Now for really serious things: a magazine swimsuit issue starring Albert Einstein, which needs no further comment, and tonight's broadcast of the 20th MTV Video Music Awards, which has starred so many media-made creatures that the ever-reliable celebrity site MSNBC.com insists on offering them more free publicity.

Ryan McGee, a former Harvard man with a beautifully named Weblog, Wading in The Velvet Sea, has followed the MTV Awards for a long time — maybe too long. It seems to have infected his brain with fame fever. The other day, he had this to say:

Roughly a year ago, I "hit it big" with a rundown of the Video Music Awards. It was my first taste of widespread readership, and the positive feedback I received basically transformed my blog into what it is today. So I know all too well, even in my miniscule version of celebrity, how intoxicating it can be, and why you strive towards it.

Without question, McGee feels the pulse of pop culture in his finger tips. But attentive, earnest musings on celebrity such as his — though honest, smart and often funny — make you wonder about the value of a Harvard education.