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When you think of the “Queen of Television,” whose name comes to mind? Barbara Walters’ should. Every year, she releases a list of the 10 most fascinating people who have been culturally relevant within that particular year. Barbara recently released seven of the ten people on the list for 2012, though she has not yet ranked them. Let’s take a look at the honorees so far:
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1. 50 Shades of Grey author, E.L. James
Although some women may have tried to hide this scandalous piece of literature from their husbands, it’s no secret that 50 Shades of Grey revolutionized the world of erotic literature. Thanks to E.L. James’ novel, women everywhere rushed to bookstores in hopes of owning a little piece of forbidden fantasy.
Sexuality became less taboo as ladies exchanged opinions on the book and the more adventurous ones tried out some “ideas” from the story. In some cases, the novel actually caused relationships to crumble, with women claiming that their own sex lives lacked excitement like that of Christian Grey and Anastasia Steele. E.L. James changed opinions on the genre of erotica, making it more widely accepted in the world of literature.
Courtesy of New Jersey National Guard/Flickr
2. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie
Since his election in 2009, Chris Christie is currently the first Republican to win a statewide election in 12 years. He had received much media attention this year due to speculations that he would run as a Republican presidential candidate. He denied such rumors but is now speculated to be a potential candidate for the 2016 election.
Although he is a Republican, Christie did step up recently to explain that he supported and admired President Obama’s efforts to aid the victims of Hurricane Sandy. Christie himself also invested enormous amounts of time and energy into helping those hurt by the storm.
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3. Gymnast Gabby Douglas
Gabby Douglas is the definition of “boss.” At age 16, Gabby became the first African-American gymnast in Olympic history to win the individual all-around gold medal. She was also a member of the US Women’s Gymnastics team that took home Olympic gold this summer. This girl has more fierceness in her extremely flexible little toe than most people do in their whole bodies.
Courtesy of Erin/Flickr
4. Ben Affleck
In addition to being ridiculously good-looking, Ben Affleck is quite the acting/directing powerhouse these days. With the release of his new, critically acclaimed film, “Argo,” Affleck is generating lots of buzz – especially in regards to this year’s Oscars.
Courtesy of Center for American Progress Action Fund
5. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton has had a consistently strong record of approval ratings among the Democratic population. Recently there has been a lot of talk about the possibility of her running as a candidate in the 2016 Presidential Election.
Courtesy of Eva Rinaldi/Flickr
6. Boy Band One Direction
Unless you haven’t turned on a radio, watched a TV, or picked up a newspaper or magazine recently, you have definitely heard of One Direction. They are the newest craze to come out of Britain, thanks to X Factor fame. Fan-girls squeal like little piglets and the crazier ones faint when they hear their songs. Their catchy pop tunes and adorable handsome charm are the fuel behind their inevitable pop-culture takeover.
Courtesy of Nathan Regamey/Flickr
7. Seth MacFarlane
Seth MacFarlane has been well-loved as the creator and voice of many characters on the hit show Family Guy. After the release of his utterly hilarious first feature film Ted, MacFarlane was further recognized for the comic genius that he is. MacFarlane’s work in television and film is so impressive because of his ability to write and act with such great comedic timing.
There are still three open spots on the list. Who else do you think will make the cut? Will it be another political figure, such as the President himself? Or maybe Ryan Murphy, who has created three hit shows in an astonishingly short time span (Glee, American Horror Story, and The New Normal). Only Barbara herself can decide who the Most FascinatingPpeople of 2012 will be.
Let’s just hope the world doesn’t end before we find out!
Only child who regards all her friends as siblings - whether they like it or not. Obsession with all things pop culture, television, and theatre (verging on slightly unhealthy). Cant' remember the last time she went to sleep before 2am. Gets into heated arguments with anyone who thinks New York pizza is not the best food on earth.
