Popular Hollywood blog TMZ is currently in a content partnership with Associated Content (read more about the content farm model here).

A post on the leading celebrity site's front page looks like any other TMZ article. Pictures of Britney Spears and Lady Gaga accompany the headline "Music's Bad Girls." However, a graphic in the post indicates the story originated elsewhere. Click the link and you've left the TMZ site for an article on Associated Content.

New media companies often share content across platforms and professionally edited sites are increasingly turning to content farms for cheap filler articles. But this particular partnership is odd because TMZ is owned by AOL, which is developing its own content farm called Seed. And AOL's rival Yahoo! purchased Associated Content for a reported $100 million back in May.

It's also a curious deal because TMZ is known for its celebrity scoops (however silly they may be) while Associated Content is known for its "comically dull recitation of the news" reporting done by sites like TMZ, as a writer for Slate put it last year.

Does TMZ need to supplement its original reporting with linkbait concocted by Associated Content's contributors? Is there a revenue split involved?

We've sent our questions to TMZ and will update this story if they get back to us.

In the meantime, feel free to add your thoughts below.