Why I Love Celebrity Gossip

Thankfully, it's something I'm rarely asked to reveal - as I don't exactly love admitting to it. Celebrity gossip is sort of my dirty little secret. I'm a rather level-headed individual with a career, a family, and a lot of dreams. The average spectator would never suspect that I'm a celebrity gossip junkie.

I've gotten better. Really. For a few months I was reading probably about a dozen sites on at least a daily basis - blogs, forums, video, and more. My fun escape was starting to turn into a bit of an addiction, so I weaned myself off ... but I still can't give celebrity gossip up completely.

I love celebrity gossip because it's an escape. Paris and Lindsey are my mini-vacation, and I certainly thank them for that. For a few moments each day (I now only read two blogs and only once a day), I get to forget my toddler's latest tantrum, I get to temporarily ignore job stresses, and I get to forget the laundry, the errands, the dishes, and all the other mundane things that just seem to pile up.

I love knowing the latest Britney drama for no better reason than "just because."

The snapshots of Suri, Apple, Kingston, and the Jolie-Pitt clan are adorable. Children of celebrities, for all intensive purposes, are children first and foremost. They throw fits, they stick their tongues out at the cameras, and, better yet, they have a guy like Brad Pitt wrapped around their finger. It makes me feel normal and undefeated in my own life as a mother.

And, for the record, I've disapproved of every one of Gwen Stefani's outfits since No Doubt's Tragic Kingdom. (Except for that beautiful white dress she wore to the 61st Annual Golden Globes.)

Now, don't lecture me on the paparazzi stalking stars like Cameron Diaz or how wrong it is that they camp outside schools and funerals and use thousand-dollar lenses to shoot celebrities on vacation and in their own backyards. Twenty-three-hours-and-forty-five-minutes a day, I know it's wrong. For the 15 minutes I spend perusing Perez Hilton and Pink is the New Blog, though, I totally do not care. And, let's face it, no one is going to lead a march protesting the paparazzi's aggressive behavior.

The way I see it, celebrities such as Matt Damon and Demi Moore are able to stay out of the blogs and rags for weeks and even months at a time. Matt Damon seems to lead a pretty normal life - I actually wouldn't know because I rarely get a glimpse into his life. Demi Moore doesn't live in the L.A. area, and I'm sure that makes all the difference. Most celebrities (not all - I think no matter where Brad and Angie go, people want to know), can avoid the limelight if they really want to.

One last thought: The first celebrity gossip magazine, Broadway Brevities, was published in 1916. Since then, the United States has celebrated celebrity gossip in one form or another. I've decided to continue to rationalize my addiction to celebrity gossip as part of an American tradition. That, and I can't wait to finally see pictures of Jayden James Spears Federline. Where is she hiding that kid?

- M. Gibson has been reading celebrity gossip on and off since the age of 12. She currently gets her fix from two blogs, Perez Hilton and Pink is the New Blog. She spends just 15 minutes a day with her celebrity gossip and believes it will come in handy should she ever be on a game show such as Jeopardy, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, or 1 vs. 100. M. Gibson currently resides in Texas with her husband and son. She has dreams of her toddler son one day marrying (or at least parenting with) Shiloh Jolie-Pitt. Brad and Angie: Call me!