This is my forever love.

I'm more invested then I probably should be in certain celebrity couples.  I recognize that this is weird, since, you know, I don't technically know these people.  But there are certain couples that I just think should be together, and no matter how long they are apart -- or in some case, were never really together, except in the movies -- I just can't get over them.  I've conveniently broken them down into categories for you.

Epic Romance

It wasn't over.  It still isn't over.

The most obvious example of this kind of weird devotion to celebrity romance is Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling.  I've never met a girl who doesn't think -- no, know -- that Noah and Allie need to be together forever.  In the movie world and in the real world.  The Notebook is one of those movies that it's just really hard not to like, even when you logically know it's bad.  I saw it for the first time in a huge theatre in Boston at like 10pm on a Tuesday night with my friend Virginia.  There were only maybe four other people in the theatre.  I remember sitting there for a good ten minutes after the movie was over because we were so embarrassed about how hard we've been crying and didn't want to walk back on the street.  The fact that the stars were together in real life just added to the epicness of the love story.  Apparently they real-life broke up in 2008 and now Rachel is dating that really creepy royal vampire from the Twilight movies.  You know, the one who wears his hair like he wishes it was a mullet.  But in my heart, Noah and Allie and Rachel and Ryan will always be together.

Teenage Dream

I have no idea what the actual purpose of this photo shoot was,
but I like to imagine it was for  JT and Brit's 2001 Christmas card.
Alternatively, don't they kind of look like they could be doing promo shots 
for the new season of Teen Mom?

Britney and Justin defined the bubble gum dreams of preteen millenials.  They had everything that American's look for in a teen idol couple: they were young, they were talented, they were rich, they were self-proclaimed virgins.  Which begs the question: at what point did it stop being cool for pop stars to talk all the time about saving themselves? You don't read about Selena Gomez and the Biebs talking about how they are virgins and will be for life.  They are taking unchamperoned trips to Hawaii to "unwind."  Did that end with Justin's Rolling Stone comments about Britney?  Or when she cheated on him with Wade?  Did we just evolve past the point where we can reasonably believe that famous, good looking fifteen year-olds aren't having sex?  But this isn't suppose to be political.  This is suppose to be about love.  And I believe in Britney and Justin's love.  Forever.  Wait, sorry, I should say 4-eva.  Despite the back and forth singles (Cry Me A River and Everytime) and the claims that it was "never going to work" and they "were just kids," I'm still holding on for them to come to their senses and realize that what starts in the Mickey Mouse club should never really end.  Everytime I hear about Justin dating another Hollywood starlet, or Britney getting married to someone non-famous, I just think: Why!? Why can't you two crazy kids make it work?  And I don't think I'm the only one.

Forbidden Love

I'll never let go either.

Every time there's a playoff series and a team loses the first three games, most fans really hope they can come back and win it all.  But everyone in Boston hopes that they lose.  Somehow another team coming back from 0-3 in a playoff series makes the Red Sox 2004 victory against the Yankees less special.  I used to have the same feeling every time a major movie would come out.  I'd be so worried that it would become more successful than Titanic and it would somehow make the Titanic phenomenon -- a big part of my tweenage years -- less special.  Of course, eventually it did happen, with 2009's Avatar (which I still haven't seen on principle and because I hate fantasy) and it didn't make Rose and Jack's tale of epic romance any less special to me.  I still love them.  And I still love Kate and Leo.  I understand that they were never a real life couple, but to me they always will be.  Also, her Golden Globes speech sort of made it seem like maybe she felt the same way.

The reason this is coming up this week is because there was some upsetting news about one of my favorite couples.  I'm not talking about Leo and Kate, although I do think that he's completely ridiculous and completely predictable to take up with Blake Lively.  Or even about Rachel and the vampire, although I think that's really weird.

I'm talking about Courtney and Jennifer.  That's right, this week Us Weekly told me that Courtney Cox and Jennifer Aniston, the best friends of Friends, are fighting.  Apparently, Jennifer thinks that Courtney's vacation with her Cougar Town co-start Josh Hopkins while she's still married to David Arquette (although they are separated) is reminiscent of Brad's beach romp with Angelina and Maddox just weeks after his separation from Jennifer.  Jennifer disapproves of her friend being so publicly reckless with her husband's feelings, which is understandable, seeing as she was married to this guy:

These two make me want to throw up.  But those little boys are too freakin' cute.

Mon, Rach, don't you think we can work this out?

Still, the friction between this particular set of Hollywood BFFLs leaves me baffled and upset.  I sincerely hope that the Friends who made us believe in the power of purple walls and a really big cup of coffee aren't on a break for long.  In the Hollywood world of "I love you dahlings" and insta-relationships, it's rare that a friendship forms that is real and genuine and stands the test of time.  To me, part of what makes Courtney Cox and Jennifer Aniston likable as actresses is that they feel so accessible as people.  The fact that they were the Friends who really were friends made it feel like I knew them as well as I knew Monica and Rachel.  I know that's unreasonable, but it's just the way my brain works.  I really hope these two kids can work it out.

xo kate