I always used to hear people talk about how award shows are usually overrated and a refined way of pleasing already over-blown egos. Fore some reason, I had a hard time believing that - probably out of the very childish notion that celebrities are well-behaved and mostly aware of their status as role models for the younger generations - and for their audience in general. Well, that belief is long gone now, but still, for some unknown reason every time I switch on the TV to watch such a big show - you know, like the Grammys or the MTV Video Music Awards or the Brit Awards, I expect to see nothing but beautiful ladies wearing stunning dresses, posing next to their equally smashing male counterparts. It's childish, I know, and probably old-fashioned and ridiculous on top of that, too, but I still find it strange, even offensive to hear that celebrities got dead drunk and made a show of themselves at the awards afterparties.

Nevertheless, that's the harsh reality. Kidding. It's not harsh, it's just a state of things that has been going on... well, forever now, but which we don't often see exposed in all its gory details. When the lights go out on the award ceremony stage, however, all the big stars head over to the various afterparties, hosted by the most glamorous among them (or by those with the biggest egos and the most sponsors), and that's when the polite smiling stops and booze kicks in. Best (and latest) example? This year's Brit awards, which took place less than two days ago. Judging by the photos I've been looking at, all hell broke loose during the afterparty, with many of the guests ending up crawling on the floor dead drunk or... well, barely able to stand up because they were dead drunk.

And believe it or not, it wasn't Amy Winehouse who drank the night away, but a horde of Britain's "finest" singers, who converged on several hot-spots after the award ceremony was over and got thoroughly trashed. These photos featuring an obviously drunk Beth Ditto showing off her boobs and carrying an equally drunk Will Young, as well as Girl Aloud Sarah Harding kissing another lady are just a short reminder of what went on that night. And let's not forget the fact that some of the guests - notably the members of the boy band Arctic Monkeys - started the partying earlier than the rest of the crowd and managed to get drunk before they got on stage. Yes, as I was saying - I can't believe these people are actually the idols of our generation.