"Some people may say it's controversial, especially the theme I've chosen, but at the end of the day, little girls wear swimming costumes to the beach all summer, and that's not a controlled environment. The environment my kids go in is a controlled environment and it is ticket-entry only," explains 33-year-old unemployed mother of two Leann when discussing her decision to dress up her 4-year-old daughter Scarlett as a waitress from Hooters. Scarlett competes in beauty pageants. Obviously.

On Monday, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the so-called "Bishop of Bling," who spent an estimated $43 million renovating his private residence last year.

Jamie Lynn Spears is engaged and her big-ass diamond has a little fuzzy on it in this photo. Mind your jewels, Jamie.

A Indian businessman has decided to invest his sizable fortune in something truly worthwhile: Bling.

What's up today in India? "India, the land of Mohandas Gandhi, known for its Hindu belief in the sanctity of life, is anything but gun-shy. Rising incomes have made high-end weapons a new form of bling, and rising crime and memories of Mumbai's 2008 terrorist attack have left Indians eager to be armed and dangerous," The Los Angeles Times reports. There are still only 3 guns for every 100 people in India, compared to 89 for every 100 Americans, though. [LATimes, image of Indian gun factory via AP]

Next time you're at your local Costco, you know, buying that 5 lb. box of Swedish Fish, stocking up on frozen shrimp, maybe trying on wedding dresses, and ogling the cut-price flatscreens, maybe you want to pick up a diamond ring while you're at it—a $1 million diamond ring. Yup.

This week, the Mexican government auctioned off a cache of narco-bling seized from drug lords in Mexico City. If you were in the market for a $25,000 rosary, this was the place to be! Here are the craziest pieces:

A judge yesterday rejected 26 year-old Long Islander Danielle Cavalieri's claim that she should be able to keep a $19,000 engagement ring because her (now ex) fiancee cheated on her. Long Island men were like, "Yes." [NYP]

It looks like bling isn't dead after all. (Or if it did recede a bit during the recession, it's since returned.) Per the Post: "Bling-loving hip-hop mogul Diddy accidentally flung a diamond-studded ring into a raucous crowd as he hurled bundles of cash off a stage at a Midtown studio—sparking an audience frisking that had attendees feeling like common criminals." Sadly, the search didn't turn up the ring, so Diddy is now out $20,000. But if he can just resist the temptation to order 50 bottles of Cristal when he goes out tonight, he'll have made up the difference by tomorrow morning. [NYP]

One of the most popular pieces at Art Basel this week? A work by Takashi Murakami and Pharrell Williams featuring "a miniature ketchup bottle, a can of Pepsi, a pair of sneakers, a cupcake, a condom, a bag of Doritos and a bottle of Johnson & Johnson baby lotion," all of which are made out of gold and "encrusted with 26,000 inlaid diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds" that had been supplied by imprisoned bling king, Jacob the Jeweler. The piece ended up selling for $2 million to two collectors who intend "to share it." So, yes, there really is someone out there who is the proud new owner of half of a jewel-encrusted bag of Doritos. Congrats? [NYT, Marketwatch]

How poor are people, these days? So poor that rappers can't afford to wear half-million-dollar chains any more! That's the thesis of a story which is surely false (nobody could ever really afford to wear a half-million-dollar chain), but it raises the question: what is the post-bling thing?

Fewer rappers are wearing bling, according to your source for all things hip-hop related, the Wall Street Journal. But it's not because they've suddenly realized that diamond-encrusted necklaces are no longer appropriate given the economic climate. It's because they can no longer afford them and they're now asking jewelers to make medallions with less-precious stones and metals so they can keep up appearances. Whether this is really true is anybody's guess. But if it is, poor Jacob the Jeweler is in for quite a surprise when he gets out of out of prison in about 18 months or so, isn't he? [WSJ]

The Republicans have finally found their voice: it's the voice of a 50-year-old using hiphop slang from the end of the '90s.

We don't want to oversell it, but this may very well be the single greatest video ever posted here to Gawker. Turn your audio up to ten, please.