Tan Mon, untanned (In Touch)

Well, New Jersey's "tan mom" is looking better these days: Patricia Krentcil, the woman who allegedly took her six-year-old in for a crispy finish, took a challenge presented to her by In Touch Weekly and didn't go into a U.V. booth for a whole month! And as the photos show, she looks (relatively) good.

Which obviously is besides the point re: trying to give her baby a nice base-layer.

(In Touch)

Ms. Krentcil is on the road to redemption, admitting that she had a tanning problem:

"I've had moments where I've felt like, 'I need to be tan.' And I did all the spray tans and lotions and creams, too — anything to get dark," Krentcil says. "Once a doctor told me to stop tanning. But I didn't listen to him. I wanted to be dark. I like looking like I just got back from vacation."

Say, does anyone remember the name of Ms. Krentcil's daughter?

It's depressing when you think about how publicly shamed "bad moms" have found a way to redeem themselves in the media cycle by getting makeovers...as if that makes them any less of a hazard to their children. Octomom Nadya Suleman lost that baby weight? Good for her! Teen Mom Farrah Abraham doesn't do cocaine anymore? Book deal! Kate Gosselin know some tips on how to save money on backyard pools? Totally necessary. Snooki is giving out prenatal advice on Good Morning America? Call up the association that handles the "Mother of the Year" awards...we have some late entries.

By the way: how are their kids doing? Don't ask: that's not respecting these parents wishes for "privacy."