If you visited a pharmacy, supermarket, gas station or pretty much any other retail spot at some point between 2005 and last week, you learned a few things: Jen is sad. Jen is lonely. Jen wants babies. Jen can’t get over Brad.

We’ve never paid money for a tabloid publication, but we heard that story too–over and over and over again. It drove millions in sales and ad revenue for rags like US Weekly, Star , OK and even People (which is Time Warner’s top property, by the way). Of course, Jennifer Aniston is engaged now, and New York Magazine got to the heart of the earth-shattering issue this week with an in-depth analysis of her “strange run as America’s favorite spinster next door.”

Whether you liked it or not (we didn’t), “Sad Jen” was an enduring brand in the most modern sense of the word.

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Whoops: Anti-Semitic Hungarian Politician Discovers He’s Jewish

Progressive Responds to Controversy, Still Looks Very Bad

RPatz to JStew: I Should’ve Hired a Publicist!

Smooth PR Move: Romney Campaigns with Convicted Drug Trafficker

Miley Cyrus and the PR Power of a Haircut

Today in Team Edward news: Actor, vampire and unfortunate cuckold Robert Pattinson hit The Daily Show last night to promote his new movie Cosmopolis (directed by house fave David Cronenberg!), but spent much of the interview trading quips with Stewart as if the two were “just a couple of gals” sharing some secrets (and some not-so-secret ice cream).

Key quote (around 3:00): “My biggest problem in my life is that I’m cheap…and I didn’t hire a publicist.”

Stewart wisely advises RPatz to take care of that problem ASAP. Any volunteers?

Alfred Angelo

The latest Twilight tie-in will fulfill your wedding day fantasy of dressing like a love-struck teen from a YA vampire book series. Joy!

Here’s the Bella Swan wedding dress, inspired by the one Bella (neé Kristen Stewart) wore in the latest Breaking Dawn movie as she walked down the aisle to her undead, glittering vampire groom Edward (a pasty Robert Pattinson).

We understand the tie-ins. This latest movie had the fifth largest opening in the history of the movies. And besides the sales of books and tickets to other movies, it makes sense to give fans other chances to take a piece of the Twilight experience home with them (and make more money, of course).

But these merchandise offerings must make sense and shouldn’t be ugly.

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Now in full swing: Comic-Con International, San Diego’s annual showcase of all things sci-fi-, fantasy-, superhero- and comics-related. Taking place over four packed days (it ends Sunday), it’s a chance for fans to get a first look at new movies, TV shows, video games and knick-knacks — and the chance for marketers to make everything seem essential.

Comic-Con’s grown tremendously since its early days in the ’70s, as have the marketing budgets movie studios allot for the convention. But a recent New York Times article contends that some studios are now re-examining the value of Comic-Con promotions.

According to the article, “studios come seeking buzz.” But if fans aren’t impressed or “hard-core enthusiasm doesn’t spill into the mainstream,” the impact of Comic-Con “can be more negative than positive.”

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