She's not smiling, boys.

With the recent death of Anna Nicole Smith and bizaare behavior of Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan, perhaps it's time to remember an adage many of us learned on the playground.

You remember the situation. You were playing with someone, and all of a sudden an adult came by and reprimanded you--or someone tormenting you. When the inevitable "we were only playing" or "it's just a joke" came, the adult would point to a little tear-stained face and say three words: "he's not laughing" or "he's not smiling."

It's a point we ought to remember with the media circuses that surround all too many entertainers today. Oh, they might have publicity photos showing teeth, but look closer. All too often, she's not smiling.