CALGARY - Here's the truth about Avril Lavigne: She's a magnet for multitudes of mean-spirited-media who love to hate her.

The girl gets bad reviews after pretty much every concert she plays and near every album she releases. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton can't seem to let a week go by without poking fun at her on his wisenheimer webpage.

She's been sued, bad-mouthed, and dissed by other musicians claiming she ripped them off. And, when it comes to pleasing the critics, the one who's been crowned Canada's "punk princess" comes in a big thumbs-down.

She's akin to Barbie and the Rockers, pop music slickly marketed to teens as punk rock. Avril Lavigne might just be one of the most hated women in the music industry, but, she's also one of the highest paid and most successful young recording artists.

Last night at the 'Dome the 23-year-old entranced the crowd of 12,000 (primarily tween and teen girls), who came out in full pink bedazzled glory to see her on her Best Damn Thing tour.

Tweenage girls, by the way, are clearly the most loyal and appreciative type of fans a punk-princess can have -- these kids nearly hit the roof when Lavigne appeared on stage, and they sang along and cheered in high-pitched glory for every number starting with her new single, Girlfriend, followed closely by her first hit, Complicated.

Lavigne may not be a critic pleaser, but she's clearly a crowd-pleaser. She had fun loving back up dancers, a tight band, and lots of bells and whistles to back her up on stage. Truth be told -- and believe me, as a critic, it pains me to admit this -- Lavigne has got some admirable qualities.

Despite being accused several times of plagiarism, if you give her the benefit of the doubt, Lavigne has contributed to writing some slick pop songs. She's got a great voice when she launches into a ballad, she's professional for the most part, showing up for concerts sober and ready to give her fans what they paid for. She's no Joan Jett, Patti Smith, Debbie Harry, or Lily Allen, but she's a lot cooler than some of her contemporaries -- think Ashlee Simpson and Hilary Duff.

Mid-concert she took a fairly successful stab at Jett's signature song, Bad Reputation. Hopefully, it will encourage her young fans to check out the Blackhearts and some of the other groups that influenced Lavigne. She wasn't scantly clad, she wasn't overly potty-mouthed, she's self-possessed and confident and that sets a good example for her teen fans who are getting ready to come into their own as young women.

The Best Damn Thing? Maybe not for the critics (this critic included), but her fans were clearly having a blast last night.