Barbara Walters has terrible taste

I watched her Most Fascinating People of 2005 show last night. Considering that Condi Rice and Tom Cruise were on her list, I'd guess that for Baba the words "fascinating" and "scary" are synonyms. Her choice for the top spot was Camilla Parker Bowles, someone somewhere below grass growing and paint drying on my fascination scale. The rest of her gang of ten: Kanye West, Dakota Fanning, Thomas Mesereau (Michael Jackson's lawyer), Lance Armstrong, Beth Holloway Twitty (mom of blonde white girl lost in Aruba), Teri Hatcher, and Jamie Foxx. You know the list is lame when it features BOTH of the stars of the worst movie I've seen since, well, "Mission Impossible." And Teri Hatcher? Gorgeous, yes. Fascinating? Only as much as any other pretty woman, and much less than most. Baba pointed out that Hatcher's character on "Desperate Housewives" seemed to have a lot in common with Hatcher herself, and Hatcher replied "I'm not that good an actress--I can only play myself." I doubt if anyone watching disagreed.

So I guess I'll have to come up with my own list, with your help. I'll try not to confuse "fascinating" with "people I agree with," although I've already chosen my most fascinating person of 2005: Hugo Chavez. I guess I'll define "fascinating" to mean someone I'd like to see interviewed on TV, with the opening question being "What the hell are you up to?" Here are some ideas: George Galloway, Judith Miller, Jack Abramoff, Cindy Sheehan, Sandra Day O'Connor, Anderson Cooper, Seymour Hersh, Robert Fisk. Movie stars? George Clooney and Ashley Judd.

Anyway, send your suggestions to bob at aapeace.org.