Beautiful people and train wrecks...
They attract our attention. The first for fantasy, the second for fascination and a little relief that it's not us. It's not just them that puts them on the front page. It's us, too.
Some celebrities have been doing constructive things with their time in the spotlight. Paul Simon, for instance, though everyone under the age of about 25, except my kids, would probably say, "Paul who??" The Children's Health Fund has sent mobile medical units to places hit by Katrina, and hopes to send more medical help.