MANILA, Phiippines?We?ve heard the gossip talked about over coffee?those horrific-but oh-so-juicy-stories about the lives of Paris, Nicole, Lindsay and Brit.

Paris Hilton?s 23-day life as a jailbird captivated the paparazzi and the world. The hotel heiress was sentenced to three weeks in jail for violating her 36-month probation for reckless driving. Adding to the drama was her house arrest after only three days in the slammer. The stated reason was an unspecified medical condition, but the judge wasn?t convinced. He promptly sent Hilton back to serve out the rest of her sentence in a proper jail.

Following in her footsteps, Hilton?s ?The Simple Life? co-star Nicole Ritchie is now awaiting word whether she?d serve jail time herself, this time for driving under the influence (DUI). If convicted of DUI again (she was first charged in June 2003),, Ritchie would have to serve mandatory jail time (90 days to a year), according to California law.

Lindsay Lohan just came out of rehab, which she entered following her Mercedes-crashing incident. And who doesn?t know about Britney and her bald haircut, on-air rants against the paparazzi, panty-less party-hopping, divorce from Kevin Federline and now the nasty custody battle for their two kids?

These girl?s lives seem to have gone completely out of control! Thanks to the paparazzi and the media, the public now abhors them and laughs them off as bad jokes. While we really have no idea what these girls? lives are like outside of the reputation that the media have imposed on them, we have no choice but to take it as it is. Then again, these ?It? girls are also making it too easy for us to judge them with their reckless behavior in public.

We all make mistakes, but the difference is, they?re celebrities and we?re not. Being in the limelight makes one the target of rampant speculations. Hilton?s stay in jail didn?t stop the rumor-mongers. As she said in an interview with Larry King, ?I was reading all these rumors and hearing about me losing all this weight but I only lost a couple pounds.?

Charity causes

However, many celebrities have also put their fame to good use. Angelina Jolie, for example. While she and her ridiculously handsome family are constantly stalked by the paparazzi, she also gets a lot of airtime for her global charity work. She has effectively used her celebrity to show that being famous is not all about parties and red-carpet appearances, but also a way to enjoin her fan base to give a little back.

Another great example are the two British princes, William and Harry, who have decided to use their fame to continue helping their late mother Diana?s advocacies. The recent 10th-anniversary tribute concert for Princess Diana at Wembley Stadium in London raised a tidy sum, all of which went to charity.

Some other famous names have opted to just live good, honest lives marked by self-respect and a sense of ?normalcy.? Ivanka Trump is as much an heiress as Paris Hilton is, but she projects a classier and more responsible take on being rich and famous. She graduated summa cum laude in 2004 from the University of Pennsylvania and recently joined her father?s company as vice president of Development and Acquisitions.

Being a Trump has its advantages, for sure, but it wasn?t only her name that worked for her. While her parents paid for her education, she reportedly had to earn her own keep from the time she was 16 years old.

With her hard work and circumspection, Ivanka makes being famous a much more appealing prospect. She remains a glamorous, newsworthy subject without having to pass out in cars, enter rehab or pose for a police mug shot.

Your choice

In fact, tsismis doesn?t just afflict the famous. We become targets, too, sometimes. Caught making out in the school parking lot? People will gossip, but, hey, maybe you brought it on yourself, too. Private stuff should be done in private places.

Or how about getting too drunk that you had to be carried out of the bar? Know your limits, so you won?t embarrass yourself. Be faithful, too, or eventually you?d hear whispers about how you?re cheating on your boyfriend or girlfriend. Nothing is hidden forever, after all.

In the end, just keep living your life, for in time, the sizzle will eventually fizzle out. Remember, you can?t control what others think of you, but you can control your behavior. Learn from celebrities whose public indiscretions earn them the scorn of the world. It?s your choice, really. Whether you?re famous or not, you set the kind of show you?re going to project to the rest of the world.

Celebrity mishaps

Remember these very public blunders? Learn from their mistakes

Mishap #1. Britney gets photographed getting out of her car without undies.

Lesson: Wear proper underwear. If you hate panty lines, there are a lot of seamless undies in the market. Want to go commando? Wear jeans.

Mishap #2. Kate Moss was caught on video sniffing cocaine at a London music studio.

Lesson: Thinking of taking drugs? Don?t. Or if you must, don?t do it in public and never entice people to join you in your ?private party.?

Mishap #3. Prison Break?s Lane Garrison drives while drunk and high on drugs and crashes his Land Rover into a tree. He kills one of the three teenagers riding with him.

Lesson: Know your limits. Never drink and drive. Always assign a designated driver.

Mishap #4. Akon throws a fan off the stage and into the audience in retaliation for the fan?s throwing an object at him.

Lesson: Grace under fire is always the best way to get even. Violence and acting out will get you no praises.

Mishap #5. Mel Gibson?s anti-Semitic tirade.

Lesson: Watch your words, or you?ll say something you?ll regret. Remember mom?s advice: ?If you don?t have anything nice to say, don?t say anything at all.?

Charitable celebs

Take your cue from local and international idols who give back to the world

Celeb: Tyra Banks
Charity: T-zone?specializes in empowering young girls

Celeb: Leonardo DiCaprio
Charity: Tree People?a reforestation and water and energy conservation project

Celeb: Halle Berry
Charity: Jenesse Center?offers support for victims of domestic violence

Celeb: Bubbles Paraiso
Charity: PAWS (Philippine Animal Welfare Society)?works for the well-being, rescue, refuge and rehabilitation of animals

Celeb: Mong Alcaraz
Charity: RockEd?promotes education by providing venues for alternative education such as arts, photography, literature, film, etc.

Celeb: Rafael Rossel
Charity: Greenpeace?environmental conservation and protection