Thursday Trendwatch

The Trendwatch begins on a somber note this week, with NAVY PILOT KILLING (10) starting us off.  On New Year's Eve, John Robert Reeves, a pilot in training killed three people and himself at a party in southern California.  Police are unsure what motivated the killing.

On a lighter note, we have the story of EFFIE GRAY (9), a 19th-century Englishwoman who endured a an oppressive marriage to the noted art critic John Ruskin.  The story goes that, on their wedding night,

something about his bride — historians still debate exactly what — so horrified Ruskin that the union was not consummated. Ruskin maintained it was her personality that had put him off, but Gray later wrote that her husband "had imagined women were quite different to what he saw I was."

One would have thought that a noted art critic would have, at some point in his life, studied art and, by extension, have some knowledge of basic human anatomy.  Of course, maybe that was the problem: We all laugh at Ruskin, but maybe, under all the hoop skirts and corsets, Effie Gray was something other than human!  Now THAT would make a good movie.  I suspect, however, that is not the approach taken in the upcoming film "Effie," starring Dakota Fanning.  Too bad, really.

For those of you non-creative types, resolving to lose weight in this new year, DIET PLANS (8) remain trendy.  For those of you more creative types, resolving to avoid costume dramas, see above.  And for those of you resolving to avoid all things Kardashian, good luck!  You won't even make it all the way through today's Trendwatch, where we find model AMBER ROSE (7) blaming Kim Kardashian for Rose's break-up with musician Kanye West.

Not for nothing, Amber, but have you considered it has less to do with Kim Kardashian than with the Kim Jong-il sunglasses?

VICTORIA GOTTI (6) will compete in the next season of "Celebrity Apprentice," along with "Real" "Housewife" and fellow Trendwatch participant TERESA GUIDICE (4) (thereby laying to rest the rumor that they were the same person). 

Other contestants will include two other members of today's Trendwatch, former "Hulk" LOU FERRIGNO (2) and the still hot CHERYL TIEGS (1); Clay Aiken ("American Idol"), Paul Teutul, Sr. ("American Chopper"), and Adam Carrolla (American idiot); comedian Lisa Lampaneli, rocker Dee Snider, former Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza, singer Debbie Gibson, actress-model Patricia Velasquez, actress Tia Carrere, and. . . .  Oh, no. . . . Oh, say it ain't so!  Sigh. . . George Takei.

I used to think you were cool, Man!

Rounding out the non-Trump-related Trendwatch are BANKRUPTCY PROTECTION (5) and MUIR WOODS (3).  The Muir Woods story is interesting because. . .

Oh, screw it!  George!  What are you thinking?  You had totally reinvented yourself as a witty, engaging spokesman for gay rights and a poster of amusing videos on Facebook, and now. . .THIS?  Yeah, I know, it's not like Shatner or Nimoy debasing themselves in front of the Donald, but this puts you in the same category as, like, Gary Busey!  GARY BUSEY!!!  You've written an opera, Man!  Have some dignity!  Get out while you still can!