10 Most Fascinating People

[Guest American Woman]

Here is Barbara Walters' 2012 list.

• Ben Affleck (actor and director)
  
• Honey Boo Boo (reality show star)
  
• Chris Christie (New Jersey Governor)
  
• Hillary Rodham Clinton (Secretary of State)
  
• Gabrielle Douglas (Olympic gold medal gymnast)
  
• E.L. James (author of Fifty Shades of Grey)
  
• Seth MacFarlane (actor)
  
• One Direction (band)
  
• Prince Harry of Wales (prince)
  
• David Petraeus (US Army general) - Most Fascinating Person of 2012.
  

Honey Boo Boo made the list. How about that. According to Walters:

"A lot of people will say, 'For heaven's sake, this is ridiculous, this is a child at 5 or 6 years old entering beauty contests.' But the relationship between Alana and her mother... that's the story, the two of them." She gushed, "It's very touching."

"Honey Boo Boo is not an obnoxious little girl. She's sweet and loving with her mother and loving with her sisters [Jessica, Lauryn and Anna]," Barbara continued. "And now Anna has a new baby, and the baby has [three] thumbs... but so what? It'll make you smile."

http://www.q929fm.com/Barbara-Walters-Picks-Honey-Boo-Boo-for-Most-Fasci/14951888

Interesting that someone like Barbara Walters considers an ordinary little girl to be more fascinating than, say, the presidential candidates. Only in America?

[Moonlight Graham]

Ben Affleck???

[Guest American Woman]

Ben Affleck???

According to Barbara Walters, "For two decades he’s been rich and famous, a movie star and so very good looking. That’s what makes him so fascinating.” She added “This is the year Ben Affleck took Hollywood by storm. Introduced, directed and starred in ‘Argo’".

http://www.entertain...eople-2012-List

Evidently Affleck has been "very much in the news," which I, personally, was unaware of. Still, I realize that he's rich, powerful by Hollywood standards, and good looking - all of the things one associates with such a list. Honey Boo Boo has none of those things going for her. She's just an ordinary little girl who, by the opportunities afforded in the U.S., ended up in such a position.

With all of the people to choose from, though, the list would vary greatly depending on who was doing the choosing - there's no doubt about that. I found it interesting, though, because it was Walter's list - not Entertainment Weekly's or some such 'entertainment' outlet. I think Barbara Walters is in a bit of a different category.

Edited December 15, 2012 by American Woman

[Shady]

Ben Affleck???

That's what I was thinking. When I think of Ben Affleck, I don't think of fascinating.

[Guest American Woman]

So ya'll are seriously more surprised by Ben Affleck than Honey Boo Boo? Interesting!

[Guest]

Ben Affleck is human. From the little I've seen of Honey Boo Boo, she isn't, and neither are any of her family.

I have to say, Barbara Walters has lost it completely, if she thinks anyone on that list is worthy of more than a moment's attention.

Except maybe Ben Affleck, who has apparently made a decent movie this year.

[Guest]

Actually, I kinda like Hillary, too.

[Guest American Woman]

Actually, I kinda like Hillary, too.

Hillary is my favorite person on the list - and the most deserving, too, IMO.

[Michael Hardner]

Affleck's film made quite a stir this year - I'm surprised more here haven't heard about that.

[Guest American Woman]

Affleck's film made quite a stir this year - I'm surprised more here haven't heard about that.

I don't really follow such things, but from what I'm reading, his movie has made quite the stir. Have you seen it? Is there something outstanding about it?

[Shady]

So ya'll are seriously more surprised by Ben Affleck than Honey Boo Boo? Interesting!

At least she's newer and less known. But she isn't all that fascinating either. I think the term fascinating needs to be saved for truely special people.

[Shady]

Actually, I kinda like Hillary, too.

I like Hillary too. But even she's not all that fascinating. Although I think she would have made a much better president than the current one.

[Guest American Woman]

At least she's newer and less known. But she isn't all that fascinating either. I think the term fascinating needs to be saved for truely special people.

So what's your criteria for "truly special?"

Edited to add: I do give Walters credit for not including any criminals on her list.

Edited December 15, 2012 by American Woman

[Guest]

I like Hillary too. But even she's not all that fascinating. Although I think she would have made a much better president than the current one.

That's what I meant when I said Walters had lost it. I mean, fascinating? Some of them are mildly interesting.

I want to see her run for POTUS too.

[Moonlight Graham]

So ya'll are seriously more surprised by Ben Affleck than Honey Boo Boo? Interesting!

I can somewhat understand Honey Boo Boo because she had a very popular show and it's kind of a freak-fest. But Ben Affleck made a very good film this year, and it didn't exactly kill at the box office. I just don't get it. Why not, say, Christopher Nolan...he made Batman!

How about Psy? OPPAN GANGNAM STYLE!!!

[Michael Hardner]

I don't really follow such things, but from what I'm reading, his movie has made quite the stir. Have you seen it? Is there something outstanding about it?

No - I haven't seen it but it has a lot of buzz these days - I keep hearing about it.

[kimmy]

I don't find many actors or celebrities to be fascinating. Ben Affleck made a good movie this year? That's excellent for him, but is it really "fascinating"? Prince Harry got drunk and made poor decisions? How unusual for a young adult. An athlete won a medal at the olympics? That's outstanding for her, but not very fascinating to me. I can't imagine what would be fascinating about "One Direction"; I don't know anything about them.

I think this list to some degree reflects that Barbara Walters makes her living in the celebrity world. She works in the same circles as the people who keep putting the Kardashian sisters on magazine covers and reports "news" about people whose only claim to fame is being famous. Our society's need to create and follow these fake celebrities is in itself perhaps a fascinating phenomenon.

I myself find Hilary the most fascinating person on this list; I was also fascinated by the presidential candidates. Governor Christie's future will be of importance to people beyond his state's borders too, and his everyman style of expressing himself makes him one of the most likeable politicians around.

The Petraeus train-wreck has been pretty fascinating, although I think whats-her-name's role in it is the more fascinating part.

The Honey Boo-Boo phenomenon raises fascinating questions about us as a society.

Perhaps "50 Shades" and Seth McFarlane's body of work are fascinating for that reason as well.

-k

[Michael Hardner]

If it weren't for Mainstream Media, we webfolk have a lot fewer things to throw web rocks at.

[bush_cheney2004]

I think their should be a Canadian on the list....either Justin Beiber or Carly Rae Jepsen.

[guyser]

I think their should be a Canadian on the list....either Justin Beiber or Carly Rae Jepsen.

Mocking I get, but neither of them are anywhere near fascinating .

Perhaps if Baba had named it musics most fascinating, or America's most fascinating , well, that would be more to the truth.

But most fascinating? Not by any metric. The world has people doing all sorts of fascinating things , medicine, political,heroic, charitable.

Apart from Hillary, who I think should be on there, the rest....one giant yawn.

But to be fair, it does not say 10 Most Fascinating People of the World , it just assumes it, in which 8 7 of them are American. Cue the roll eyes here. And with that, any country including my own, would likely do the same, and I would offer the exact same reply.

Unless they name it the Canada's Most Fascinating People

Edited December 15, 2012 by guyser

[The_Squid]

Mostly an entertainment industry list.... And Patreus is on the list because of the tabloid nature of his affair.

This list bores me to tears and is very superficial.

[Guest American Woman]

But to be fair, it does not say 10 Most Fascinating People of the World , it just assumes it, in which 8 of them are American.

Seven are American; E.L. James is British, as is Prince Harry, and One Direction is an English-Irish band.

[guyser]

Seven are American; E.L. James is British, as is Prince Harry, and One Direction is an English-Irish band.

Damn I forgot to check that after.

Thank you , it is 7.

[Guest American Woman]

Damn I forgot to check that after.

Thank you , it is 7.

You're welcome. As a side note, it is rather odd that everyone on the list is from either the U.S. or the U.K.; certainly the rest of the world has its share of fascinating people.

Edited December 16, 2012 by American Woman

[kimmy]

You're welcome. As a side note, it is rather odd that everyone on the list is from either the U.S. or the U.K.; certainly the rest of the world has its share of fascinating people.

Perhaps, but maybe just not entertaining people. As somebody said, this is an entertainment-focused list, and America and the UK are by far the biggest English-language entertainment markets.

-k