Drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling... and now, video games. MTV's True Life followed two people to see how a seemingly innocuous video game habit spiraled out of control and became poisonous to the addicted players and the people around them.

• Is it possible that Natalie Portman isn't as sweet as she looks? She reportedly started seeing her new boyfriend, New York City Ballet dancer Benjamin Millepied, while he was still dating—and living with—his girlfriend of three years. Portman and Millepied began dating in the fall, but the girlfriend reportedly only got the shaft just after New Year's, poor thing. [P6]
• So are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie splitting up or not? One possible sign they are not separating: Pitt was seen returning to the LA home he shares with Jolie yesterday. One sign they are: A British tabloid reports Pitt "secretly" (or not-so-secretly) purchased "a bachelor pad to help him sort out his split from Angelina Jolie," and it's equipped with underground cave "where he can be alone and think about what he does next." Take your pick. [TMZ, DM]
• There's a new party boy in town at Sundance, and his name is Bill Gates. The 54-year-old nerd/philanthropist was spotted dancing on a banquette until 2am and confessed he was on the prowl for "that chick from Twilight" (Kristen Stewart), because he wanted to "see her movie." Or something. [P6]

• Are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie splitting up? That's what Britain's News of the World reported over the weekend, suggesting the (unmarried) couple has been meeting with their lawyers in LA to divide up their assets. Whether any of this is true or it's just another rumor is unclear. According to a source that spoke with People, "everything is fine" between Jolie and Pitt, and the story of them splitting is "totally false." [NYDN, NYP, TMZ, People]
• The cast of MTV's most popular new show may not be back for another season. The kids from Jersey Shore reportedly turned down an offer which would have paid them each $5,000 per episode. MTV has since doubled its offer and informed them they'll replace the cast if they don't accept. In related news, the cast sparked a "near-riot" on Friday night when fans descended on a club in Montclair, New Jersey, to catch them in person. [TMZ, Us, NYDN]
• Diddy held a 1,000-person birthday party for his son, Justin, on Saturday night. The highlight of the evening—which was taped for an episode of MTV's Super Sweet Sixteen—was when Diddy gave his son what every 16-year-old needs: a $360,000 silver Maybach and a driver to go with it. [P6, NYDN]

The variables in The Most Important Sociological Experiment of Our Time—the castmembers of MTV's Jersey Shore—want cash: according to an item in this morning's Page Six, the Orange Creature Cadre are trying to get seriously paid.

The cast of Jersey Shore came back for some real-talk after last night's finale. It's nice to see their metamorphosis from the larval stage of guido to the pupa stage of mildly famous guido.

If this season of Jersey Shore proved nothing else, it's that the native "guidos and guidettes" enjoy their violence: brawls, fights, and epic punches to the face. Here, you can enjoy every single fight in rapid succession.

It is with a heavy heart that we must end the most important sociological experiment of our time. For all that we have learned we are, there is still so much left unanswered about these mystical creatures.

And so the most important sociological experiment of our time ends not with a whimper, but a bang. Yup, Snooki and The Situation banging in the Jacuzzi. You know it's going to happen. Come, let us discuss.

• As if this hasn't already been a crappy week for liberals thanks to the election results in Massachusetts, Air America announced today that it's shutting down effective immediately and filing for bankruptcy protection. [AP, WP]
• More on the conclusion of l'affaire Coco, what's in store for O'Brien (unclear), and what NBC can look forward to in the months ahead (lackluster ratings for Leno, mammoth losses, continued shame, etc). [NYT, TW, WSJ, NYT]
• CNN has been pulling out all the stops to cover the crisis in Haiti (not to mention invested in hundreds of tight t-shirts for Andy Cooper). And yet Fox News, which has sorta ignored the earthquake (and typically avoids covering stories involving poor black people) is still out in front in the ratings. [LAT]
• Kitty Kelley's tell-all about Oprah hits bookstores on Apr. 13. [AP]
• A Pulitzer for the National Enquirer? Stranger things have happened. [WP]
• HGTV and Food Network have returned to Cablevision customers. [NYT]
• Thanks to Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones, you'll be hearing "We Are the World" (Haiti 2010 edition) again in the near future. [Showbiz411]
• Madonna and Beyoncé have joined Team Clooney, FYI. [Reuters]
• So much for free content: Hulu may start charging its users to watch popular TV shows in the future; and YouTube is introducing pay-per-view videos.
• Is the Wall Street Journal really launching a travel agency? Yes. [E&P]
• Say goodbye (arrivederci?) to MTV's Jersey Shore. [NYM, Gawker, MTV]

We have hung on every ridiculous word uttered by the guidos of the Jersey Shore. Tonight is their final episode (for now) and in celebration we have a collection of their best sayings.

We, the Senate of the United States of America decree that we can improve the quality of side-by-side sleeping—commonly known as spooning—for all Americas. We hereby decree:

This footage is pretty much exactly what you would expect. The girls talk about the size of their breasts, the guys show off their muscles, and The Situation is convinced he'll be the first to get his own spin-off.

Now that Snooki, The Situation, and crew have leaped off the screen and into our real lives with public and club appearances, are reports of their wanton ways going to screw up MTV's newest hit? Maybe.

Despite its name, MTV's Jersey Shore isn't really a reflection on New Jersey, says Slate's Jonah Weiner. It's more a comment on where half of the cast is originally from: Staten Island, "prime summer-rental feeder community," longtime haven to members of the Mafia, the site of one of the city's biggest landfills, and "home to the largest per-capita Italian-American population in New York state." [Slate]

On the same day Farrah's mother was arrested for choking her, Teen Mom happened to air a brand new episode. Is it possible to look at their relationship objectively anymore? Absolutely, because it's been crumbling for weeks now.

• The first photos of Tiger Woods at Mississippi sex rehab facility he's been staying at have arrived. He's wearing a hoodie, baseball cap, and pair of shorts in the pics. And he has a not-so-happy expression on his face, which is probably how you'd respond, too, if you were in sex rehab and you walked out of your front door to find a National Enquirer photographer lying in wait. [NE]
• Will today be the day Conan finally settles with NBC? Quite possibly. [NYDN]
• Several of Lindsay Lohan's friends think she may be cutting herself (again) after she showed up at a pre-Golden Globes party with a fresh scar on her arm. In other LiLo news, she was spotted making out with a random French actor the other night, in case that news is of any interest you. [NYDN, TMZ]
• Are you ready to bid adieu to the charming cast of cable TV's classiest new reality show? Yes, the finale of Jersey Shore airs on MTV tomorrow night. But it will be followed by a one-hour reunion special and producers are already hard at work on prequel called "Before the Shore," so rest assured you'll be seeing plenty of the Shore crew in the months ahead. [NYP]
• Just in time for the new season of Real Housewives of New York City, Kelly Killoren Bensimon has agreed to appear in the March issue of Playboy. The 41-year-old mother of two will appear on the cover. But there will also be six-page "nude pictorial"—shot by Kelly's ex-husband Gilles Bensimon—inside the magazine as well, you'll undoubtedly be thrilled to hear. [Us, P6]

A reenactment of our favorite dysfunctional reality show. Only Snooki, The Situation and DJ Pauly D are 5 years old. Don't worry, they're still tanned, and The Situation still flashes his abs at every opportunity.

We have no special guests this week, but that doesn't mean this live blog won't be full of special guests, like you. And we won't get a Snooki punch, but we'll get a ShamWOWW punch. And it's two hours!

• Is NBC close to resolving the mammoth mess it has on its hands? TMZ reports the network has reached a deal with Conan O'Brien (in which he'll leave NBC with some amount of money, and Leno, in turn, will take over The Tonight Show). Others, however, say the negotiations continue and NBC chief Jeff Zucker's been playing hardball with O'Brien. So who knows. Fortunately, Conan has lots of exciting options to consider when he finally walks out the door.
• Related: NBC announced its new, post-Leno primetime lineup today. [NYT]
• George Clooney will host a live telethon on Jan. 22 to benefit earthquake victims in Haiti. ABC, NBC, MTV, HBO and CNN will all broadcast it. [EW]
• Why isn't Fox News covering the tragedy in Haiti? Because rehashing faux controversies involving President Obama always comes first, duh. [MM]
• Avatar could top Titanic and become the top-grossing movie in history this weekend. In related news, it seems the Avatar backlash is in full swing.
• Robert Pattinson won't be Tobey Maguire's replacement in Spider-Man. [E!]
• American Idol creator Simon Fuller is starting up a new company. [LAT]
• Editor & Publisher is back in business under new ownership. [E&P]
• Is the ratings dry spell at MTV almost over? MTV execs hope so! [LAT]
• The cleanest and dirtiest cafeterias in the media industry. [DF]

People was kind enough to check in with the cast of MTV's Jersey Shore today to find out how they hope to capitalize on their insta-fame. Snooki and J-WOWW are both following reality TV tradition and launching clothing lines; Ronnie says he may open a tanning salon with his dad as well as introduce a beverage line; and Vinny says he's thinking about applying to law school. (Go figure.) As for Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino, he tells the mag that he plans to pursue an acting career and is also hoping to exploit his inane nickname by trademarking it. "I have people working on it as we speak," he tells People. The only problem: Two other people have already applied to trademark "The Situation" since the show debuted last month.