The fashion industry often is criticized for its singular portrayal of women: long-limbed, scary skinny, perennially adolescent, and, say some, overwhelmingly "white."

For most people, opening their inbox and seeing a warning that gruesome revenge awaits them is an unpleasant experience.

Svedka, one of seemingly a million vodka brands trying to stand out with eye-catching marketing (wasn't the Absolut flub just a couple of months ago?) recently added a new element to its "Join the party" campaign.

EGYPTIANS BURIED pharaohs in elaborate sarcophagi with gold and jewels to take to the afterlife. Fancy indeed, but when you're Fredric Baur, creator of the nifty Pringles potato crisp container, an empty snack tube seems a much cozier place to spend eternity.

Who knew the coffee business could be so controversial? Rachael Ray, the average person's Martha Stewart and Dunkin' Donuts spokes-eater, recently appeared in an iced coffee ad for the company sporting what she and her stylist thought was a fine looking scarf.

In a culture lacking taboos, one that persists is "the N-word." Hip-hop star Nas promised to stir that pot when, back in the fall, he proclaimed that his upcoming album would be titled "N*****."

At a time when gas hovers at an astronomical $4 per gallon, $2.99 would seem like a gift. Chrysler wants to give this present to its customers - for three whole years - through its Let's Refuel America campaign.

The land of Disney is not the happiest place on Earth these days. A photo of its teen princess Miley Cyrus (a.k.a. Hannah Montana), shot for the May issue of Vanity Fair, has been making the rounds on the Interwebs and causing an uproar with parents, some who threatened to build Hannah-Montana-paraphernalia bonfires.

Caramba! A RARE advertising blunder by Absolut, which perhaps has garnered more praise for its iconic marketing than its vodka, has opened the door for a cheeky Skyy campaign.

Spring-training games don't mean much, many opine, unless something occurs that has an impact on the regular season. Last Tuesday in Blacksburg, VA, baseball's most storied team shattered that theory.