Would You Shave Off Your Eyebrows in the Name of Fashion?

Behold! No eyebrows at Balenciaga Fall 2009. 

Photo: Karl Prouse, Catwalking/Getty Images

Eyebrows are currently creating quite a stir in the fashion and beauty industries. Or should we say the lack of eyebrows... A small but undeniable trend is picking up steam -- that being the trend of bleaching or (gulp!) waxing eyebrows into oblivion.  

The result? A very bizarre, androgynous alien creature completely void of expression. (But why doesn't it look weird on Whoopi Goldberg?) 

It started on the Fall 2009 runways of Balenciaga and Prada (fashion and beauty editors were shocked that someone was able to convince the top models to bleach their brows), and then came Brazilian bombshell Adriana Lima as a brow-free Marilyn Manson-lookalike for the latest Givenchy campaign.

Now the August cover of Italian Vogue features model Kristen McMenamy, also sans brows. Edgy McMenamy has been sporting this look on and off since the early Nineties, making her the patron saint of fashion icons minus eyebrows. (Well, her and Queen Elizabeth I.) A great question was posed in this article from the Daily Mail about whether or not the non-conformist trend will trickle down to the masses, like punk did in the 1970s.  

I'm sure a few lovers of the avant garde will give it a go, but I don't see how anyone else in their right mind would want to embrace the look.  

The article goes on to explain how eyebrows are linked to sex appeal and pretty much every expression a human face can make, which is why people look so alien when brows are taken away. (Also check out the Daily Mail's gallery of celebrities with their eyebrows airbrushed away. It's hilarious!) What's your take on the latest trend of eyebrow removal? Tell us in a comment!

Apple Asked Microsoft to End 'Laptop Hunter' Ads?

When  Apple first started throwing punches with its condescending 'I'm a Mac' ads, Microsoft struggled to hit back. The Redmond-based company's initial response was a series of ineffective, touchy-feely 'I'm a Pc' spots. After these fell flat, Microsoft came out with the 'Laptop Hunters'series of ads, claiming that PCs offer a better value than Macs. Something about these ads must have struck a chord at Apple, because the company responded directly to the 'Laptop Hunter' series with its own spin on the campaign. But, if Microsoft's Chief Operating Officer Kevin Turner is to be believed, Apple's own retort wasn't enough to dissuade today's value-conscious American consumer.

Speaking at Microsoft's Worldwide Partner Conference, Turner claimed that Apple's legal team had contacted him, stating "you need to stop running those ads, we lowered our prices." Ars technica writes that Turner wondered at first if the call was a joke, but went on to say it, "was the greatest single phone call in ... history that I've ever taken in business."  Apple may have cut it's prices recently, but the so-called "Apple tax" is still very much a reality. Entry to the cult of Apple will run you $999 for a MacBook. A comparably equipped Dell laptop will set you back $300 less.  If true, the story highlights how effective Microsoft's latest marketing campaign has been. After a few years of Madison Avenue dominance, we're actually kind of enjoying seeing Apple on the defensive.

However, owning a Mac myself I can honestly tell you that once you go Mac you won't go back to a PC. 

Straight Up Now Tell Me ... that Paula Abdul's not leaving?

Paula Abdul's new manager says she may not be returning to "American Idol."

According to a Los Angeles Times report, David Sonenberg says he doesn't have a proposal for a new contract for Abdul. He says it doesn't appear she'll be back.  Sonenberg began representing Abdul a few weeks ago.

Auditions for the ninth season of the highly rated Fox talent competition begin next month.  Abdul said recently she'd been invited to remain as an "American Idol" judge and was optimistic about negotiating a new contract.

Earlier this year, Fox entertainment president Kevin Reilly called Abdul "an integral part of the show."  The other "American Idol" judges as you may recall are Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson and newcomer Kara DioGuardi.

All I can say is "Say it ain't so Joe!"  and that Paula will be back next season because if not I can tell you this I won't be back for the whole season, I'll come back just for the finale.  I also hope this isn't the case of a new manager getting a bit to greedy and ruining a good thing for Ms. Abdul.