Best of the week: Gender benders, McPheever, and the pieces of Ashlee Simpson's career

Comeback Of The Week: Katharine Mcphee

MANILA, Philippines- In a classic case of “whatever happened to,” American Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee answers the question with a bang. News of her major role in NBC’s new Smash surfaced this week to good buzz. Co-starring Debra Messing and Angelica Huston, with Steven Spielberg’s seal of approval, McPheever is in full swing again. McPhee will be playing the lead role in the musical drama about the making of a Broadway musical, and how an aspiring actress struggles to land the lead role. Fans positively responded to the news, welcoming back the Idol alumna to the limelight. Your move, Taylor Hicks.

Unnecessary Comeback Of The Week: Ashlee Simpson

Posting a picture of herself writing some new songs for her album on a balcony, Ashlee Simpson confirms her upcoming fourth album. The actress-singer took time off from her career to devote time to her and former Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz’s 20-month-old son Bronx, but is now ready to hit it big again. She hasn’t confirmed yet as to when the album will be finalized and released, but says she’s listening to songs from husband Pete’s record label as inspiration. Upon hearing the good news, her fan club threw a party. Population? 27.

Career Woman Of The Week: Lady Gaga

It’s already given that if there’s one woman in the world right now who’s so passionate about what she’s doing, it’s Lady Gaga. Though her antics and fashion sense may border between cray-cray and crazy, the “formerly overweight and undesirable” (as posted in her Wikipedia page) singer is undoubtedly the most popular singer in recent times. This week, Mother Monster just hit ten million followers on Twitter, the first user to hit such a number. Gaga thanked her fans in a tweet, claiming, “It’s an illness how I love you,” though she said she was speechless. Earlier, she also thanked fans who greeted her a happy birthday with a topless Twitpic of herself, holding a coffee cup. However, with all this success coming her way, many are asking, “What’s the price she pays?” Looks like her love life, since she recently broke up with longtime boyfriend Luc Carl.

Partyphile Of The Week: Michelle Rodriguez

It’s that time of the year again in Cannes, France when some of the most distinguished figures in the movie industry gather and compete with each other to get the coveted branch of a golden palm, better known as the Cannes Film Festival. Michelle Rodriguez? Had other plans. Just this week, she was seen literally cliff-jumping and swimming her panties off over the waters of Cannes by day; and then partying her sanity off by night. Rodriguez was photographed butt-naked in a yacht by the paparazzi also covering the festival, and then hours later, photographed again loitering around the streets of the city when she’s not lying in the gutter, obviously drunk and wasted. If only Filipino stars were this receptive at over-partying, Baron Geisler would never need to go to rehab.

Gender Bender Of The Week: Dossier Magazine, Usa

This week, American bookstore chain Barnes & Noble ordered fashion magazine Dossier to package their Issue VII-2011 in opaque plastic covering. The cover feature’s nudity, according to them is not suitable for minors. The controversial cover displays androgynous male model Andrej Pejic shirtless. The problem seems to be that Pejic’s facial features and hairstyling are very feminine. The bookstore has mistaken the model for a woman and, seeing his manboobs beaming proudly on the cover, immediately ordered censure. Barnes & Noble already issued a statement saying they know perfectly well that Pejic is a man, but the cover can still be perceived as an image of a naked female, hence the censor orders.