Oooh boy, this ought to be interesting. Yesterday we discussed how Miley Cyrus is leading the Time Person of the Year poll. Now Barbara Walters has gone and named Miley one of her Most Fascinating People of the Year. This means Miley will be interviewed along with Barbara’s other chosen subjects, and there will definitely be a discussion of the ongoing twerk heard ’round the world. Plus you know Barbara won’t be able to (in a very serious tone of voice) resist asking about the Tongue. And the drugs. And Liam. This is going to be good, isn’t it?
Other celebrities included for this most prestigious honor (I know) are Kanye West and Kim Kardashian, Robin Roberts, the Duck Dynasty cast, and Jennifer Lawrence (I really hope she makes a poop joke). Oh and wee Prince George makes the list too! He probably won’t be much of an interview at this stage. Here are the details:
A vibrant, young Oscar winner known as “the girl on fire,” an ABC News anchor who is in the fight of her life and the pop princess who helped turn “twerking” into a global phenomenon are just some of the people who made Barbara Walters’ list for the “Most Fascinating People of the Year” for 2013
Some of the year’s biggest names in news, entertainment and pop culture are sitting down with Walters for her annual special “Barbara Walters Presents: The 10 Most Fascinating People of the Year.” The 90-minute program will air Wednesday, Dec. 18, at 9:30 p.m. ET.
The special, in its 21st year, includes Hollywood darling Jennifer Lawrence, NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, ABC News’ very own “Good Morning America” anchor Robin Roberts, Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West, together known as KimYe, the breakout stars from the hit reality TV show “Duck Dynasty,” and arguably the most famous infant in the world – Duchess Kate and Prince William’s baby George, the heir to the British throne.
The No. 1 most fascinating person of 2013 will be announced on the program. The show will also reflect on moments from the past 20 years of Walters’ “Most Fascinating People of the Year” specials, which started in 1993.
This will be the last “Most Fascinating” special for Walters, who announced last May that she would retire from TV journalism next year.
[From ABC]
This is the very last year of Barbara Walters’ career as a journalist, so there will be no more Fascinating People after this special. Isn’t that sad? I’ll miss this special, and so will Kanye. Finally, someone decided to honor him without him having to whine for it and compare himself to a slave. Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Kanye didn’t feel a little bit slighted that Prince George made this list, but Princess North did not. Poor North. She’s got one of the weirdest dads on earth.
Photos courtesy of Rolling Stone & WENN
God, those are the most fascinating people for 2013? That doesn’t speak highly of American culture when this crop of people are deemed fascinating (Jennifer Lawrence & Robin Roberts excluded as the rest leave much to be desired).
I think it says that Barbara Walters’ threshold to reach fascination is relatively low. Barbara Walters is no journalist.
I was thinking that about Babs myself. She used to be so much better at this. But in all fairness, these are the people we are talking about.
Are there any useful people on there? Doctors, teachers, scientists, politicians?
How often does a person that truly makes a difference (teacher, volunteer, etc) make any of these lists?
I don’t know if we’d ever see a teacher or a volunteer make the lists, but I think there’s room for politicians (though none are probably liked enough at the moment) or for someone like Malala Yousafzai. Or what about someone like Steve McQueen, who’s in entertainment but making movies that are getting people talking about serious subjects?
Oh LunchComa I could come up with a list and it would be very different than the one Barbara came up with. And I agree — put people that get us thinking and/or caring about something bigger than us. That’s who I find fascinating.
Couldn’t agree more. Walters appears to be trying too hard which is sad considering her many years as a credible journalist. Miley? Seriously? Reality tv stars? An egotistical maniac?
It has nothing much to do with American culture–more like the pandering to the lowest tier of it by a “reporter” whose powers are clearly in decline.
Well said. i would add that her pandering is sad and pathetic.
I gotta say Miley is more fascinating than Jennifer Lawrence who may be hilarious sometimes but hasn’t got much depth to her.
And yes Miley isn’t profound or deep either, but I would love to know how she’s carefully manipulated her crazy antics and gotten to be one of the most talked about people of 2013, negative or not. J-Law will just talk about pooping, peeing, how we need to love our bodies, how Hollywood actors are overpaid, how she has some sort of medical condition that makes her more relatable to us, etc.
I tend to agree with you, Gossy.
^This!! Why can’t she pick a more varied group of people who are actually making meaningful contributions to mankind?! Same with Time magazine (and the internet voting is so stupid, especially when people can buy tens of thousands of dummy accounts for their twitter – it’s completely unreliable) And there are more fascinating people outside of America, Babs. I guess she’s just phoning it in.
Amen. Every one is tabloid fodder, in the movies, or on TV. Totally not what I would consider fascinating. Not like I watcher her specials anyway.
I agree. I think Walters is confusing fame-mongering with fascinating. Thank goodness she is retiring because she is totally losing it. She just went to People magazine and picked up a few names. What an embarrassing way for her to end her career — catering to the loudest in the room instead of someone who would actually have something interesting to say.
Agree with you Amory
Oh, Amory…thank you for your eloquence. <3
Such a dull list. I like Jennifer Lawrence and Robin Roberts, but I don’t find them fascinating. They both come across as being fairly straightforward people.
George is probably the most interesting of the lot, and he drools on himself.
After i’ve read this list I feel sorry for you America.
We feel sorry for ourselves, Paola–not because those are our most interesting people, but because our most interesting people don’t interest the media.
But thanks for yr side-eyed sympathy.
trust me we have our own z-list celebrities always on the front page of every magazine and in lists like this one. I am truly sorry for the humanity at this point.
Omg, I didn’t recognize Kim’s ass in that pic of her wrangling the stroller and I thought Why is that Walmart mom’s pic in CB? We are so conditioned to see KK as the sex object she and Yeezus promote that it’s eye-opening to see her in those down-market clothes, struggling with the mom duty a lot of us go through…and looking much better than she does while we’re at it.
I totally agree! I had to do a double take to see who it was.
Oh, I wouldn’t sympathize too much with her. She struggled for precisely the amount of time it took to walk from car to building and back so that paps and the public could take that “relatable” photo of her.
Miley has a beautiful body, btw.
How can you get past her stupid face and her ugly ego to notice?
Ummmm….she’s 20. Everyone has a beautiful body at 20. No noteworthy accomplishment there.
She hasn’t even been able to get most of these people to sit for an interview, year after year. This special was probably killed by ABC not Barbara.
After each interview on the special I hope they play the disappointed trombone.
Wanh…wanh…waaaaaaaanhhh.
LOL that would be just right….
These will be mind-numbingly dull interviews. People like Miley and Kim represent the modern backlash to the feminist movement. And they’re not even original in the crap that comes out of their mouths. So they are reactionist AND boring. Lol
NONE of those people are in the least bit fascinating. If overexposed, overhyped and overdone equates fascinating then we are a very sad society.
Barbara Walters is showing her age with this list of people.
I am sorry but a baby is not fascinating just because it is a royal. Good grief. It’s a baby. It has uttered nary a word and it is deemed fascinating?
She shows her age and her fully deluded immersion in a meaningless world. As if these people really need any more coverage. The security guard in my building is more interesting than all of them combined.
I wouldn’t have a problem with this list if it was titled “The 10 Most Fascinating CELEBRITIES of The Year” but the fact that Walters thinks there aren’t more interesting people than these fools is just depressing.
“This is the very last year of Barbara Walters’ career as a journalist, so there will be no more Fascinating People after this special. Isn’t that sad?”
Nope, especially if she was going to keep putting people like Kanye, Miley, The Kardashians and the cast of Jersey Shore on the list.
This list baffles and embarrasses me.
Me too–but at least you get to be called Fluffyrabbit.
You made me chuckle. 🙂
Pretty sure #1 is going to be Malala and if not, everyone is going to be crying injustice over this stupid list.
If Barbara decides to go with the celebrity route, it will be Angelina Jolie.
What exactly is your problem with Malala? I don’t get why her topping these “stupid lists” is so offensive to you.
If anything Malala or someone of her ilk would class up this program. Doubt it is going to happen though.
Fascinating: possessing the power to charm or allure; captivating (thanks, dictionary – Barbara, check it out).
I’ll give her 3/9. I’ll give her a bonus point if her #1 is Rob Ford. Of course he doesn’t fit the definition either, though certain human train wrecks can be captivating…. For the wrong reasons obviously.
This list says nothing about who is fascinating but everything about barbara walters.
Good point. Define “fascinating,” Barbara.
Barbara needs to retire! Kim K, Kanye , Duck Dynasty wth !! What an embarrassing list! Nobody is fascinated with the human urinal geez I need some coffee!
This list is the bottom of the barrel. She did not even TRY.
No Benedict even though he had FIVE f*cking movies out this year. Baba Wawa is a joke.
Just had a thought… maybe she couldn’t get him to sit down with her. Maybe her list is the most fascinating who will also agree to an interview.
Good point. Maybe her stupid list has become such an industry joke that truly fascinating people don’t want anything to do with it.
I’ll watch this for Jennifer Lawrence because Lawrence is always a fun interview and I like her.
I mean Lawrence has an Oscar at 23, and is the head of the biggest female led franchise ever… and is likely to get another nom for Hustle… so yeah her place seems justified.
No comment on KIMYE?
Miley I get…
@Celine: Exactly. As I said, Lawrence for the interview, absolutely…the woman has navigated fame unbelievably well and is extremely talented and fun so, yes, it makes sense.
Kimye????…the only explanation I can come up with is that …it’s fascinating that their 15 minutes have stretched out to to years and years???….after that, I’ve got nothing.
Fascinating?
Don’t get this. Aren’t these the most predictable? Can’t imagine anything new that could be generated from these choices.
Kanye needs to stfu. Can’t stand that narcissistic egomaniac. Ur not true royalty prince George is gonna put u and ur fake princess in ur place u commoners and Kim too.
No Bendict Cumberbacth? Malala? Angelina?
I guess Barbra could only get Zzzz listers and garbage celebs to only sit down with her. What a pathetic way to end an career.
And what on earth could people like the Duck Dynsasty or the Kardashians possibly talk about?
What do they have to promte? Will Kim talk about how she has come a long way from her sex tape to her fake marriage to having a baby with a useless rapper? Ugh.
2013 is truly sad and disturbing.