One of the most interesting–albeit meaningless–awards of the year comes from CNN Headline News’ “Showbiz Tonight,” which names its “Most Controversial Celebrity” of the year. For 2006, Britney Spears won out over the likes of Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Tom Cruise, Anna Nicole Smith, Naomi Campbell, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Madonna, and Star Jones. I…
Meant to evoke the salaciousness associated with films, TV shows, and books about the desperate lives of housewives, the latest installment of National Geographic Explorer, “Secret Lives of Jesus,” doesn’t disappoint. This exploration of alternative gospels, those not included in the canon, such as the gospels of Thomas and Judas, provides as much murder, mischief,…