Audigier… Thanks for ruining America…” is how my new favorite song, F**k Ed Hardy, by Dirt Nasty starts.

Christian Audigier, the man who brought us overpriced trucker hats in 2001, is now ruining the world once again with his latest line, Don Ed Hardy. Obvi you know about this stuff, seeing as everyone from Paris Hilton to Lil Jon to the players of Inter Milan (an Italian soccer team) sport the stuff.

And I have to say: I really effing hate Ed Hardy.

Now, I’m not the usual one to bash on things, but after hearing for two years how ‘cute’ Ed Hardy is and having friends coo over the shirt, shoes, hats and other accessories… I’m absolutely sick of it. Instead of just wrinkling my nose in distaste and immediately walking to the other side of Nordstrom, here are actual reasons why I hate that crap.

You with me?

1. It’s Ugly
As Dirt Nasty kindly points out, “Who had a seizure? It must have been the dude that made that tee-shirt.” Let’s go through the anatomy of a regular Ed Hardy tee, shall we?

The design itself starts out about (depending on the shirt) five inches above the hem. Nothing wrong with that, just a normal tee shirt… Except after those inoffensive few inches, it’s literally like some child took out the markers and just just drew a bunch of unrelated crap on a poor quality tee.

I get it; the images are based off of tattoo artist Ed Hardy’s work, but really Christian? What the hell do skulls; roses; tigers; hearts; eagles; top hats the words “peace,” “tattoos” and my personal favorite “love kills slowly”; have to do with each other?  And why does he have to add even more ugly to the mess and plaster his name on top?  Is it because it is so aesthetically important that “Christian Audigier” be scrawled across a woman’s chest? Or perhaps he envisioned a mob of men, women and children pestering – nay, DEMANDING – the wearer where they got such a cool tee.

And what makes this t-shirt different than any other graphic tee? The ugly design and the brand name? Please, I’m not wasting my money on this. Which brings me to…

2. It’s Expensive

The cheapest tee shirt on Ed Hardy’s website is $62. 62 bucks (which is approximately 10 hours working minimum wage with taxes taken out) for a 100% cotton shirt. Rhinestoned tunics can go for $176. What else can you buy for $176? A pair of jeans from J Brand, or a pair of Marc Jacobs shoes at theoutnet.com, or about seven dresses from Forever 21, or almost 2 iPhone 3G’s, or basically the amount of money you’ll spend on food from Wal-Mart during your first 2 ½ months away at school. Or, you know, you can spend that $176+ shipping and taxes on an ugly bedazzled t-shirt. It’s up to you.

3. Even Perez Hilton hates it

Perez Hilton – who has had hair ever color of the rainbow, who wore a brown velour suit jacket to New Year’s 2008 with Tila Tequila, who basically defines tacky – hates Ed Hardy. His nickname for the designer? Christian AudiGaudy. If Perez Hilton thinks you’re gaudy then I don’t even think Stacy London can help you.

4. Jon Gosselin is designing a clothing line for Audigier

This may not have to do as much with Ed Hardy as it does with its designer, but it only seems to anger me more. I’ve seen Project Runway. I’ve seen The Fashion Show. I know for a fact that there are lots of talented designers out there who don’t have the means of expressing their creativity. So Audigier looks past all of these Parsons and Central Saint Martin’s grads and lets Jon Gosselin design a kids line? Way to pick one of the top 10 people LEAST suited to design a line of children’s tees, right in between Carrot Top and Fidel Castro.

5. This guy puts his name on everything

Ed Hardy cups, air fresheners, seat covers, vodka? What the hell is Ed Hardy vodka!?

So next time you find yourself looking over one of his many shirts, don’t be “an Ed Hardy fan… aka I am a maggot” as Andy Milonakis raps, and put the item of clothing down. Then, walk over to H&M and spend that $100 on something that’s stylish, cute and doesn’t make you look like a clueless fashion victim.

2008 was an interesting year for fashion. Gone (thankfully) were the maternity tops of 2007, replaced by blasts from the past inspirations from the 20s through the days of our best pals on Beverly Hills 90210. We saw everything from the mom-jean to the 90s flannel button down. Some of it was fab, and some of it… not so much. So, let’s take a look at this year’s fashion highs and fashion oh-hell-no’s.

Because without the crap we can’t appreciate the couture.

Here are my top 5 fashion must-haves from 2008:

The High Waist

Sure we spent years trying to get people to stop wearing them only to bring them right back in, but let’s face it: we should be thankful that we don’t have to look at butt cracks and muffin tops a day longer. These pants look good on just about everyone… as long as they aren’t acid washed…or paired with a denim jacket.

The Vintage Scarf

There is something about Hollywood starting trends of cold-weather wear in warm weather regions that seems to catch on like hot fire. First we saw Uggs popularity soar back in 2003 with stars in shorts and boots trudging around LA. This year it was the scarf that made its way to the West Coast. Everywhere you turned, there was Jessica Alba in another fabulously printed scarf. These colorful scarves spruced up wardrobes, covered hickies (for those of you who still get them), and made any drab outfit instantly chic.

The Plaid or Gingham T

I was admittedly resistant to this trend at first. After all, my brothers wore these with hiking boots and Cavariccis to high school back in 1996. I didn’t like them then and I didn’t think I would like them now. Until designers – from the Couture to Forever 21 – made them tailored and colorful and so. freakin. cute, especially when tucked into a pair of those mom jeans I’ve come to love so much.

The Belt

Whereas 2007 was all about hiding that belly under too-big tops, 2008 brought us the cinched waist. Thank you, fashion peeps of the world! Now everything – jackets, dresses, tops – come paired with a belt for an instantly chic and flattering look. The best part: you can take all those maternity shirts from last year and glam ‘em up instantly with this year’s hottest accessory. And if by chance you get knocked up? Just remove that belt and, Viola!

Bright Colors

The little black dress was obsolete this year with the addition of bright colors and jewel tones. Seriously, everywhere you walked looked like a gay pride parade! You name your favorite Crayola crayon color and I will find you a shirt, dress and pair of skinny jeans in that hue.

The Oh-Hell-No Looks of 2008:

One-Piece Jumpers

I don’t care if Rhianna rocked them; they look good on no one. Unless, of course, you are a fan of the camel toe.

Leather Leggings

Leggings as pants can be tricky when not worn in a flattering way. Add the fact that they are leather and you have yourself a recipe for disaster. Leather leggings make women look like they are walking on lumpy sausages. Does that sound even remotely sexy to you? I didn’t think so. These bad boys are never flattering. Not ever. Not even for a second.

Pop quiz! Who makes the ugliest shoes on Earth?Ask anyone this question and they’ll give you one of two answers. Uggs. Or Crocs.

Now, I will happily argue to my death that Uggs are not that ugly and I will continue to wear them despite what anyone says. But Crocs? Disgusting rubber, brightly colored Crocs? I wouldn’t even be caught dead in them. After all, when I think of the average Crocs-wearer, I think of grubby little kids wearing orange shirts with bright yellow Crocs (always clashing) with those stupid little charms stuck in the holes. Or their plain un-stylish parents.

Do I fall into one of those categories? I think not.

So imagine my surprise when I was browsing the shoe store the other day and saw a super cute pair of boots that were made by Crocs! “No,” I thought to myself. “It couldn’t be. Crocs makes ugly rubber sandals. Crocs don’t make fashionable, totally cute boots for women!”

Um, turns out they do. Crocs actually make several pairs of boots that aren’t just kinda cute, but are so adorable they’re the first thing my eye landed on when I entered the store. I wanted every last pair, but could I really buy Crocs? I mean, they are cute, but they’re still Crocs. Paris Hilton dressed in a nun outfit is still Paris Hilton!

And what if someone were to see me in them?

On the other hand, they are a hot pair of boots. And why do many people wear Crocs in the first place? Certainly not for their cuteness; it’s for their comfort. Allegedly, Crocs are so comfortable, millions of people overlook their hideousness and wear them on a daily basis. (Note: I wouldn’t know; I’ve never come close to even trying on a pair.) If Crocs make ugly comfortable shoes, maybe they also make cute comfortable shoes. And I sure could use a pair of boots that are both fashionable and comfortable.

Maybe it’s time for me to hop on the Crocs train. Looks like all Crocs are not created equal.

Let’s face it: We LOVE to gossip. We gossip about friends and we gossip about foes. Such idle talk allows us to convey information quickly, although not always accurately. This being said, it is no surprise that the website Juicy Campus has been increasing in popularity since it was founded on August 1, 2007.

When my friends first introduced me to Juicy Campus, I wrote it off as another place for people to share their college exploits online. But I quickly realized that this site was different; I actually knew the people that were being discussed! Friends, classmates, hookups—no one was free from the wrath of this critical group. Let’s just put it this way, if the “Burn Book” from Mean Girls was published online for all to see and comment on, I would imagine it would look similar to Juicy Campus.

The site was created by Mark Ivester, a Duke University Alum, with “the simple mission of enabling online anonymous free speech on college campuses.” (Editor’s Note: That’s a nice way to refer to sh*t talking!) There are currently 64 colleges listed on the site, including many prestigious institutions such as Harvard, UPenn, and Brown. The topics on the site range from the innocent (“Best Frat on Campus”) to the scandalous (“Sex with Professors”). Each post gets a rating ranging from 0% Juicy to 100% Juicy, so the juicier the gossip, the better the rating.

And because everything posted on Juicy Campus is anonymous, people have no censor when it comes to describing how they truly feel about someone. As a result, degrading, racist, homophobic, and downright hurtful remarks are prevalent throughout the site.

As guilty as I feel reading through the posts, I often find myself deciding to read “just one more.” I mean, who doesn’t want to know if she is considered the hottest girl on campus? But sometimes this curiosity gets people into trouble, as was the case here when a junior at Baylor University found her name not under “Hottest Girl,” but rather under “Biggest Slut.”

The embarrassment doesn’t end here. A couple of my own friends have been named on the site (yes, first and last name) saying they are “easy” or “ugly” when I know that it is simply not true. Furthermore, I have encountered posts where people comment on another person’s genitals (one of which referred to a guy that I had been seeing—kind of sucked) or even post naked pictures of an ex in retaliation. I don’t know about you, but I would be mortified.

The site takes no responsibility for the information posted, claiming that the authors are the ones responsible. In fact, as shown on CNN, people who have been hurt by the website have no way to fight back. Kind of hard to place the blame on Mr. Anonymous, wouldn’t you agree?

So we are left with one question: Is Juicy Campus just a fun place where college students can dish out the dirt on their friends and classmates, or has it become a way for people to tarnish the reputation of others with no repercussions?

[Photo courtesy of NYTimes.com]

Ah, 90210. I remember sitting on my couch in middle school, my legging-clad legs propped up on the coffee table and my boys size extra small plaid shirt tied to one side around my waist, watching every episode religiously. I mean, these kids were so cool and had such dramatic lives and how awesome was it that they got to go to school by the beach?! I loved everyone, except Donna — who was whiny and had horrible fashion sense — and often dreamed that my high school experience would be full of ex-boyfriends, accidental drug overdoses, trips to Paris, and constant sexual tension.

Sadly, reality isn’t half as fun as fiction. But happily, 90210 is coming BACK to prime time TV later on this year! The promos and whispers have finally begun to surface, and one interesting (but I mean, how are the two related?) tie-in with the 90210 resurgence is OPI nail polish. Apparently, OPI is bringing out a “90210 inspired collection” of polish colors with names inspired by either the new cast or the old one — we’re not sure which.

It’ll be interesting to see how a company ties in nail polish to a series, but I’m sure today’s consumer culture will not disappoint. If, however, they try to make a color that has to do with Donna — stay the eff away. It will look ugly, and quite possibly make people suddenly decide you’re too annoying to live.

[Editor's Note: check out the Mom Jeans on every single cast member in the above pic. PRICELESS]

And then, gasp, I saw them being sold at Nordstrom.

Which is where I learned that the shoes were called Crocs and, despite being the most horrifically ugly footwear since the Moon Boot, they were very popular.

“They are so comfortable,” my 30-year-old brother said after I gagged when I saw him wearing them.

Since when does the entire world give up fashion for comfort? Seriously, my grandma wouldn’t even be caught dead in those things.

Well, the….er….masterminds behind the Croc heard my complaint. Sorta. They have been working feverishly to expand their product into the not-so-ugly market and have now done it with….

Wait for it….

The Croc High Heel.

I really didn’t think it could get any worse than the original, but, alas, I was wrong. I don’t care how comfortable these things are, I would rather walk home from the bar with 2 bloody stumps than even try these things on in stores.

If you know what is good for you (and fashion as a whole) you will not give in to the crazies over at Croc. No matter how high the heel or the comfort level.

Too often, the advice is being given but no one is hanging around to do the instructing. Painting your face (and yes, I will stoop to this level) so that it looks natural is actually quite an artistic gift that one needs to work long and hard at honing.

It requires actually understanding the difference between your real lip color and candy apple red. It requires putting your purple eye shadow in detention until that glamorous-hipster-weekend party rolls along. (Or not so glamorous groupie rock show…either or). But if you can bear to face your day without these neon signs that scream “She might be UGLY under all of this!“, you’ll succeed in not only looking hotter than you actually do when you wake up, but also in fooling a whole lot of people that you’re ridiculously naturally gorgeous.

So here are some tips I’ve got for you. I do not bring them to you in vain. These tips have collected themselves in the beauty corner of my brain only after numerous glitter spills and eyeliner smears.

1. Mascara. You’ll need it. But lets keep it real, shall we? Your eyelashes aren’t blue. G et a color that makes sense for your natural complexion. If you’re one of those born blonde babes, try a light brown.

2. Concealer. Sometimes you simply have some stuff you wanna…ugh….CONCEAL. Dark circles. Pimples. Yeah, they’re the “real you”, but who needs to know? Try dabbing the makeup around the area you’re covering instead of wiping it in. Making sure you cover the area under your eyes can really lift them and make you seem way more awake than you probably are.

3. Lipstick. Yes, you’re allowed to wear it. And you’re even allowed to wear gloss. But wear a natural color. Put your purples and blacks away for 80′s night at the bar.

4. Blush. No, you don’t want to look like a clown…however, a little bit of blush can add to this whole natural look quite a lot. A good way to make the whole look flow? Instead of actually using blush, use the very natural lipstick color that I trust you pick, and smear it into your cheek bones. This way, your colors will match.

5. Powder. Shine is natural, but who cares, powder yourself, babe!

At this point; you’re good. You’ve actually enhanced the beautiful features you already have instead of steering your face down the Amy Winehouse lane of gnarly. You’ve graduated with a degree in deceptive face painting that is somehow honest at the same time.

Congratulations.

While awesome presents are fun to receive, crappy presents are fun to talk about. So here, in no particular order, are three of the stupidest things I have received in recent memory.

* Box of Sparkly Body Spray – When I was 12, I freakin’ loved sparkly things. I would have killed for something like this in my teenybopper phase. However, once I turned, oh, say 22, I had pretty much left my gaudy taste behind. Too bad a long lost relative didn’t get the memo. When I opened this present—a set of three different kinds of pink, sparkly, heavily scented body sprays with Barbie heads as bottle stoppers—I was immediately mortified for everyone in the room. Either this relative was so out of touch with reality she thought Barbie was still something I enjoyed, or she had just totally and obviously re-gifted.

• Big, Red, Ugly Sweater – The ugliness factor wasn’t as big of a deal as the idea that the people who gave it to me (people I have known all my life) actually thought I would fit into it. Holding it up in mock happiness, I happened to catch sight of the “size large” on the tag. Size large? A woman’s large? I hadn’t been a large since I was a chubby kid. I wear a size 4!, I wanted to scream, I left those chunky days behind in sixth grade, why are you trying to make me relive them?! Most people could probably shrug off an ill-sized sweater no problem, but most people didn’t get stuck on a water slide when they were 10.

• A Bag Of Nuts – I wish there was some kind of double entendre to this gift, but really, one year my grandma presented me with a bag of nuts tied with a ribbon. It was at a big family Christmas party, everyone was confused, and I was forced to eat a handful of chestnuts while my grandma took a picture. She still has that picture. And it haunts me.

Have any Worst Gift Stories of your own? Let us know. We’re dying to commiserate.