You know what's funny? Normally I whiz past commercials using my handy DVR remote, but now that Super Bowl is fast approaching, I'm finding myself actually looking forward to a fresh batch of ads.

Okay, so that's not really funny, but this Pepsi ad featuring Justin Timberlake is. Maybe it's because I love me some JT, or maybe it's because growing up during the "America's Funniest Home Videos" heyday makes me equate getting hit in the junk with comedy - whatever the reason, I literally just guffawed out loud watching this.

Enjoy.

Britney Spears was taken to the U.C.L.A. medical center around 1 a.m. this morning for "treatment and evaluation during a 72-hour emergency hold, known as a 5150," according to People.

Britney's frequent companion/manager, Sam Lufti, told the press that Britney went willingly, and that she knew something was wrong with her. TMZ reports that Britney's parents, lawyers, psychiatrist and the L.A.P.D. were all in on a plan to have the former singer hospitalized whether she liked it or not - and without Sam's consent.

Unlike the last time she was rushed to the hospital, Britney went quietly this time. Let's hope that unlike last time, when she stayed only 36 hours of her 72-hour evaluation, she stays put. Now that she's under a psychiatrist's care, things may be different. Britney cannot be forced to take medication during her 72-hour stay at the hospital, but if she does refuse, her psychiatrist can go to court to request that she be put on a 14-day hold, during which time she can administer medication.

Here's hoping things work out for Britney. As much as I like a good meltdown, it's always fun to watch someone rebound and reinvent herself. Plus - and this is really off-topic - if the meds work for Britney and she turns everything around, it will be like watching Tom Cruise (who, as a Scientologist, believes that psychiatry is the root of all evil) get punched in the neck. Two birds, one giant gossip-loving stone.

Britney Spears's hanger on friend manager, Sam Lufti, put a call in to Barbara Walters to announce that Britney has started treatment for what Walters called "mental issues" on this morning's "The View". As Walters did not specify the kind of treatment Britney is seeking, I am going to assume Lufti was merely referring to Britney's Monday morning Kahlua-spiked frappuccino and hot bath.

According to Walters, Lufti also told her that Britney had been having mood swings and trouble sleeping, but that she's been in talks with her estranged mother and has gone to see a psychiatrist.

Look, we all know that Britney is followed 24/7 by the paparazzi, so where are pictures of her seeking help? Where are pictures of her leaving the house and heading to a treatment center? I'm going to call shenanigans on Lufti's report until I see some hard evidence, because the only photos of Britney I've seen from this weekend are ones of her shopping for thongs at the Hustler store.

And now I'm going to need treatment.

[Photo: Flynet Online]

Not looking to quash those pregnancy rumors, Angelina Jolie showed up to tonight's SAG Awards wearing the couture equivalent of a circus tent.

Angelina Jolie possibly having more kids isn't really earth-shattering news - I'm just super excited that there has finally been an award show this season with real live celebrities wearing really hideous dresses. Giving bloggers the chance to make fun of pretty people in $30,000 gowns is the only reason awards shows exist, so it's about time we got down to business. After the Golden Globes ceremony was altered to accommodate the lack of celebrities willing to cross the writer's strike picket line, I thought there would never be joy in my life again.

So, it is with a happy heart that I now say:

Pregnant or not, Angie - ripping the team-building parachute out of your children's hands and wrapping it around you like a towel does not a dress make. You're better than this.

God, that felt good. Congratulations to Angelina on the pregnancy, and here's hoping she can keep her indifference to this biological child quiet in a way she couldn't with Shiloh.

D Listed has alerted me to the fact that today is Paul Newman's 83rd birthday, and I think that deserves a special mention.

Newman was Clooney and Pitt rolled into one before Clooney and Pitt even existed. Easy on the eyes? Check. Sense of humor? Check. Cool Hollywood friendship with a similarly likable actor? Check. Good deed doer? Check, check, check.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid was my family's favorite Saturday afternoon movie when I was a kid, so I adore Newman based off that one film alone, but I also love him in Cool Hand Luke, of course, and The Sting.

Happy Birthday, Paul Newman. And here's to many more.

Enjoy a little Butch Cassidy knife fight action after the jump.

Ohmigod!

How nice to see Joan Rivers taking a break from working the red carpet to, you know, work the red carpet. You don't look a day over 60, sweetheart!

I usually fast-forward past commercials (thanks, DVR!), but if there were more like this one, I might stop and pay attention. Enjoy this PepsiCo commercial, set to air during the upcoming Super Bowl:

Ultimately, I don't really understand the commercial (why are the lights out at every single house on the street? Is it 2 a.m.? What kind of football game starts at 2 a.m.?). Still, silence truly is golden.

This rumor happens every 12 days, so we're due.

Star magazine, bastion of truth, is reporting that Angelina Jolie is pregnant with twins. I'm pretty sure the rumor yesterday was that John Travolta is pregnant with L. Ron Cruise's child, so this is a giant leap forward in plausibility.

Still. Me = skeptical. Time will tell on this one, and I only feel compelled to share this rumor with others in the off-chance that it's truth, so I can go, "You read it on the Beehive first, folks!" (even though we all know that's not remotely true).

If that John Travolta thing works out at all, however, I want major props from all of you.

I've avoided writing any more about Heath Ledger's death since it happened because I wanted the dust - or more importantly, the speculation - to settle. After the announcement that he had died, there were so many rumors floating around that it seemed like a good idea to wait for something concrete and legitimate to surface. Here's the latest, which isn't much:

• The first autopsy proved inconclusive, so there is still no known cause of death.
• The Mary-Kate Olsen angle of the story is explained here. Apparently they dated sometime in 2006, which seems weird to me because I thought he was with Michelle Williams - the mother of his child and his former fiancée - then.

The really sad part of this whole thing (other than the 2-year old child who won't see her father again), is that Heath's death has now become a platform for the haters to come out of the woodwork, spewing their bile and using a person's death to forward their own disgusting agendas, with no regard for the family members of the deceased.

And that line falls somewhere between the reaction to a picture of Drew Barrymore kissing her boyfriend Justin Long ("cute!")...

Heath Ledger, 28, has been found dead in a NYC apartment in what police are saying is a possibly drug-related death.

According to the AP:

NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Ledger had an appointment for a massage at the Manhattan apartment believed to be his home. The housekeeper who went to let Ledger know the masseuse was there found him dead at 3:26 p.m.

CNN is reporting that pills were found near Ledger's bed, leading police to believe the death was from overdose. The New York Times reports that the apartment belongs to Mary-Kate Olsen, who recently was in Park City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival. TMZ, however, is saying that this information is not true.

Ledger just finished filming his role as the Joker in the upcoming Batman movie The Dark Knight, and was currently filming The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus.

But more importantly, he was a dad to 2-year old Matilda, his daughter with Brokeback Mountain co-star Michelle Williams.

Been wanting to hear Britney Spears speak in one of her "multiple personality" British accents?

No, me neither. But you have to watch this video specifically for the part when she tells a homeless man "You're better off being homeless than being me, sir" in a Paula Deen meets Bridget Jones accent (around the 2:23 mark). The best part? When a paparazzo asks her what part of England she's from, and, clearly annoyed and unable to think of a single British city, she says, "All right. Thank you" and tries to drive away.

Spoiler alert: No, she does not help out the homeless man. She does the "Sorry, pal, I can't find my change" thing.
Stars! They're just like us.

E! News paid tribute to deceased actor Brad Renfro over the weekend by spelling his name incorrectly on not one, but two screens.

Well done, E! Your attention to detail legitimizes the tattoo Renfro got across his back two days before his death:
"F*** All Y'all."

England's The Sun has a video on their site of Amy Winehouse smoking crack. It was only a matter of time until there was more than just circumstantial evidence.

On the video, Amy admits to taking six valium and then is seen clearly smoking a pipe. The Sun also claims that Amy takes a giant snort of cocaine and powdered ecstasy, all mere hours before she is to support her husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, who is on trial for witness tampering. If you look at the pictures of her later that day at the courthouse, it's evident something is not right with the girl.

Amy Winehouse is such a huge talent, and although that doesn't make one's life any more worthy than another's, it sure would be a big damn shame if she threw her tremendous abilities away.

Wait - scratch that. I get that it's a disease, but you know what? I'm done feeling sorry for people like Amy Winehouse. I'm sick of hearing about how these poor young stars get famous too fast and don't know how to handle it. It's not even about the fame and fortune - they have an actual talent that they love and that they can make a life out of. Anyone who doesn't recognize how lucky they are in that respect, and proceeds to throw it away on drugs, doesn't deserve my sympathy.

I'm saving my sympathy for people like Gary Coleman, who never had any talent to lose in the first place.

If you look very closely at this picture of Nicole Kidman's face, you'll see something you've never seen before: an expression.

Thanks to the little miracle child setting up shop in Nicole's uterus, the actress's alleged use of the Botox has come to a full and complete stop. That means that those wavy lines stretching across Nic's forehead, are, indeed, tiny, little wrinkles.

She's human!

Congratulations on your pregnancy, Nicole, and congratulations on finally looking like a real, live woman. Now your baby won't mistake you for a life-size Stepford Barbie.

I'm confused. Sundance is still a film festival, right?

Then what are the following fools - none of whom are known for being legitimate film actors (sex tapes do not count) - doing skanking it up at an event that used to be known primarily for helping smaller, independent films be seen? Isn't this the film festival that brought us Paul Thomas Anderson and Quentin Tarantino? Now it's all about the Hilton sisters getting drunk and acting a fool in Utah instead of Los Angeles.

Robert Redford? An explanation?

"There's nothing pretentious - no red carpets, no limousines allowed... And so people come and mingle together like a real community of artists...Paris Hilton and so forth doesn't have anything to do with anything."

Looking at these pictures of who's in attendance, I would say that the only things mingling at Sundance right now are the STDs.

Allan Melvin, a character actor most famously known for playing Alice's boyfriend, Sam the Butcher, on "The Brady Bunch," died of cancer Thursday in Brentwood, CA.

A peak at his IMDb page shows that Melvin spent his years hopping from TV show to TV show, and he hit most of the major ones: "The Flintstones," "The Dick van Dyke Show," "The Andy Griffith Show," "All in the Family" and of course "The Brady Bunch," on which, according to IMDb, he only appeared four times.

Only four appearances and everyone who owns a TV knows who Sam the Butcher is? Pretty impressive. Rest in peace, sir.

[This post is dedicated to my friend (and loyal Beehive reader) Tiffany, who loves the Brady Bunch so much she's made their theme song her ringtone.]

In case you didn't get enough crazy yesterday, here is a link to Defamer, a site on which you can view the Scientology video in which Tom Cruise talks about saving firemen after 9/11.

Also, here is a printed transcript of the video via Page Six, for those who just can't bring themselves to click a link:

As part of her punishment for misdemeanor drunk driving, Lindsay Lohan will be required to work two four-hour days in a morgue as part of a program that teaches the consequences of drinking and driving.

Overheard from Lindsay: "I was excited when I heard I was going to be working with stiffs, since that's like, my specialty. But this isn't what I had in mind."

Five bucks says at least one lab coat mistakes her for one of the corpses.

The Associated Press has already begun work on Britney Spears' obituary in the ever-increasing likelihood that she you know... takes the last train to Clarksville. (Doesn't make sense, I know, but the Monkees aren't referenced enough, so I'm running with it.)

Per the AP (via Us Weekly):

“We are not wishing it, but if Britney passed away, it’s easily one of the biggest stories in a long time. I think one would agree that Britney seems at risk right now...Of course, we would never wish any type of misfortune on anybody and hope that we would never have to use it until 50 years from now…but if something were to happen, we would have to be prepared.”

Hey, I'm all for being prepared. In fact, I've often thought about pre-writing posts as well (ones having to do with Pamela Anderson's divorces or Lindsay Lohan's relapses are sure bets).

I just think maybe the AP could have kept this information to themselves. Also, the loaded gun they sent to Britney's house with the "Just for funsies! Don't kill yourself - really." note was just poor taste.

If the following picture isn't the best ad campaign for staying clean, sober, cancer stick-free and off old Italian men, I don't know what is.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you 41-year old 21-year old Lindsay Lohan:

I just looked up "used" in the dictionary, and there she was.

[Source]

**UPDATE** See that? Right after I posted this blog entry I saw that the videos had been pulled by the Church of Scientology citing copyright issues. Somebody really, really doesn't want you to see just how whacked Tom Cruise is. I suggest you make it your job today to find those videos on YouTube - they'll pop up again sooner or later.

Here it is on Gawker. (Thanks, Ed!)

Original post: While the world sits around playing amateur psychologist to Crazy Train Spears, there is another celebrity who is slowly losing his mind, and he is aiming to take the rest of the world with him.

Whether or you not you believe the claims made in Andrew Morton's unauthorized biography about Cruise (namely, that he's second in command of the Church of Scientology, that Katie Holmes had to sign a commitment to the church, that Cruise tried to recruit Jennifer Garner to be his Scientolobride prior to Katie...), you have to admit that these videos on Us Weekly's site of Tom Cruise talking about the powers of Scientology are absolutely creepy.

Watch them quick before they're taken off the 'net (already the codes have been taken off YouTube, so I can only post one of the videos below), but just know that you risk the possibility of L. Ron sending his minions to your house to wipe your memory clean - if you're lucky.

If Kevin wants those kids, fine - he can have 'em! They was getting too big to cuddle anyway! I'll just make me some new ones.

After losing her kids indefinitely to Kevin Federline Monday, Britney Spears was photographed shopping for pregnancy tests later that evening at a Rite Aid, guaranteeing that we all will have plenty to talk about for years to come, whether we like it or not.

God bless America.

In the latter part of 1994, I was 18 years old. I was starting college, and movies were my hobby. I rented and/or went to see everything - no matter how commercial, how classic, or how esoteric (read: over my head) it was.

1994 also was the heyday for John Grisham novels, and at that time, I read them all. So, when a film adaption of The Client came out, I made sure to see it.

A ten-year old by the name of Brad Renfro was plucked from obscurity to play one of the lead roles in that film, and - at the time - that was a big deal. To me, at least - the dopey, too-loud girl with freckles and a big nose from Clovis, California who knew she was destined for less than stardom.

Brad Renfro, age 25, who battled substance addiction, died today of unknown causes.

I think I'm the only person still watching "Grey's Anatomy" so this blog post might as well be a journal entry (only I don't write journal entries because why be introspective when it's so much more fun to turn your anger toward others? Am I right?).

Anyhoo, I finally watched last Thursday's brand new Grey's episode last night, which just goes to show you how far the show has fallen on my Must. Immediately. Watch. spectrum. It was an okay episode - mostly because it centered on Miranda Bailey, who continues to be one of my favorite TV characters. The only memorable event [SPOILER ALERT] from the episode was Derek and Meredith's breakup, which - although not the first time this has happened - seemed pretty final. And welcome, in my opinion, because I want to see Dr. McDreamy go back to being sexy instead of mopey, and if that means making out with Hot Nurse Rose, I'm all for it. Meredith can go pout in the corner with those giant grouper lips alongside Izzy, who seems to be on her way to a break-up as well.

The most interesting part of this episode, for me, had nothing to do with the plot, however. It had to do with the very existence of the episode. The writer's strike has been going on for two months and ten days, which is really a short amount of time, but it feels like a lifetime, doesn't it? I can't even remember the last "The Office" episode that aired.

Not only that, she's killed the Beehive beehive and gone blond.

Normally, I think this look is beyond trashy - Gwen, Christina, I'm talking to you - but on Amy I think it makes for a refreshing change. New look, new leash on life? We'll see.

Rock on, Baby Girl Winehouse. And keep your nose clean.

You know what's awesome about the cover of the new Us Weekly?

Yes, the bright yellow, all-caps TIME BOMB across Britney's picture is great. And yes, the reference to Brit's "dangerous love" with a person who takes pictures for a living is funny. But the most awesome part is the bubble above her head that reads: "How to dress 10 pounds thinner!"

Now thanks to Us Weekly, the next time your crazy ass gets wheeled out of your house strapped to a gurney, you won't be caught in the embarrassing situation of being photographed by the paparazzi while wearing horizontal stripes or empire waists.

If you've always wanted to watch the show "Dexter" (and believe me, you should), but never wanted to shell out the bucks for Showtime, it's a good news day for you.

CBS, in an effort to fill time slots left by victims of the writer's strike, has picked up the show about a Miami P.D. blood spatter expert trying to keep his after hours life as a serial killer concealed. It will air Sunday nights at 10 p.m. starting February 17.

Of course, there is a difference between CBS and Showtime (that difference falling somewhere between bare breasts, severed limbs and my most favorite swear word), so expect the CBS version to be watered down slightly. However, the story and the acting will remain the same, so these episodes should be enough to whet your whistle for the real thing when Dexter returns post-strike for its third season on Showtime.

**UPDATE** Dr. Phil has canceled Tuesday's Britney-centric show, citing the situation as too "intense". I wonder if it has anything to do with this report that claims Britney's dad, furious over Dr. Phil's blathering to the media, implored all Spears family members to steer clear of the taping? Dr. Phil is claiming that Lynne Spears, Britney's mom, asked him to intervene, but we all know Lynne wouldn't sell out one of her daughters like that, right?

Original Post:
As anyone who's been paying attention for the last year could have guessed, Britney Jean Spears did not stay in hospital for the 72 hours needed for observation and is instead running around Southern California in much the same manner as before her meltdown last Thursday night. At least the girl's consistent.

Apparently, Britney was no longer a danger to herself or others, so Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where Britney was taken by ambulance, saw fit to release her. Per multiple sources, Britney was a nightmare patient, screaming, acting out and pulling out her IV. There are rumors circulating that Britney had no drugs or alcohol in her system, but there are also rumors that she had taken over 100 pills in a 36-hour time frame. There are also rumors that Britney endangered her life and the kids' lives with a gun she keeps in her bedroom, and that she called Kevin Federline while high and offered him $100 million for custody of the kids.

Think you're smart? Think you're Jeopardy! smart? Fresno resident Martin Truong is.

Tonight we'll find out if Martin's got the skills that pay da billz when he makes an appearance on Jeopardy! In terms of sheer entertainment value, it's no Press Your Luck (Big bucks! No whammies!), but Jeopardy continues to be the classiest game show around.

Tune in tonight at 7 p.m. on ABC30 to see how Martin fares against Alex Trebek's ego. Good luck, sir!

**MORNING UPDATE** Per People, as Britney was supposed to hand over the kids to Federline, she locked herself in a room with younger son, Jayden. The court-appointed monitor who stays with Britney during her visit with the kids already had placed Sean in the car.

US Weekly has a timeline of last night events, as well as a group of truly scary photos of Britney in the ambulance, smiling at photographers and looking pretty much out of her mind.

Apparently Britney is in a 72-hour mental lockdown, and has been designated a "special needs" patient, meaning she may have tried to overdose or commit suicide. Her kids were brought to the hospital to be checked out, and Kevin Federline and Britney's father are both there, too.

Lastly, Kevin's lawyers are apparently on their way to the courtroom to presumably make sure little Miss Spears never gets her hands on those boys again. TMZ is actually live streaming the lawyers' arrivals. Nope. I'm not kidding.

**UPDATE** TMZ is reporting that another ambulance, more fire trucks and a police helicopter have arrived at Britney's house.

Backstory: Earlier today, Britney showed up 90 minutes late for a deposition with Federline's lawyer that she has postponed five times previously. She stayed for about 15 minutes and then left again. After the hearing when a photographer asked if the lawyer had been nice to her, Britney allegedly responded with an emphatic "No."

Original Post: According to US Weekly, police and an ambulance have been called to Britney Spears' house.

Apparently there was a bit of an incident earlier this evening when Kevin's bodyguards went to Britney's home to pick up the kids, and Britney has refused to turn them over.

I can't imagine why the ambulance has been called, but I really hope Britney hasn't gone off the deep end. Taking her own kids hostage doesn't look like a good sign.

I just got sucker-punched while reading a story out of Jacksonville, Florida.

The headline on CNN.com caught my attention: "Man gets heater for pig – pig starts fire." A pig with a space heater? This ought to be good, I thought, picturing all kinds of cartoon-esque shenanigans in my head. So I clicked on the link.

Apparently the man "brought the pig" onto the porch - from where, I wonder? From the yard? Or were the man and the pig sharing a bed and the pig kept hogging the covers? (Unintentional joke, I swear, but I'll accept laughs anyway.)

The man set up a cozy little heater for the animal, who promptly kicked it over - in anger, maybe, for being kicked out of bed.

**UPDATE** Pam has decided to move ahead with the divorce; meanwhile, the Earth continues to rotate on its axis. In better news: She's free, fellas! Step on up.

**Original post** Pamela Anderson, who married current husband Rick Salomon after she fell in love repaying a gambling debt with sexual favors, apparently filed for divorce from her Prince Charming after just 72 days of marriage on Friday.

Now word comes that the two reconciled over the weekend and the divorce is off - for now.

When does one stop being a real human being and start being just a cartoon facsimile of one, I wonder? After the third breast augmentation is my best guess.

Last week you may have read that Lindsay Lohan's latest boyfriend-for-a-moment, Riley Giles, gave a tell-all to Britain's News of the World during which he spoke at length about the former couple's love life. Giles, whom Lindsay met in the best of all pick-up joints (rehab, natch), claimed that Lohan had given up cocaine in exchange for another addiction - sex with him.

Essentially, the guy was paid a ridiculous amount of money to talk up his own sexual prowess ("We once did it four times in a row straight...We'd go at it for hours. She'd have worn out most guys.") and of course everyone believed the part about Lindsay being a whore, but not so much the part about an out-of-shape druggie named Riley having any kind of game in the bedroom.

Now, in response to Riley's tell-all, Captain Crazypants herself, Dina Lohan, has given an exclusive(!) interview to People berating Riley Giles, saying that he's just trying to hurt Lindsay because she broke up with him. Maybe that's true. But you know what else may be true? That Lindsay Lohan really is kind of a whore.

Check out this pictorial timeline of Lindsay's weekend in Capri, during which she plays tag with a trio of Italian men, and judge for yourself:

Often a rumor starts circulating the Internet that is so ridiculous, it really must be shared - even if there is no way it could possibly be true. Such a rumor is going around today, and it involves a polar bear and Tom Cruise's child.

The rumor is that a film adaptation is in the works about the young but eventful life of the Berlin Zoo's polar bear, Knut. And who better to provide the voice for Knut (who is a male, and - I'm hazarding a guess here - probably does not talk in real life) than Suri Cruise, who is female and who may or may not be a robot have just learned to talk.

Expect this rumor to be shot down by Tom and Katie's people sometime during the day. But in the meantime, enjoy the only video of Knut that ever need exist:

Shia LaBeouf and Harrison Ford grace the February cover of Vanity Fair in anticipation of May's release, Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. The article also includes pictures of Shia with Karen Allen (who played Indy's love interest in Raiders of the Lost Ark), and Cate Blanchett, who plays a character new to the films.