Kanye West's new album "Graduation" has been a critical and commercial success, going gold in a day and crushing the competition (including poor ol' 50 Cent, who may or may not actually end up retiring). In short, the man is a clear winner, which has made his recent temper tantrums about losing super-baffling.

But the Kanye PR machine must be a mighty and fierce one, rivaling Truckosaurus with its cunning and ability to breathe fire. That's the best explanation I have as to how the hip-hop star got the chance to satirize his poor losing on the Saturday Night Live season premiere. It's a triumph of self-parody, simultaneously negating the bad press of his VMA hissyfit and promoting Kanye as a comedy threat. Because who knew Kanye was funny? Not me. But next time I have the opportunity, I'll definitely give "a black man -- um, a short black man -- a chance."

You may already know of Jake Byrd. The goofy gatecrasher and Jimmy Kimmel Live regular has been spotted everywhere from Motley Crue's Hollywood Star Ceremony to Paris Hilton's release. But those who didn't already know him got a big dose this week at a press conference by Yale Galanter, OJ Simpson's attorney.

Wearing an "OJ 07" T-Shirt and an "I *Heart* Famous People" hat, Byrd interrupts Gelanter to congratulate him and offer him a high five. He continues to chime in with words of support, stopping only to resort to theatrical facial expressions in the background or -- once -- take a call on his cell phone.

Who is this guy?

Jake Byrd is the alter ego of comedian Anthony Barbieri. He first started fooling fans and major news outlets when he popped up as a "super-fan" during the Michael Jackson trial, managing to convince both the New York Times and Court TV of his legitimacy. His Kimmel segments are titled "Jake Byrd: Celebrity Avenger."

I don't know if all the celebrities Byrd avenges are grateful, but Galanter, at least, seems to appreciate the support. So when's Galanter gonna thank TDR for our High Five?

About a bajillion Halo-related videos have popped up in the last few days in anticipation of the release of Halo 3, the third and (ostensibly) final installment of the mega-popular video game franchise. Among the best of these is Team Tiger Awesome’s “Halo Nights,” a boy-band-esque music video about a man’s love of Halo and how it ruins his life. This video is especially timely not only because Halo 3 comes out next week, but also because we are a mere two weeks away from the release of the Backstreet Boys’ latest attempt at a comeback album, Unbreakable.

I incited the ire of BSB fans last week by writing a “snotty” (sic) post about their lead video “Inconsolable” (okay fine, it was snotty, but come on, it’s the Backstreet Boys. Am I supposed to be sincere?). But, after watching this, I can say with confidence that while Team Tiger Awesome may not have millions of record sales, at least they still have their youth and good looks. And relevance. And none of them look like a Puerto Rican Mr. T.

From Liam Sullivan, the man who brought you "Shoes," comes another music video starring the delciously bitchy Kelly (Sullivan himself). Actually, first there's a four minute, non-musical intro with a quirky look at Kelly's whole family, and the hilarity that ensues when her Aunt Susan, an earthy lesbian folk singer, comes to visit.

But then Kelly's neighbor Caitlin comes home with a cute new top, and the musical highjinks get underway. Chearleaders! Ninjas! Heaven! Riots! LisaNova! Dave Navarro! Margaret Cho! This video has everything!

Seriously, betch. Let Kelly borrow that top. She's earned it. (Don't make me have to betchslap the dumb out of you.)

Actually, Fall Out Boy lead vocalist Patrick Stump only speaks rather briefly about sniffing panties in this segment of NGTV.com's Tour Bus Diaries. And he's only doing it to make a point about women who throw their panties onstage at concerts. He's not writing a song about it or anything. But he does do a bit of demonstrative sniffing, which is fun.

Other topics include the new album, pranks on other bands, free gifts, and why Stump's astonishingly tight jeans aren't as health-threateningly "nut hugging" as you might fear. Well, that's a load off my mind.

No Good TV has carved itself a niche as the online home of uncensored celebrity interviews and videos. Mostly, it's a place for celebs to talk about their upcoming projects while making dirty jokes and saying "fuck" a lot. Which, when you cover everyone from Akon to Andy Dick to the cast of "Hairspray," is pretty fun.

Plus, I think we all learned a little something about throwing our panties onstage.

How do you make a wedding video to remember? You might not want to ask Paul Jury of Panda Smash that question. Unless, of course, you want to remember your wedding as a blood-chilling terror fiesta. In which case, talk to Paul Jury. I'm sure he has pointers.

Asked by his friends Sarah and Jeff to edit together their wedding footage, Paul set to the task with enthusiasm... Until, that is, he got bored. So, using tricks reminiscent of the West Side Story zombie spoof, he used the raw footage to craft a trailer that will make you cry... with terror.

Paul did edit a much more traditional version for Sarah and Jeff -- one that didn't result in Sarah being called a whore. But I think I prefer the horror take. After all, marriage? Pretty scary stuff.

Britney Spears has gotta be like catnip to vlogger Chris Crocker. But face it, Crocker himself has achieved internet fame via a mystifying, train wreck sort of appeal. Is he real? Is he a performance artist? Is he Project Runway's Austin Scarlett after a two-month bender on a sanity-destabilizing cocktail of crystal meth, Maybelline Great Lash, and Coco Puffs?

Well, whatever else he is, he's Britney Spears' new knight in shining armor. In this video, a weeping Crocker rants, raves, and screams as he pleads with us all to leave Brit-Brit in peace. She lost her aunt! She went through a divorce! She had two babies! Oh, the HUMANITY!

Now, whether Britney wants a hysterical sexually ambiguous internet phenom as her champion is a matter for her and her legal team to decide. (Going by an earlier display of support, my advice would be, "Run, Britney, run!") And one really does have to wonder why such a giant fan of Britney's would do this to her song.

But the question remains -- is Chris Crocker for real? I gotta tell ya, I just don't know. His videos range from the out there to the simply insipid. If he's the real deal, he is terrifyingly strange and stupid. If he's an insidious satiric mastermind, well, a lot of his material needs work. Tell you what: I will leave you with one final video, The Secret, and let you decide for yourself. 'Cause damn. That shit ain't right.

Gotta hand it to Clearasil -- you're definitely doing something right, marketing-wise, when your commercials for pimple cream are stirring up a hotbed of controversy.

Clearasil has abandoned their wholesome image in favor of a new campaign themed "May Cause Confidence." In the spots, teens are emboldened by their Clearasil-powered flawless skin, causing them to be zanily risque. In "Ms. Kelly," the commercial getting the most heat, a young Lothario hits on his friend's newly single mom. (Ms. Kelly, by the way, is appalled.)

In "Baby Photos," a girl responds to the naked baby photos her mom is showing her boyfriend by saying, "you should see me now." The mom has a conniption and the girl's boyfriend looks wildly uncomfortable.

And in "Picture Me Naked," a teen tells a nervous lecturer, "if it helps, you can..." well, you guessed it. Then he turns to the girl next to him and says, "You, too." Granted, the girl gives a small giggle, but still, I wouldn't say the commercial's a ringing endorsement for the behavior.

Unlike, say, Axe ads -- which seem to imply the product is essentially a sprayable combo of roofie and Spanish Fly -- the Clearasil spots don't show the teens necessarily getting what they want. Honestly, distilled down to the basics, what the commericals really seem to be saying is, "Confidence makes you act like a dumbass."

Therefore, as sexy scandals go, I'm going to have to rate this one a solid "meh."

In the United States, we take the true meaning of "drunken fanatacism" for granted. Down Under, however, they wrote the book on it.

We're talking Australian rugby here, people, not to be confused with the on-going Rugby Union World Cup taking place in France. This past Sunday, the Brisbane Broncos took one on the chin against defending champions Melbourne Storm, 40-0. When you're an ardent fan and fired up on beer, you tend not to take these things too well. Witness humble Australian television reporter Ben Davis, doing his journalistic duty with a couple of disgruntled and clearly sloshed Broncos fans lurking in the background, ready to strike. Davis, who sustained a couple minor dings from the encounter, would hope that other reporters learn a lesson: always wear padding.

This rap video by popular vlogger Cory "Safety Guy" Williams of SMP Films chronicles the adorably violent adventures of a bite-happy kitty named Sparta. Sparta is a young Egyptian Mau with an appetite for destruction and a penchant for sneak attacks on ankles. He is also super cute, especially when you are watching him from a distance and not one of the people or objects marked for involuntary perforation.

Since the video has gotten a million and a half hits and several thousand new subscribers for SMP Films, proud papa Williams has since posted this, a behind-the-scenes look at how Sparta came into his life. But how Sparta became so bloodthirsty? That, we may never know.

"I told my party's leaders that it is now our duty to put the elections behind us and work together with the Democrats and independents on the great issues facing this country." -- President George W. Bush, the day after the Republican party got wiped out in the 2006 midterm elections.

Did anyone ever really believe that even after losing both the House and the Senate, Dubya was going to swallow his pride and engage in a little domestic diplomacy with his Democratic colleagues? Yeah, didn't think so. And now the proof is in the pudding. Yesterday, it was reported that the Prez broke the all-time low for getting his legislation passed in the House of Representatives.

The stats are comical -- an 86% percent failure rate in the House as a whole, and a 94% failure rate with Democrats. To put this in perspective: when Bill Clinton was on the verge of impeachment, he still beat Bush by 12%. And, yes, Bush's numbers are the lowest ever recorded.

So, in honor of Dubya's silky smooth political skills and ingenius strategizing, we reach across the aisle to present you with the following mash-up.

The first season of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia (DVD available now!) was one of the funniest things I've ever seen -- a blend of awkward and offensive, culminating in a perfect comedy stew. And somehow, FX managed to improve upon the formula in the second season by adding the not inconsiderable talents of Danny Devito to the cast.

How to keep a good thing going? Well, keep Danny Devito around for the third season, of course. But Danny Devito is a star. Danny Devito deserves the best treatment. You want Danny Devito on your dinky little cable sitcom, you better treat him right. That's what Rob McElhenney learns here, with the help of Rhea Perlman and Fred Savage. He also learns to read his contract better. All of thesse are important lessons.

When I was sent a link to "If Larry Craig Were Gay," I thought to myself, "Oh, my God, if they used 'If You Were Gay' from Avenue Q, that would be the most awesome thing ever. *sigh* But they won't, and I'll just be sad, and have the song stuck in my head all day, as if to mock me." I've never been so happy to be wrong. This video puts the embattled Idahoan senator and the zany puppet musical together in a way that actually exceeds anything I could have imagined.

For those who have been living under a rock: After pleading guilty to a charge of disorderly conduct in an airport men's room -- that conduct being trying to get friendly with the undercover cop in the next stall -- staunchly anti-gay-rights Senator Larry Craig has been running around like a big closeted gay chicken with its big gay head cut off, saying, "I'm not gay, I'm not gay, I'm not gay, notgaynotgaynotgaynotgaynoooootgaaaaay."

Avenue Q is a show in which puppets sing songs like "It Sucks to Be Me" and "The Internet is for Porn." It also features a character, Nicky, who suspects his roommate Rod is gay. (And that's okay.)

The combined result is genius. And afterwards, you may be in the mood for another song from Avenue Q. It's called "Schadenfreude."

boingyboingyboingyboingy (that's me jumping up and down) It's almost back! It's almost back! Yaaaaaaaay!

A new season of The Office kicks off on September 27, and to whet our appetite, NBC has given us the latest glimpse into what our favorite characters did over the summer.

Look -- there's Michael! Hi, Michael! And Dwight! Hi, Dwight -- sorry about your infection! And Jim! And Kevin! And Creed! And Ange-- okay, I don't really like Angela, but she took a vacation with a "gentleman friend" and I'm intrigued despite myself. Plus, there's Pam, and she's letting her hair down. Whoo! You go, girl!

Ahem. Sorry. Got a little overexcited. You know why? 'Cause it's almost back! Yay! Yaaaaaay! boingyboingboingyboingy.

Remember that Nickelodeon show “You Can’t Do That On Television?” Where irreverent teens cracked jokes, ridiculed one other, and slimed and sprayed water on themselves? Yeah, well it’s back. Except this time with adult billionaires in suits, in the recent interview on the Colbert Report -- otherwise known as the “Colbert-Branson Trainwreck Interview.”

Now, last week we spotlighted the tongue –in–cheek Superbad meltdown interview. But this one, folks, featuring “rebel billionaire" Richard Branson, president of the newly launched Virgin America Airlines, is, without a doubt, entirely real. From the unscripted jibes back and forth to the full-blown water fight (a la Wild n’ Crazy Kids), this truly is an interview gone out of control.

After generously naming the first airplane in the fleet “Air Colbert,” Branson gets heated when Stephen Colbert’s gift of gab gets in the way of plugging his airline. And despite the friendly-ish handshakes at the show’s end, the lesson learned is clear: DON’T PISS OFF BILLIONAIRES. (And never put real coffee in a mug on stage!)