They call it synergy. I call it payola.

Jeralyn notes:

Barbara Walters names Barack Obama the most fascinating person of the year in her special tonight.

[...]

Also on Walters’ list tonight, Rush Limbaugh, a man who got pregnant, Tom Cruise, Will Smith and actor Frank Langella who plays Richard Nixon in the new movie Frost/Nixon.

I find it interesting that Walters "selected" Tom Cruise, Will Smith and Frank Langella, all of whom have major films being released this holiday season. While Langella is a bit of a wild card, why exactly are Cruise and Smith any more "fascinating" this year than, say last year, or the year before? I’m not naive enough to believe that these selections don’t have Hollywood publicist and studio slime all over them, but couldn’t they be a bit more subtle about it?

Ditto the timing of Hugh Jackman as People Magazine’s Sexiest Man. Why not Daniel Craig who seems to have more buzz these days? Maybe because 20th Century Fox needed all the help they could get.

Ouch.