Fails of the Week: M.I.A. Lies, 50 Starves, Infants Smoke & More…

Schadenfreude is a psychological terms used to describe someone who takes pleasure in the failure of others (aka haters), and while I certainly didn't derive any enjoyment from some of the epic f**k ups below, they were too egregious not to be called out. In the latest of an ongoing series that will include the best...or worst...fails of the week from the world of hip-hop, sports, pop culture and beyond, I examine 50's sudden weight loss, M.I.A.'s elaborate posing, an infant with a pack a day habit and much more...

50 Starves

Easy Fiddy. It's one thing for Christian Bale to lose a bunch of weight for "The Machinist', but dropping over 50 pounds in a couple months to play a football player diagnosed with cancer in the upcoming movie "Things Fall Apart" is ridiculous. Yeah, I'm sure that will be the thing that wins you an Oscar. Maybe everyone will be so shocked by the weight loss they'll forget he can't act.

M.I.A. Lies

In one of the best pieces of music journalism in recent memory (seriously), NY Times reporter Lynn Hirschberg did an in-depth profile of "revolutionary" musician M.I.A. that revealed, among other things, that she lives in a mansion in L.A.'s posh Brentwood neighborhood, that she gave birth to her son at a private suite at Cedars Sinai hospital (instead of at home naturally as she claimed) and that she's basically just an all-around aggravating hipster. It's a shame cause I really liked her, but this article completely changed my mind about her. Oh, and in response M.I.A. has flipped out, posting Hirchberg's phone number online and encouraging people to call her, which is ridiculous. She did kill that "Swagger Like Us" performance though.

Baby Chain Smokes

Two-Year Old Toddler Smokes Cigarettes - Watch more Funny Videos
Sumatran toddler Ardi Rizal reportedly smokes at least two packs of cigarettes a day after being given his first smoke at 18 months. "He cries and throws tantrums when we don't let him smoke. He's addicted,' said the boy's father Mohammad Rizal. Um, maybe because that's because you let your fucking baby smoke! Sweet jesus!

Valedictorian Plagarizes

Brian Corman, this year's valedictorian from prestigious Columbia University, delivered one of the better graduation speeches you're ever going to hear...actually, I feel like I have heard it before. Oh, that's right, he stole the entire thing from comedian Patton Oswalt. In the age of viral video it was only a matter of time before Oswalt himself found out, complained to the university, and Corman was forced to admit he stole the speech and apologize. And I thought kids from Columbia were supposed to be smart? (Note: The plagiarized portion begins at 38:36 - the Columbia Spectator breaks it down in depth.