In case you've been living under a media-impermeable rock, that magnet would be Ms. Britney Spears.

As vomit-inducing as it may sound, I have to pay homage to the woman that made showing your belly button the biggest parent-cringing trend of the early 2000s.

I will not deny that I have a few Britney Spears CDs in my collection of guilty pleasure albums, but over the last couple of years, irritation with the aforementioned pop star's actions has chipped away at my good will ... at least, until last night.

I realize I am braving the venom of the harsh, judgmental, and point-and-laugh crowd when I say - emphatically, even - that I watched the Brit documentary, and it was FANTASTIC!!!

It made me want to jump on Oprah's couch.

OK, maybe not on Oprah's couch, but at least on her BarcaLounger. I was impressed.

And it wasn't like I was just surfing along and happened upon it. I've been waiting for it. I Tivo'd that sucker, for crying out loud.

I told myself that, as a news professional, I was just being a responsible journalist. But the truth is, I totally wanted to check out her oft-comical weave and see if she would, you know, wear pants.

(For those of you who missed it, the extensions are alive and well, and she remained clothed at all times. Yay!)

She might look happy, but it ain't easy being Britney.
AP Image

But I inadvertently ended up watching the American Music Awards this week, and frankly, it was entertaining. Here are a few bullet points that sum up my thoughts on the occasion:

1. There were some serious fashion disasters. I'm sorry, was Rihanna ACTUALLY wearing a diamond eye patch and spiky leather bodysuit? For a moment, I thought Michael Jackson was making yet another comeback. Sadly, it was Ms. Disturbia's disturbing get-up instead.

It's not that I have anything in particular against the Material Girl - I just think most modern pop music is the auditory equivalent of a knock-knock joke: habitually unentertaining, completely predictable and meant mostly for fourth-graders.

As far as I'm concerned, Madonna is a woman old enough to be my mother who needs to shut her mouth, cut her hair, lay off the bicep-pumping and put on some pants.

So when I went to her show at Minute Maid to take pictures for KHOU.com, I was prepared to be underwhelmed.

Madonna, in need of some pants and a sammich.
AP Photo

Behold: The hotness of the deep V for dudes

According to the BBC, Angelina said, "I don't plan to keep acting very long."

Poor thing. know if I made $20 million in 2007, I would be pretty tired, too.

Thank God. I mean, I don't know about you guys, but if I was going to select any individual human to speak for me, it would definitely be a guy that dresses like a robot clone of Michael Jackson circa 1984.

AP image

Thanks, Kanye. Seriously. Awesome jacket.

Kendra just announced her engagement to NFL star Hank Baskett. No word on how the betrothed were introduced, but word is, Hef himself will be giving Kendra away.

That's not slightly creepy or anything ...

Out on the West Coast, there's a plethora of workout options for a young starlet such as myself.

There's YAS, the gym purely dedicated to yoga and spinning; Runyon Canyon, a very challenging hiking trail that's a place to see-and-be-seen with your dog and your fat thighs struggling up the inclines; and not eating, the practice of not eating.

However, one trend has hit Hollywood in a big way over the past few years- boot camp.

OMG! Is that Angelina Jolie!?!

It's scary, scary, serious business. If you're famous, however, there's a 100% chance that everything will be fine in less than 24 hours, so the only terror comes when you think of all those people seeing your mug shot.

That's where I come in!

Let's examine a few, and give them something to be scared of:

Actor Al Pacino is seen in this 1961 mug shot after he was arrested and charged with carrying a concealed weapon in Woonsocket, R.I. (AP)

1) Al Pacino- Even when he looks like a chick, he's still the sexiest concealed weapon carrier I've ever seen.

For those of us who grew up in the '90s, perhaps this is a time of fond nostalgia ... or, a time to resurrect unpleasant memories. Either way, I'm starting to think the whole of Generation Y is desperate to relive its childhood.

They're gonna put you in a trance with a funky song
AP Photo

The title of the new song, "Overdosin," really hit a discord ... err ... chord with me, as I would rather overdose on a marathon of Britney Spears circa 1999 then have to listen to this low-budget wad of crap ever again.

My Speidi senses detect a void of talent!

Hello! I've had a big summer, filled with weddings, beach volleyball, a bad economy, and celebrity sightings! Here are the highlights:

-Craig Robinson, or "Darryl" from "The Office." I was standing outside a comedy club on Melrose, he was walking past me. I believe our interaction was, "..." Amazing!

-Drew Brown, the guitar player from One Republic. My friends and I were outside of the Kibitz Room, he was peeing on the door of a nearby retailer. Refreshing!

-Elijah Wood, or "elf man." I was in line for sangria at Radiohead, he was buying wine for his ... girlfriend? Implausible!

-Seth Green, or "funny elf man." We were leaving the same Radiohead concert, he was signing autographs, and wasn't scared of the fact that everyone else was 5 feet taller. Courageous!

I see famous people

*tear ... sniffle*

Last year, Spears was added to the line-up with hype to have the comeback performance of a lifetime. Comically, it ended up being her most embarrassing performance ever - and this coming from the woman who once sang "I'm Not a Girl, Not Yet a Woman" with a straight face.