A Welcome Exception to the Norm.

I hate entertainment "news" programs like Entertainment Tonight, Extra, and so on. I think they're shallow, way too flashy, and are contributing to the downfall of society by constantly promoting celebrities who, themselves, are shallow and way too flashy. Why does our society devote millions of dollars to tell America what kind of car what's-his-butt-in-the-latest-action-film drives? I even get extremely annoyed by legitimate news organizations telling us the latest about which celebs are divorcing, who's pregnant, etc.

I must say, however, that I've enjoyed hearing news about Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt. For all the celebrity that's tied to them, I'm glad to hear that they care so much about third-world concerns. Yeah, it's one thing to put on some concert and contribute a bunch of money to make yourself look better, but Jolie and Pitt seem to genuinely care.

In an upcoming interview with Anderson Cooper on our fellow '360' program, Jolie confirms that she gives one-third of her income to charity, joking, "Yeah, well, I had a stupid income for what I do." You might recall that, after the recent birth of her new baby girl in Namibia, Jolie and Pitt gave a generous donation to assist the needy in that country.

It's good to hear that there are celebrities who can keep some perspective. It's even better to see that celebrity news outlets are willing to report about it. Now let's work on less reports about what dress Julia Roberts wore to the Oscars.