Hilary Duff and Wanda Sykes have teamed up with The Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) to create a campaign in which the term “that’s so gay” is used casually in an effort to help teens recognize that their anti-LGBT language is harmful.

The campaign launch coincides with the release of GLSEN’s 2007 National School Climate Survey, which found that nearly nine in ten lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) teens report having been verbally harassed in the past school year, and almost half have been physically harassed because of their sexual orientation.

LGBT teens in the U.S. have reported that they  experience homophobic remarks and harassment throughout the school day. This disrespectful environment makes them fell unwanted and unsafe. GLSEN’s new survey found that three-quarters of LGBT teens hear slurs such as “faggot” or “dyke” frequently or often at school, and nine in ten reports hearing anti-LGBT language frequently or often. Homophobic remarks such as “that’s so gay” are the most commonly heard slurs heard at school. Research shows that these slurs are often unintentional and have unfortuntely become part of  teens’ vernacular. Most do not recognize the consequences, but the casual use of this language often carries over into more overt harassment.

The new campaign aims to raise awareness among straight teens and adults. Teens need to be more aware of  the prevalence and consequences of anti-LGBT bias and behavior in schools. And adults, including school personnel and parents, need to learn to be more supportive of this meassage, which is crucial to the success of efforts to change behavior among the target age group. The ultimate goal is to reduce and prevent the use of homophobic language in an effort to create a more positive environment for LGBT teens.

“We are proud to partner with the Ad Council on this groundbreaking campaign to address anti-LGBT language,” said GLSEN Founder and Executive Director Kevin Jennings. “Every student has a right to feel safe in school free from bullying and harassment. When students do not feel safe, they struggle to learn. This campaign will help educate young people about the harmful language many of them commonly use.”

The website, www.ThinkB4YouSpeak.com, provides tips on how to support LGBT issues and the opportunity for visitors to take a stand against anti-LGBT language through an interactive pledge form that will allow teens to “say something original,” by sharing alternatives to “that’s so gay.” The site also includes a dictionary-type tool that illustrates a word’s meaning and the notion of understanding one’s choice of words. Additional features include an e-card and a video library that calls for user submissions.

The new ads are being distributed to approximately 33,000 media stations nationwide this week. Per the Ad Council’s donated media model, all of the new ads will air and run in advertising time and space donated by the media. Media companies, including MTV (Music Television), have made early commitments to support the campaign.

And the campaign’s website, ThinkB4YouSpeak, features video and interactive tools to teach kids about what the homophobic words they’re using actually mean. And really, when pop songs like Katy Perry’s “UR So Gay” are encouraging 10-year-old girls to run around calling people “gay” for no reason other than it’s apparently “funny” or “edgy” (and somehow with the support of the gay media, which boggles my mind), we need all the help we can get.

For more information you can clickhere.

Eva Mendes has been snagged by Calvin Klein to do two campaigns with them for their underwear and perfume lines. Eva says that she has always been a fan of the brand since seeing Mark Wahlberg in their boxer-briefs back in the 90’s. Yeah, who wasn’t?

“I wear [Calvin Klein] G-strings all of the time on the red carpet and when shooting for a film because you don’t see the [panty] lines,” said Mendes.

The ads will be printed in magazines such as Vogue, Elle, Vanity Fair, InStyle, Latina, O, and People starting in September. The ads will also be seen overseas in five countries: Italy, Spain, South Korea, China, and the U.K. in October.

American Idol winner David Cook has recently signed on to be the next spokesperson for Skechers.

Cook is the first male celebrity to promote the shoe company since 2002, with actor Robert Downey Jr. Cook is also the second American Idol winner to pose in the ads after country Grammy singer Carrie Underwood in 2005.

Skechers will feature the singer in various ads through December of next year in a campaign that will portray personality, interests and appeal.

Launching in Fall ‘08, the campaign coincides with the “PopTarts American Idols Live! Tour 2008,” and the debut of David’s first post-Idol album on 19 Recordings/RCA Records.

Skechers’ Cook campaign will include print, outdoor and in-store. Cook says:

“I have always viewed Skechers as a cool company, so I am excited to be a part of their campaign. They’ve had some sensational singers like Carrie Underwood and Christina Aguilera as they were starting out and it will be great to be a part of the Skechers roster.”

Michael Greenberg, president of Skechers, said:

“We are thrilled that David will be representing Skechers in our marketing campaigns around the world. As a dynamic performer with a friendly, approachable personality, he’s a perfect fit for the Skechers brand and an exciting next step for our tradition of successful partnerships with emerging music stars.”

”The crossing-over of fashion and music is beneficial to both industries, and benefits the stars and the brands associated with them. For this reason, we have invested in such phenomenal stars as Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Ashlee Simpson, and now, David Cook.”

Christina Aguilera and her five month old baby, Max Liron, will star in a new “Rock the Vote” campaign ad to premiere this summer.

In the commercial, the popstar sings “America the Beautiful” while looking into her adorable son’s eyes, who is wrapped up in an American flag, craddled in her arms.

The Grammy Award winner says that she is honored to have her baby boy particiapte with her in this campaign to get more youth’s involved in the voting polls in November.

“This election in particular is such an exciting and historical one, and I was so proud to have my son and I stand together for such a powerful moment and message in time.”

“Rock The Vote” celebrates it’s eighteenth anniversary this year.