Celebrity SNAFUs fuel comedian's fire

Chelsea Handler, 33, treats the foibles of the rich and stupid like so many wobbly pins in a bowling lane on "Chelsea Lately" (9:30 p.m. weeknights on E!). But her skill set is not limited to skewering celebs: She's a seasoned comedian and the author of "Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea," a collection of sharp essays.

What bit of wisdom has she gleaned from scrutinizing celebrities' actions?

"What not to do," she said during a phone interview. "I think it's a good lesson. If we're all going to be so obsessed with celebrity culture, at least we should learn something from them. And now I know that I can't go out without underwear and get out of a car at the same time."

And to get new material, Handler must keep an eye out for celebrity train wrecks in the making.

"I think maybe Miley Cyrus probably is a recipe for disaster. Well, she's really confident, which is good. ... but when I heard her on Barbara Walters, she talked about having her own wing (in her parents' house). All of her brothers and sisters have a room, but she has a wing. ... once you have your own wing at 15 years old, I think it's a very slippery slope from there. I mean, would she tell her dad, "Listen, I've had enough of you, would you go to your room?"