Considering that I am fighting the threat of bad music one boy band at a time, my friend recently asked me for my stance on Celebrity Playlists. Do I like them, vandalize them, think they're the stupidest invention since lip-synching?

Surprisingly, I think the subject came up thanks to the new Harry Potter film. As true Hollywood mega-stars, the teens' publicists are product-placing their young charges as energetically as possible. Thus, Daniel Radclifef and Rupert Grint have created Celebrity Playlists on iTunes.

Some of the other veteran playlist creators include the members of Weezer, which endeared me to the process if only because Weezer is my favorite band. Of all time. This is not something I tend to gloss over, so I'm sure that most of the readers of this page are already aware of this fact about myself, but it bears repetition.

I digress.

In general, I'm of two minds about these alleged Celebrity playlists.

First of all, how do we know that the stars really listen to these songs? What if they're just picking the ones they think are "cool"? Second of all, why the hell do we care what Daniel Radcliffe has playing on his iPod nano? I certainly don't. Then again, I'm not a prepubescent Harry Potter fanatic with "I (heart) D.R." posters plastered all over my wall. However, I maintain that I do not see the point in actors or actresses making these lists, as the only effect would be to "bring the stars closer to their fans" or some such publicity bs.

On the other hand, Celebrity Playlists compiled by musical artists--such as, say, Weezer--are an interesting tool. Not only do they neatly outline the artists' current or past influences, they have the added bonus of painlessly expanding a fan's musical canon. If one of your favorite musicians--such as, say, Rivers Cuomo--liked Usher, you'd give him a listen, and you know it.

Actors and actresses don't carry this kind of musical clout; unless, of course, we're talking about someone like Hilary Duff, the current artistic-medium-cross-over sweetheart. And frankly, I wish she didn't.