Movieline

The Top Seven Most Ridiculous Controversies of 2010

In the yesteryears, a controversy had to really work up a head of steam to make the papers and the magazines, slowly gathering strength until it erupted into a full-bore gossip hurricane. But nowadays, all it takes is an errant tweet and every Blog, Dick and Harry is up in arms. Sometimes the outrage is merited, as in the case of Mel Gibson's (alleged!) vile phone calls. But other times, it's simply a lot of sound and fury ultimately signifying nothing. Join us for the Top Seven Most Ridiculous Controversies 2010

7. Glee Star Uses Botox

Sure, it's a little weird that 18-year-old Charice got Botox before her big American TV debut, but lord knows there are plenty of young ladies here in Hollywood who've injected themselves smooth and have kept it under their hats. But what makes the controversy extra lame is that she's only been on one episode this season thus far.

6. Blue Valentine's Brush With NC-17

Sometimes it feels like we're all pawns in Harvey Weinstein's game of chess. When his Blue Valentine got slapped with an NC-17 for seemingly no good reason, folks whipped themselves up into a lathered outrage. But now it's rated R, didn't have to lose a single frame, and hey, how about that! All that press increased awareness of its existence. Well played, Harv.

5. John Travolta and Kevin Spacey Live in the Smallest, Most Transparent Closet in the World

I had no idea that on the eve of 2011, it would cause such a kerfuffle to call two gay men gay. It's not 1954, and you're not Rock Hudson and Monty Clift, boys. Breathe a little.

4. Bristol Palin's Run on Dancing with the Stars

Sure, she was absolute crap and didn't deserve to get as far as she did. But hell, neither did Danny Gokey on American Idol and no one accused him of being part of an Illuminati plot.

3. Liam Neeson Accidentally Reveals Existence of Wise Religious Figures Other Than Jesus

Yes, Aslan is meant to be a Christ figure. Yes, Narnia is an overtly Christian tale. But, blessed shoes of the fisherman, an actor is allowed to take inspiration from more than source! I really do think that the moment someone says "Islam" or "Muhammad" a good chunk of the populace immediately thinks "durka durka Muhammad jihad."

2. Mike and Molly No Longer Jolly, Just Touchy

Essentially, you can base a whole program around the joke "hey, get a load of how fat these people are!" but the moment someone points how dangerous and unappealing it is to be grotesquely, morbidly obese, well then, that's the moment to fly into a collective buttery apoplexy.

1. The Last Airbender's Race-Bending Casting

When M. Night Shymalan cast some white kids in the roles of the (proto)Asian-seeming protagonists of Airbender, you would think that he had called for a purge of Saipan or something. Besides, all this sturm and drang of who had the proper racial background to play whom obscured the most important fact of all -- this was a terrible movie. Protest that!