The 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008

Barbara Walters has a list and a tv special to boot. I agree with Michael Phelps and Tina Fey. I mean, I was enthralled by the Olympics (a first for me) and how long Michael's arms are. And need I say more about the genius of Tina Fey? Adore her.

And since we can (fairly) safely assume that our next President will be #1, I can say that is a good and obvious choice.

But the rest of Barbara's list? Just stop. Tom Cruise? Really, Babs? Uh...as I said to my friend Scott last night, Tom hasn't been fascinating since Top Gun (and now, years later, long after my crush on him has died a humble death, I realize that the reason Tom looked so confident and happy in that film was because of the volleyball scene. That scene made his life because of all the shirtless dudes he was surrounded by). You know he and Kelly McGillis did not get along, right?

Rush Limbaugh? No. Miley Cyrus? Ugh. Frank Langella? I know he's getting buzz for Frost/Nixon, but is he fascinating? Sorry, Frank. The dude that keeps getting pregnant? Yawn.

Here is my own list of the 10 Most Fascinating People of 2008:

10. The woman from QVC that is always shown on The Soup. Thanks to Scott for that fascinating entry that I couldn't agree with more.
9. The writers of Prison Break. Man, what are they smoking?
8. Minka Kelly. She went from John Mayer (gag) to Derek Jeter and she gets paid to smooch on Taylor Kitsch. Do tell, Minka.
7. Kathy Griffin's mom. After the loss of her husband, she is just as strong and vibrant as ever. She loves the gays and a box of wine, and gave birth to one of the funniest people to ever live. Kudos.
6. My cat. She is very picky about her litter brand and will turn her nose if she doesn't like her dry food. Feline diva!
5. Keri Russell. Lives a quiet life in Brooklyn with her husband and son, and has come into her own on stage and in film. And I have A LOT of questions/comments about Felicity.
4. John Krasinski. Tall. Funny. Cute. Smart. Even made his Unibomber look work for an upcoming movie. Impressive.
3. Hilary Clinton. Presidential hopeful. Secretary of State. She had my vote and I'm confident she will do quite well in the new Administration.
2. Tina Fey. Wife, mother, former Head Writer of SNL, creator of 30Rock, Emmy winner, Palin impersonator, genius.
1. Barack Obama. Gives hope at a time when it is in short supply. Makes me look forward to January for the first time in years.

Barbara's special airs this Thursday at 10:00 on ABC. Mine exists in my mind.