Dabble with Brad Pitt in cyberspace if you dare.

The Hollywood hearthrob Brad Pitt has overtaken Paris Hilton as the most dangerous celebrity to search for in cyberpace, according to the second annual study of by Internet security company McAfee.

The company found Web users searching for “Brad Pitt,” “Brad Pitt downloads,” and Brad Pitt wallpaper, screen savers and pictures had an 18 percent chance of having their computer infected with online threats, such as spyware, spam, phishing, adware, viruses and other malware.

A spokesman for McAfee said in a statement that cybercriminals were using A-list names and images, like Beyonce and Justin Timberlake, to lure people surfing for the latest gossip, screen savers and ringtones to “fake” Web sites.

Pitt and Justin Timberlake were found to be the most dangerous men to seek on the Internet, while Beyonce and Heidi Montag from “The Hills” topped the list for women. Paris Hilton, who topped 2007’s list of the most dangerous celebrity searches, was missing from this year’s list as was pop star Britney Spears who came fourth last year.

Maybe they should change the name of the MTV Video Music Awards to the Britneys.

For the second year in a row, Britney Spears took center stage at Sunday’s event, winning all three categories in which she was nominated, including the coveted video of the year.

Unfortunately, her triumph could be overshadowed by the failure of MTV’s hype machine.

After weeks of speculation, the cable channel confirmed a few days ago that Spears would open the show. No, she would not sing, but the network promised something fun and unexpected.

What viewers got was a drawn-out prerecorded skit in which the ungainly actor Jonah Hill used mind-control techniques to try to kiss her. Then we were treated to her brief, real-time trek from the dressing room to the stage, surrounded by flustered handlers.  Once in the spotlight, she awkwardly held her microphone over much of her face, and delivered four groundbreaking sentences.

“Thank you so much. Thank you for all the love. I’m here tonight to celebrate a very important birthday, the 25th anniverary of the VMAs. This is the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards and it starts right now.”

And that’s what evidently passes for fun at MTV these days.    

She went on to win the first three “Moonman” statuettes of her career, but her acceptance speeches were pretty bland. It’s hard to imagine that she showed up without a guarantee that she would win some hardware. How much more humiliation can the cable channel dish out to her following her disastrous lip-synch at last year’s show?

To be fair, no one really cares who wins at MTV’s flagship kudocast. It’s all about the performances and the drama and the fashion. Even with “real” awards shows like the Oscars and the Grammys, the key winners are usually erased from the public consciousness within a day or so.

Rihanna, Christina Aguilera, Pink and Kid Rock delivered memorable performances. (Disclaimer: Kid Rock’s performance of “All Summer Long,” a mashup of Sweet Home Alabama and Werewolves of London, was the only song I knew.)

On-stage fireworks were limited to a rather silly controversy initiated by host Russell Brand about the Jonas Brothers’ chastity vows. Jordin Sparks, Ashley Tisdale and Paris Hilton quickly came to the boys’ defence.

Ashley and Paris came back to the chilly, distant soundstage where the humble reporters were uncomfortably sequestered next to the photographers. They deigned to talk to us. People like Britney and LL Cool J ignored us as they made a bee line for the photo area.
 

A dance troupe called Fanny Pack executed a series of wacky poses for photograpers, but no one took their photos. No reporters were interested in talking to them.

The Pussycat Dolls posed with their Moonman statuette for best dancing in a video (a somewhat dubious accolade). Nicole Scherzinger, who had custody of the statuette, stayed on the podium posing long after her bandmates had left.

- Reporting by Dean Goodman

(Reporting by Ka Yan Ng)

Even before she arrives for the Toronto film festival, the business of being Paris Hilton has rolled into town.

Hilton made headlines on the first day of the Toronto International Film Festival when the New York Post’s Page Six reported that she forced festival organizers to cancel two of three screenings of a documentary about her, “Paris, Not France,” in order to amp up the promotional volume for the premiere.

“We wanted to create more buzz - create some hype . . . We felt the impact would be more extreme if we had one screening,” her spokesman Jason Moore is quoted as saying in the Post.

We tried to reach Moore and festival organizers, but neither was immediately available late in the afternoon. The film’s makers, however, did release a statement saying: “We are pleased to have this opportunity to screen the film. For a variety of reasons — which we are unable to discuss — the film will only be screened once. We are optimistic that the film will ultimately be released commercially, but we are not able to comment further.” 

Oh well. Paris happens.

The documentary is among the hottest — pardon the pun — titles here at Toronto. It is described on the Toronto web site as an exploration of the business of being Paris Hilton, and the human being behind the public persona. Its title is a nod to some polls that have revealed that amongst certain people, a higher percentage identify the name “Paris” with Hilton rather than with the Paris, France, according to the festival.

Directed by Adria Petty, the documentary is set to premiere on Tuesday and that debut, for now, appears to be the only showing. And one wonders, will the world feel the impact?

WASHINGTON - You knew she wouldn’t take this lying down.
 
Paris Hilton struck back Tuesday at Republican presidential candidate John McCain for running a campaign ad that likened Democratic rival Barack Obama’s celebrity to that of the blond socialite and to singer Britney Spears.

The video, posted on the Web site www.FunnyorDie.com, began with images of the 71-year-old Arizona senator: “He’s the oldest celebrity in the world, like super-old. Old enough to remember when dancing was a sin and beer was served in a bucket. But, is he ready to lead?”
    
Then the camera turned on the blond socialite, sitting on a poolside lounge chair in a skimpy leopard-print bathing suit.
    
“Hey America, I am Paris Hilton and I’m a celebrity too,” she said. “Only I’m not from the olden days and I am not promising change like that other guy. I’m just hot.”
    
“But then that wrinkly white-haired guy used me in his campaign ad, which I guess means I’m running for president. And I want America to know that I’m like, totally ready to lead.”

(Originally posted by Doina Chiacu)

New laws against paparrazzi? Who needs them?  If celebrities just kept their clothes on, the problem might go away. Anyhow, Lindsay’s got a girlfriend and Britney has cleaned up her act.

No, that’s not a paparazzi photo agency talking. It’s Los Angeles Police Chief William Bratton explaining why he boycotted a city council meeting on Thursday to discuss what should be done to clamp down on out-of-control photographers.

Bratton says there are enough laws already on the books to deal with agressive paparrazzi and no new ones are needed. And here’s why.

“Half of this issue — actually about 90 percent of the issue is that
celebrities should keep their clothes on,” Bratton told Los Angeles’ Fox11 television on Thursday.

“Paris Hilton’s out of town, things are quiet; Lindsey Lohan’s got a
new girlfriend, that’s keeping things quiet; and evidently Britney has gone
straight now in terms of cleaning her act up, so basically paparazzi are losing
interest,” Bratton said.

It’s true. Compared to last year’s  daily round of celebs in trouble, getting jailed, arrested,  checking in and out of rehab and generally making news for all the wrong reason, it’s been relatively quiet on the Hollywood scandal front this summer.

And while that may be good for Bratton, it’s definitely bad news for the paparazzi.

Sen. Barack Obama has yet to sign a record contract or party until dawn in Hollywood with a paparazzi entourage — but that’s not stopping his presidential rival, Sen. John McCain, from comparing him to Britney Spears and Paris Hilton.
    
A television ad from the McCain campaign airing for the first time on Wednesday opens with images of the two blond starlets, before cutting to shots of Obama waving to adoring crowds. With the familiar chant “O-ba-ma” as background noise, a female voice intones: “He’s the biggest celebrity in the world. But, is he ready to lead?”
    
The ad’s script makes no mention of Britney — a pop singer — and Paris — a celebrity heiress — other than the visual cues. Britney is shown walking in a crowd with an umbrella behind her and Paris is seen striking a regal pose, apparently for photographers.
 
Britney, 26, and Paris, 27, have legions of fans and detractors who watch their every move. But will McCain’s attempt to link Obama with Hollywood celebrity fly with voters?
 
Last week, McCain struggled for media attention as Obama toured the Middle East and Europe. Obama’s speech in Berlin drew a crowd of more than 200,000, while McCain had lunch at a German-American eatery in Ohio.   

 (Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis)  
    

Paris Hilton is annoyed! In her latest MySpace blog posting titled “Clearing Up Rumors,” the socialite-singer-actress-businesswoman says she’s sick of gossip sites printing false rumors about her, so from now on she is going to address these head on.

She wastes no time in getting started on the latest rumor. 

“Page Six reported that I have moved into (boyfriend) Benji’s neighborhood, and that Nicole (Richie who lives with Benji’s twin brother Joel Madden) is upset by this…SO NOT TRUE! First of all, I don’t even live in Glendale. Secondly, I have my own home in a gated community in Beverly Hills — that’s where I live. I haven’t been to Glendale in months. Where do they come up with this?”

She continues: “I am thankful that I know who my true friends and colleagues are, and I encourage my fans to ignore worthless stories like this.”

The New York Post’s Page Six  reported that Richie and Joel Madden, who have a six-month-old daughter, moved to Glendale to escape the publicity that was hounding them. But then Hilton and Benji Madden moved in next door, shattering their peace and angering Richie who starred in the TV show “The Simple Life” with Hilton and with whom she has had an on-off friendship.

Thinking of spreading a rumor about Paris? She’ll be after you.

“It’s not fair because these lies then spread like wildfire online … From now on I plan to address these when they come to my attention,” said Hilton.

Having a behind-the-scenes celebrity mom isn’t something Paris Hilton or her sister Nicky would know much about. Their mom, Kathy, seems to relish the  spotlight as much as her girls.

Having recently launched her own perfume and starred in a Web mini-series called “A Day With the Hiltons,” the 49-year-old Kathy Hilton has now nudged her way into Hollywood movies with a cameo appearance in Ben Stiller’s new summer comedy “Tropic Thunder,” playing Tom Cruise’s wife, according to In Touch Weekly.  

“She filmed last winter and didn’t even tell her kids because she wanted to surprise them,” a set insider told the celebrity magazine. “She raved about Tom,” said the insider. 

After filming “Tropic Thunder,” Kathy Hilton also shot a few episodes of daytime TV soap opera, “The Young and The Restless.” The older Hilton has been a sometime actress for years but not winning the same success as her girls. A reality TV show she hosted in 2005 called “I Want To Be A Hilton” flopped.

Barron Hilton, the 18-year-old brother of actress Paris Hilton and member of the family that founded the Hilton Hotels chain, has recieved three years probation stemming from his drunken driving arrest back in February in the posh seaside community of Malibu, California.

That’s Barron at the far left of this picture with his mom Kathy, dad Rick and Paris at far right. 

Hilton must also pay $2,000 in fines and attend three alchohol education programs. He agreed to plead no contest to one charge of driving under the influence and one charge of unlawful use of a license. He will lose his driving privileges for a year,  a spokeswoman for the District Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles said on Wednesday.

Two other misdemeanor charges — one for DUI and a second for being an unlicensed driver — were dropped.

Hilton spent about nine hours in jail on Feb. 12 after he was arrested by Malibu police. Witnesses claimed Hilton was driving a Mercedes-Benz erratically before he pulled into a gas station. Hilton’s blood-alcohol level was estimated at .14 percent, or nearly
twice the legal limit of .08 percent.

The Hilton family’s wealth and lifestyle have brought them massive media attention over the years, and Paris, like her brother, has also run into trouble with local law enforcement. She spent 23 days in jail last year for violating her probation in connection with a reckless driving case.