» Barbara Walters' 10 Most Fascinating People Archive Options

[Strega]

This thread contains discussions of the shows from 2005 and 2006.

[Anyone Bueller]

A few of Barbara Walters Most Fascinating People of 2005 weren't her first picks. I heard several people, including Howard Stern, refused to be interviewed by the old bag of bones for the special.

The horse-faced home wrecker is number 1? The HELL?

I know, I know. IMO, the top slot should have went to the NBC executive who renewed Joey for a second season.

[AVorlon]

Oddly, what Barbara seems to find fascinating doesn’t interest me all that much. The list from last year was

Dakota Fanning, Tom Cruise, Jamie Foxx, Lance Armstrong, Beth Holloway Twitty, Thomas Mesereau, Kanye West, Condi Rice, and Teri Hatcher.

None of those people made the list this year, and instead we have Andre Agassi, Sacha Baron Cohen, Jay-Z, John Ramsey, Terri Irwin, Brad and Angelina, Rev. Joel Osteen, Anna Wintour, Patrick Dempsey, and I think Nancy Pelosi.

[portergirl99]

Silly me, I tuned in for the interview with Angelina and Brad. Except you know, not. Because there wasn't one. Just some stock footage and Barbara's opinion that this couple exploded in the media in a ball of "sexiness and humanitarianism". Uh, okay. You forgot skank. Oh, and selling crack taught Jay-Z integrity. Who knew?

[avast wasteland]

I had heard about Joel Osteen's wife, but never seen pictures/video of her. She looks like a pro athlete's trophy wife; not that cleric's wives have to look like Caroline Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie". I guess she's compatible with his "success theology".

I think Steffi Graf looks much better than she did years ago. Marriage with Andre seems to be good for her. Very nice of Andre to not contest the anullment, so Brooke could get married "for the first time" [wink] [wink] in the Catholic Church.

I realize they had to have somebody black, and Barak Obama is booked solid, but Jay-Z?

[ClosingTime]

I realize they had to have somebody black, and Barak Obama is booked solid, but Jay-Z?

Seriously! He does not fascinate me at all, and although it is commendable that he got out of the drug game and began a legitamate career, I still find him far from admirable.

[blackwing]

I have never heard of Anna Wintour or Joel Osteen. Fascinating indeed.

I don't find Andre Agassi all that fascinating. Washed up is more like it. He was fascinating when he first hit the scene and the only thing interesting about him this year was his long overdue retirement.

If they weren't going to interview Brad and Angelina, why couldn't they have done similar treatment for Barack Obama? Barack Obama is easily one of the more "fascinating" people of 2006.

Jay Z? Pffft. If they needed someone black and they didn't pick Obama, they could have at least picked Beyonce. She continues to be in the spotlight, is a huge star, and is getting good reviews for "Dreamgirls".

Why not Helen Mirren? She won an Emmy this year for playing Elizabeth I and is a leading frontrunner for the Oscar for Best Actress for "The Queen". She's a classy Dame of the British Empire. Her career is hotter than ever, which is unusual for an actress over 60. She took her clothes off for "Calendar Girls" and "The Roman Spring of Mrs. Stone", which is even more unusual for an older actress.

Or Daniel Craig, who has garnered good reviews as the new James Bond.

[iMissEthan]

So Brad and Angelina count as one person now? I realize their names have been bastardized into one, but there are 11 people on this list. I don't know why they didn't just pick Angelina since Brad seems to be almost a complete void, with nothing fascinating about him in the least.

[honybr]

Do you think she picked Jay-Z in an effort to be young and hip? Because if so, she failed.

Did anyone notice the dress she was wearing? Yikes! Where those feathers at the bottom? I could have gone the whole holiday season without seeing that.

[Decormaven]

It really did seem to be a weird assortment of people; I don't get the inclusion of Joel Osteen, and Anna Wintour? I guess that's a nod to The Devil Wears Prada. How about Tim Gunn instead, if she wanted to pick someone from the fashion world? The interview with Jay-Z was uncomfortable, but I think he did a better job of being interviewed than Barbara did with her questions. And the selection of Brad/Angelina was a wash- if you're not going to have live interaction with the chosen person(s), don't include them.

[avast wasteland]

I don't get the inclusion of Joel Osteen,

Joel Osteen and his megachurch were the main subject of a cover article in Time magazine, called "Does God want you to be Rich?" He is well-known and controversial among Christians, and I would think his TV program would be hard to avoid, if you watch in real time on Sunday morning.

[Phenobarbara]

I'm so glad Brad and Angelina were included. They really are underexposed and need to be talked about more.

and Anna Wintour? I guess that's a nod to The Devil Wears Prada.

Is that what it is? I vaguely remember hearing her name during NY fashion week, but that's about it so I couldn't figure out what the big deal is about her. Then again, I don't know what the big deal is with most of the people on the list.

[Preppie]

Why not Helen Mirren?

And, I guess the Americans who don't love the BBC and PBS here probably wouldn't recognize this, the series Prime Suspect just finished up and it was amazing. She is my serious hero for her acting chops. Good call blackwing.

Is that what it is? I vaguely remember hearing her name during NY fashion week, but that's about it so I couldn't figure out what the big deal is about her.

That, and Vogue has done a bit of shuffling back into the limelight this year. Plus, she has been receiving more heat than ever from PETA, which is always fascinating. Still, didn't seem to be the best choice.