New Year, New Decade, same story. The media loves a good double standard story. And frankly, so do I. So let’s review some double standards that eeked into our gossip at the end of 2009 and some that are starting this new decade off on the right tone. Cause let’s be honest, I am all for a good double standard.

First one that comes to mind is the Elin-Tiger Woods – spousal abuse one. Imagine how we all are DYING to know that she totally went after him with a golf club and smashed the shit out of his car. It’ll just make us all love her more. He totally deserves it and we understand her rage. But we’re supposed to then talk about how Tiger couldn’t go after Elin like this and he’d land in jail and we’d all be burning sticks outside his jail cell chanting for his death. And well, it seems fair to me. I am ok with that particular double standard and I hope she really scared the shit out of him that night in her rage.

But let’s use this same couple for another double standard example. I know I am not alone in wondering why Tiger got married. Oh right, he got married because it was a crucial part of his brilliantly crafted image as the perfect man. And the perfect man has a hot blond swedish wife, of course. And adorable kids. But see, he’s a man. So he could have also made a billion off being a playboy, like Derek Jeter. We all expect male athletes to be players, we know women are throwing themselves at them, they have millions, so I just look at really any male athlete and assume he has a bunch of STDs. But this doesn’t impact his endorsements or his professional success. But name me one female athlete or actress who could get away with such antics? We accept men whores. We do not accept whores. Double standard. Like it or not.

And the latest double standard today is the gossip of former fit Scottish celeb Gerard Butler surfacing as chub-tastic on his warm vacation versus how he looked while shooting the 300 movie. And does anyone care? Yet even the President made a comment about the buzz surrounding Jessica Simpson’s “weight gain” last year. I, for one, will admit that I am disturbed when I see chubby Luke Wilson in those cell phone commercials – I do wonder why he let himself go – but again – he’s working. Would a fat female celeb get hired as a spokesperson? I think they only do when it’s related to weight loss, think Queen Lateefah, Marie Osmond (is she a celeb), the chick from Cheers (too lazy to remember her name).

So there you have it, new year, new decade, same double standards.

Let’s take a minute to talk about two women in the news for two different and important reasons.

First – Paula Abdul. By now we all know that Paula quit her job with American Idol and it’s apparently over a dispute regarding her salary. If you believe the reports, she was earning $2 million a year to Ryan Seacrest’s $15 million or Simon Cowell’s $38 million. Setting aside how absurd these annual salaries are, can you blame her? Sure, we can understand why Simon Cowell makes more, he is the creator of the show. But why is someone like Ryan Seacrest making so much more than Paula?

This strikes me as another example of women being grossly underpaid against men and this woman is taking a stand. Now, perhaps she was hoping the producers of the show would counter-offer with a more similarly priced salary as say Ryan, and it doesn’t seem that is happening – but still – I think what Paula is doing is important and hopefully inspiring other women to ask for more.

Now, let’s not forget that I am moderately annoyed and beyond surprised that I am blogging about Paula Abdul as a female role-model, but then again, some of my favorite things come from the grocery store, so who am I anymore?

Moving on.

Hillary.

I’m sure you’ve all seen her outburst yesterday in Congo over someone in the audience asking her for her husband’s opinion. Sure, everyone says now that student meant to ask what President Obama thinks. Sure Hillary totally pounced on the dude. But now she is being vilified in the press. It’s like this woman can’t get a break – and I generally don’t even really care for her. Would the media pay an ounce of attention to the press if a man responded this way if he thought someone was asking what his high profile wife thought? I don’t think so. He would seem confident and in command for reprimanding someone and putting them back in their place.

Yet Hillary seems emotional and “tired” from her trip. Some pundits are making excuses for her.

Come on. She reacted. She is human. She is the secretary of state and ought to react if someone is seemingly putting her down. I mean, didn’t the Koreans call her a “funny woman” and a “school girl” just like two weeks ago.  The press coverage of her is incredibly chauvinistic and it’s a shame her reaction is over-shadowing her presence in Congo, a country where over 200,000 women and children have been raped in a few months, the most dangerous place on earth for women. That is the real story here people.