the meet market

Disarmed of passionate suspicions that JonBenet's own parents killed her, the Ramsey family's personal tragedies as a media ratings driver for more than a decade may now be a thing of the past. Fewer 'meet the Ramseys' interviews. At least until the killer is caught. Or something...

Walters' 'Fascinating' list just isn't
December 3, 2008
by Phil Rosenthal

"Bob Costas got it 10 years ago.

"When you see Barbara Walters sitting at the foot of a bed with Dennis Rodman and naming him one of her 10 most fascinating people of whatever year that was, you know that Barbara Walters has long since sold out because Barbara Walters doesn't remotely believe that Dennis Rodman is fascinating," Costas said in 1998 on WMVP-AM 1000. "What she thinks is fascinating is an 18.6 rating instead of a 16.4 rating, and if Dennis Rodman can help her get it, she's willing to do that."

Never mind what Barbara Walters—or nearly anyone in the TV biz—would do a decade later for an 18.6 rating or the fact that Dennis Rodman has long since dropped deep down the alphabet from any respectable A-list. Babs is back for her 16th annual exploration of "The 10 Most Fascinating People" Thursday on ABC.

She says fascinating. I say overexposed.

The 2005 list included "Crocodile Hunter" widow Terri Irwin, Rev. Joel Osteen, Vogue Editor Anna Wintour, incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and John Ramsey, the father of murdered child beauty pageant contestant JonBenet...."