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When it comes to deciding who to vote for the next president of the United States, what you really need to ask yourself is "Who is Leonardo DiCaprio voting for?"

Or at least, that's what some A-listers in Hollywood are hoping. Celebrity endorsements for political candidates are as old as the political process itself, but it seems in recent years that the endorsements have become more numerous and more publicized.

Even the city of Victoria is not immune. Yesterday, "Lord of the Rings" star Sean Astin came through endorsing Sen. Hillary Clinton's campaign for president. But even Astin himself (who smelled incredible, by the way, and I'm not saying that to be creepy or anything...he really truly did...like sunshine and rainbows...ask anyone who was there) doesn't think that his political opinion should count more than anyone else's.

"People have said to me before that just because you're an actor, why does your opinion have more meaning or significance than us?" he said to a crowd at Victoria College. "My response? It shouldn't. My voice is no more important than anyone else's, nor is it any less important."

It seems most of the people I interviewed yesterday agreed. Although celebrities might draw in a crowd when they come through town stomping for a candidate, their endorsement has little to no effect on who Victorians are going to vote for.

"I don't think celebrity endorsements help people decide who to vote for, at least I hope it doesn't," Holly Pickering. 29 said. "I hope no one votes for a candidate just because some actor from 'Lord of the Rings' is, which is not to put down what he does, only that people should decide who to vote for based on other things. Celebrities are good for drawing attention to candidates or issues but the decision should be left up to the issues and who is best for the job."

In my opinion, the plus side of celebrity endorsements is like Pickering said. They can bring attention to the political process itself, which in a world where citizens tend to be apathetic when it comes to voting, is a very good thing.

Just make sure you draw the line at lending your support to whoever George Clooney is voting for this year, no matter how hot he is.

What do you get when you combine bad singing and dancing, horrible videography and two overly inflated yet untalented egos? Heidi Montag's low budget video for her new (I wince to call it "song" but for lack of a better word) song.

If you don't know who Heidi Montag is...well, one, consider yourself lucky. Two, she is yet another reality TV personality who is trying to propel her 15 minutes on a crappy TV show into a legitimate career, along with the help of her creepy boyfriend, Spencer Pratt, who makes me want to shower vigorously every time I see him.

Montag and Pratt are both on the reality show "The Hills," which although I've never watched it, has something to do with a bunch of rich, spoiled white kids talking about stuff and junk.

See, Montag was best friends with the show's star Lauren Conrad, but once Montag started dating Pratt, things with her and Conrad went sour and soon it was an out and out war between the two former BFF's. Montag even went as far as to encourage another friend, Jen (a.k.a. Bunny) to make out with Brody Jenner, who was dating Lauren at the time, while they were at a party that Lauren was at too! (Or so I've heard...not that I've ever watched the show during a marathon on MTV while I was nursing a hangover one Sunday).

Anyhoo, Pratt is now trying to help Montag launch a music career and decided to produce a low budget video for her first supposed single "Higher." However, once it was online, the video was...well, to put it nicely, not well received by the general public. In fact, people hated it. Vehemently.

And it's not hard to see why. Basically all it is is Montag rolling around on the beach lip syncing (along with some cut shots featuring dancing I haven't seen since Elaine on Seinfeld let loose at a company party). And the song, well, it's not my personal taste.

But why am I bringing all this up? Well, Montag and Pratt are now speaking out against the public backlash in celebrity tabloid magazines like US Weekly (or so I've heard...not that I read those or anything). They apparently are shocked at how cruel people can be.

And to that I say, what do you expect when you put yourself out there like that? If you willingly post a video you made, the general public does not owe you anything and don't have to be "nice" about it. Granted it'd be great if the world was a nice, fuzzy place and people didn't feel the need to post evil comments anonymously, but that's not the world we live in.

So if you feel the need to try to make yourself famous and you put yourself out there in cyber land, don't start whining when people don't like it.

That said, however, it's a different story when someone becomes infamous online unknowingly. Newsweek just wrote a great article about the dark side of Internet fame and how anyone can be filmed or photographed online, much to the detriment of their private lives.

(Blogger's note: This YouTube video includes curse words and talk about sex...don't watch if easily offended).

Alright, I'll admit it. When Jack Burger gave that oh-so-sage advice of "he's just not that into you" on an episode of "Sex and the City," I practically stood up and applauded.

"About time!" I thought to myself as I recalled the countless hours my girlfriends and I have wasted on trying to figure out why some mediocre dude hadn't called back, which went something like this:

Girl 1: "But it's been a day and a half, shouldn't he have called by now? I mean, we had a good time, at least I thought we did. It's because I'm too fat."

Girls 2&3: "You are not fat!" (in unison).

Girl 2: "He'll call, sweetie. He's probably just busy."

Girl 3: "Yeah. Or maybe he liked you so much, he's nervous to call you back."

Girl 1: (shoves more Cookie Dough ice cream into her mouth).

In my oh-so-humble opinion, that was the line heard 'round the world when it first aired. A light bulb went off in so many women's head after that episode appeared, I'm pretty sure NASA had an influx of UFO sightings. And ultimately, I think it was good for women-kind. We could finally stop wasting our time on guys who wanted nothing to do with us once we accepted this revelation.

But just like so many pop culture movements, the "he's just not that into you" mentality has now spawned an extreme movement in the self-help and advice niche. According to a Christian Science Monitor article, the trend in the self-help genre is to now tell you in no uncertain terms that you are an idiot.

 "Experts say their popularity reflects a demand from young, mainly female readers for in-your-face entertainment mixed with advice. While some say this new writing style may work where traditional prose or experts have failed, others question whether this trend degrades the reader and reflects poorly on our self-centered society," the article states.

Some of my personal favorites in this new genre:

"Skinny b****: Stop Being a Moron and Start Getting Skinny"

"You're Fat! Now Lose It"

"Why You're Still Single: Things You're Friends Would Tell You If Promised Not To Get Mad"

(And no, in the words of the immortal Dave Barry, I am not making these titles up).

The article goes on to state that these books reflect the pop culture and ethic of the time period. Apparently, our generation needs a good, swift, collective kick in the pants to get our crap together.

I've never been one for self-help books anyway, but a lot of people are (according to the article, one half of Americans have bought a self-help book at least once in their lives). So does this new trend work better than the touchy-feely "I'm OK, You're OK" generation of self-improvement?

Or is it simply that self help books in general, no matter what hook they use, don't work because as Americans, we're always on the look-out for the easy way out. We'll do anything to lose weight, except eat right and exercise. We'll do anything to make a relationship work, except compromise. We'll do anything to make money, except work hard and save our money.

To be honest, I don't think the problem is that we haven't found the right formula for a self-help book because there is no right formula. Simply put, self help books don't work. If they did, why do we need so many with so many different philosophies?

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 Youthful indiscretions come in many shapes and forms. For example, when I was young, we used to play a game called Chubby Bunny, which involved stuffing as many marshmallows into our mouths as we could while still being able to say the phrase...that's right, you guessed it..."Chubby Bunny."

Stupid? Yes. But innocent.

And although at least two deaths have been attributed to this game, still there are worse things kids could be doing...like experimenting with "Whip-Its."

"Whip-Its," at least back in my day, involved inhaling the nitrous oxide from cans of Redi-Whip for a momentary few second high (not that I know from personal experience or anything if you're reading this Mom).

Stupid? Undoubtedly. But better than crack, right?

Well now the latest fad in non-alcoholic/non-drug methods of finding a "safe" high (and I use that term "safe" very loosely) is bringing this whole genre of youthful games to the next level: Death.

 According to a recent AP article, at least 82 youths have died from a fun, little new activity called "The Choking Game," which succinctly put, involves choking yourself in order to get high. And that's probably an undercount. In fact, according to New Hampshire's chief medical examiner, it's likely that there are about 100 choking deaths each year in the U.S.

Now maybe at 26 I am just too old at this point to understand the appeal of this game, or perhaps I'm just a square, but I cannot for the world of me fathom why kids are doing this. I mean, I've done some stupid stuff back in the day for a thrill (hello too many No-Doz) but outright making myself choke and playing with death?

Are our kids really just that bored that almost choking to death is now fun? Or are they just that desperate to escape from reality, if even for just a few seconds?

 I can only hope that the nature of fads comes through and this one passes on quickly. Although it does make me wonder what they'll think of next. Let's just hope these kids don't hear about the thrill of Russian Roulette.

Hello. My name is Aprill Brandon...and I'm a dance fad abuser.

(Hi Aprill).

I wasn't always this way. It started out just as a fun thing to do at weddings when I was young. You know, a Chicken Dance here, a Hokie Pokie there. But then I started hanging out with the wrong crowd, and they started taking me to places like school dances. It started out innocent enough. I'd see the others doing it but I'd always pass. I just enjoyed hanging out at the table in the back.

But eventually, I'd start swaying a bit, a foot tap here and there, and then encouraged by my new found friends, soon I was out in the middle of the dance floor, doing The Worm.

Oh, and it didn't stop there. Soon I was busting out the Hammer slide, and...(gulp)...the Boot Scootin' Boogy.

But I knew I hit rock bottom, I knew I needed help when...when...(small sniffle)....my mom caught me doing the Macarena...(breaks down into hysterical sobbing).

Ah, yes, as if our fashion choices weren't bad enough back in the day, so were our choices of dances. But we can take solace in the fact that every generation has their own horrible dance fads unique to their generation (although it's hard for any generation to top the crap we came up with the in '80s).

A new slew of dance crazes are hitting the Internet these days, in part spurred on by the success of Soulja Boy and his "Tell 'Em" video. This 17-year-old kid managed to make his song a hit merely by the popularity of the dance alone (check out the video of it above).

And of course, what would the music industry be without a gaggle of sleazy music execs trying to also cash in on this surprise hit and Internet sensation. Seems every music producer is now looking for the next big dance hit, according to this Wall Street Journal article.

I hate to tell them, but a dance fad cannot be contrived out of thin air. No one is exactly sure what makes a dance popular. Obviously, there is no guaranteed formula, no mix of lyrics, beats and dance moves that ensures everyone will be doing your dance at their wedding. I mean, did anyone foresee the hit that the Macarena was going to be?

But I digress. Let the music execs try in vain.

And until the next big dance craze hits, here's a little trip down memory lane for you. In no particular order, I present my picks for the Top 10 Dance Fads of All Time:

The Robot

The Hustle

The Vogue

The Electric Slide

The Running Man

The Time Warp

The Humpty Dance (anyone...anyone?)

The Cha Cha Slide

The Freddie

The Urkel Dance

And last but not least, Peanut Butter Jelly Time

Thank you and see you all at next week's meeting.

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Having been dating my boyfriend for over two years now and being of the age where certain somebodies, (let just call them "Mom" for our purposes here) are just itching to have grandbabies, I have heard my fair share of the Mom speech (oops, I mean "somebody" speech). It pretty much goes something to the tune of this:

"So, how are you and your boyfriend? Anything new to report? Anything new, shiny and fastened to your left hand kind of report to report?"

To which when I say "No, nothing to report here. We're just fine." is quickly followed by "But what am I supposed to do with this onesies I just bought?"

And thus is the brilliance of Theatre Victoria's latest production of the musical comedy "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change." It is a hilarious two-hour journey into the heart of the dating and relationship jungle. And it hits close to home for anyone who has ever dared to say, "Yes, I'd love to get a cup of coffee with you."

I went to the opening Friday night, boyfriend in tow (a.k.a. my non-grandbaby producing partner in crime). And I was hooked from the moment when, while on an exceedingly bad first date scene, the man turns to the woman and tells her she has "nacho schmootz" on her chin.

The show follows its four cast members (all playing numerous characters throughout the show) from those hideous days of bad first dates and online dating to marriage, kids, divorce and what happens after a spouse dies.

I'm ashamed to admit I wasn't sure what to expect at first. Sadly, this was my first time seeing a Theatre Victoria production that wasn't just a dress rehearsal I crashed to do an article on. I've been to almost every art event in Victoria but somehow never managed to make it to the theater for one of their productions.

And I can honestly say I won't make that mistake again. The talent of the cast blew me away. I'm telling you, I could just eat up Michael Teer and Brett Jones with a spoon, Jennifer Young has a voice that will give you chills (the good kind) and Julie Maples does an impression of a Jewish grandmother that's like buttah.

Just a few highlights from the show:

The song "Tear Jerk," which explores that age-old theme of a dude being forced to watch a chick flick.

The scene in which a husband and a wife, along with their two kids, take a road trip. Suffice it to say, you will cringe, not because it's badly acted or sung, but because it hits too bloody close to home (let's just say it brought back some trips to grandma's house I was desperately suppressing).

The "Marriage Tango" in which a married couple actually attempt to have sex despite little Johnny and Susie doing crazy kid stuff like letting the family reptile escape.

 The show has its heavier moments also, like the heart-wrenching scene "The Very First Dating Video of Rose Ritz" which goes into what happens after 15 years of marriage, a couple of kids and then BAM! a divorce.

But just like love itself, it's unpredictable that way. All in all, I thought it was a wonderful show and I highly recommend it. Trust me, you will see yourself in it, and will most likely catch yourself giving sly looks to your significant other during more than one song as you wonder "how did they know?"

Although leave the kids at home for this one, huh. Along with the adult themes throughout the show, let them remain innocent about what's in store for just a little bit longer.

 The show runs through Feb. 16. For more information or to purchase tickets, go here.

Today, in "No Duh" pop culture news, a recent study found that U.S. music is filled with lyrics about sex, booze and drugs.

Rearry, Rooby Doo? It is? Ruh-Roh.

Good thing we got all those researchers spending all that precious time and money to let us know that Snoop Dog sure talks about smoking Mary Jane a whole heck of a lot.

Okay, moving on to other more pertinent pop culture news, it also seems Hannah Montana is still going as strong as ever, despite no one over the age 12 being able to figure out why. Britney Spears is still super mega nut job crazy and John Mayer is still pretentious.

Man, it's a slow day for pop culture. Maybe Lindsay Lohan will fall off the wagon soon and breath some life back into this blog. Until then, I'll leave you with these deep thoughts from my friend Mr. B who stopped to see me today (thanks, Mr. B):

We have enough youth, how about a fountain of smart?

Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

Women who seek to be equal with men lack ambition.

If you don't like the news, go out and make some.

Reality is a crutch for people who can't handle drugs.

It's lonely at the top, but you eat better.

And my personal favorite, A bartender is just a pharmacist with limited inventory.

Hppay Suuperbwl, evrbody! Go taem!

Ha! Just kidding, dear readers. Like I would type a blog drunk...(hiccup)...again.

While the rest of you were out there cheering on your team (and/or scoping out the hot quarterbacks...ladies), I was busy scooping out the best commercials the Superbowl had to offer. Considering a company pays approximately the same amount as the operating budget of a small country for one of these spots, we always expect nothing but the best.

And although this year got off to a slow start, in the end, this year's crop wasn't too shabby. As per usual, Bud Light did not disappoint, which makes me think their marketing department deserves a huge raise. They are consistently one of the best. From the Rocky montage theme of the Budweiser Clydesdale to the cavemen and the wheel spoof to the hilarious wine and cheese party commercial, they actually gave me a reason to put down my emergency magazine I kept on hand in case the game got boring (I mean, honestly, a girl can only look at Tom Brady's behind for so long before even that gets old).

Pepsi was also a big winner this year with their "Night at the Roxbury" spoof and my favorite commercial of this year, the Justin Timberlake commercial. Now mind you, I don't want to like Justin Timberlake but so help me, I do. Despite the Mickey Mouse Club, and God help us all, N'Sync, the man has turned out to be a pretty funny, all-around, talented dude.

Coke hit one out of the park with their Macy's Parade giant balloon commercial where Underdog and Stewie from "Family Guy" battle it out for a giant bottle of Coke (only to be foiled by a giant Charlie Brown). And from out of now where were some good ones from Cars.com.

CareerBuilder.com was a disappoint this year as was almost every single car commercial (seriously, the marketing departments in the car industry need to lighten up...have a Bud Light or nine, guys).

And lastly, although generally I find babies talking with a deep man's voice creepy, I must admit E-Trade had me rolling with their talking baby commercial.

All in all, this year's crop was a lot more fuzzy and warm-hearted than in previous years, (with babies, squirrels, horses and balloons) and while I would have liked to have seen some more cutting edge and racier themed commercials, I guess after Janet Jackson's nipple-gate a few years back, we'll take what the censors will let us have.