Why the Hell Are There So Many High School Valedictorians?

Like cicadas, law school graduates working as bartenders, feral cats prowling the abandoned alleyways of Detroit, and people who say they’ve read Infinite Jest but have only really skimmed the first 50 pages, it would seem our society currently contains far too-many high school valedictorians. Depending on your level…
American Women Greedily Win All the Gold Medals at the London Olympics
In case you haven't heard yet because you're one of those New York City tunnel dwellers or you're exclusively a Winter Olympics person, the U.S. women's teams at this summer's games have cleaned up, accounting for 56 percent of all Team USA's medals, and 66 percent of its golds. Their success is being touted as a big…
Married Olympian Couples Are Competitively Adorable
Even though National Olympic Committees don't keep track of how many of the 10,000 athletes in London are married, according to the Wall Street Journal, there are at least six couples at this year's Olympics that are currently engaged in an unofficial "who's more in love" competition. Married Olympic couples would…
The Secret to Success: Be a Gorgeous Giant
It's pretty obvious that being a tall, beautiful person is not usually a disadvantage when it comes to getting what you want—except when it comes to buying pants, of course. But what happens when everyone starts getting taller and more beautiful? Does it still pay to be a little more beautiful and a little taller than…
You Can Look Forward to Playing a Workplace Version of the Hunger Games
Finding a job is hard enough these days. Then once you've got one, you've got to work your ass off while also dealing with office politics and annoying coworkers. Well, it's about to get even worse for some of you, because there's a growing trend among companies of encouraging their employees to compete in "fun"…
Blame Facebook Photo Tagging for Your Weird Body Issues
A new survey examining the link between Facebook and body image has concluded what you probably already know — obsessively combing the pages of the social networking site can not only lead to an unhealthy fixation on how your ex boyfriend's new girlfriend seems painfully uncool, but also wreak havoc on your body…
Watch Michelle Obama Wipe the White House Floor With Jimmy Fallon
As part of her effort to promote her Let's Move campaign, Michelle Obama invited Jimmy Fallon over for a little friendly physical competition. The First Lady sheds her friendly veneer right away and drops the hammer, but he puts up a very hilarious fight—and he gets bonus points for being brave enough to wear a…
Ladies are Team Players
A new study has found that women are most willing to compete and compete best when they do so on teams. It also found that individual competition discourages qualified women from trying to compete while it encourages underqualified men, which gives credence to my dad's theory that the people who end up at the top of…
What the Hell Did Ryan Seacrest Just Do on American Idol?
At the end of tonight's live 90-minute American Idol episode—during which our Top 12 girls performed—host Ryan Seacrest said, "How do you pick your favorite, right?" with what appeared to be a weirdly random Asian accent. Buh?
Cranky Conservative Politician Mesmerizing On Celebrity Dance Competition Show
The show brought us Bristol Palin awkwardly shimmying across our minds and hearts, but Dancing With The Stars' UK predecessor Strictly Come Dancing brings us something even more wonderful.
Ovulating Ladies More Inclined To Slut It Up
According to a new study, women are more likely to dress provocatively when we're ovulating. But, unlike everything else we do, this isn't for men. We bring it for the ladies.
George Clooney Will Make You See God • Katie Couric Wins Award For Interview With Palin
• Psychologists have found that your level of spirituality varies according to who you are looking at. When shown pictures of attractive members of the opposite sex, both men and women described themselves as more religious than the control group.
Anything You Can Do: Women Can Be Just As Competitive As Men
New studies by economists show that across cultures, men aren't necessarily more competitive than women. Maybe it's time to lay this particular gender stereotype to rest.
Are Girls Ashamed To Kick Ass?
A Dallas girl's basketball team is seeking to forfeit a game they won 100-0, and has apologized for the margin of victory. Gracious? Or part of a disturbing and age-old pattern?
Are Your Friends Your Companions Or Your Competition?
A new episode of MTV's True Life aired this weekend called I'm Competitive With Friends. It focused on people who are stuck on the concept of winning anything — bets, video games, dance offs, who gets up the escalator first — to the detriment of their friendships. 19-year-old Shanessa admits that she has a problem…
Women's Voices Are "Sexiest" When They're "In Heat"
Though Scarlett Johansson is known for her deep and torrid voice, a new study shows that women are most attractive to the opposite sex when they are ovulating — because their voices go up in pitch. Researchers Nathan Pipitone and Gordon Gallup recorded women counting from 1 to 10 at different points in their menstrual…
