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Goofier By The Dozen: A Top 12 List Of Why This Critic Loves Job So Much

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2007

When I look back over the greatest, most memorable, most bombastic, most outrageous and most buzz-worthy television moments of 2007, I know why I love this job.

This is a fun list of goofy stuff. There were plenty of moving, meaningful moments; but those belong on another list.

This list is made up of stuff that lives on in repeats on YouTube:

Here are my top 12 picks:

12: Alec Baldwin goes ballistic: There wasn't a video here, just a damning audio that played over and over again from "Entertainment Tonight" to CNN:

Someone leaked an abusive and angry voice message that Baldwin left for his 12-year-old daughter on which he calls her a "pig," among other things. He apologized and offered to resign from his role on "30 Rock."

He kept his job, got nominated for an Emmy and a Golden Globe, and was named best comedy actor by the Television Critics Association.

11. David Hasselhoff relapses: An embarrassing amateur video also showed up on the entertainment news shows. A shirtless, intoxicated Knight Rider crawls on the floor with a piece of Wendy's hamburger hanging from his mouth. He babbles incoherently. After this hits the air and goes online, the Hoff checks into rehab and continues on "America's Got Talent."

10. Cinderella story: Micheal Spurlock runs back a kickoff 90 yards to earn his place in Tampa Bay Buccaneers history. Did you see it? Has there been enough coverage of this? I think not.

9. Britney Spears, give us less, please: The whole country was abuzz after Spears flubbed her "comeback" at the 2007 MTV Awards. Looking a bit haggard, she couldn't even lip-sync her single "Gimme More," and her bump-and-grind dance bombed. It was a horror to behold.

8. Gator tased at Kerry speech: University of Florida student Andrew Meyer made every newscast and a lot of talk shows after he was tasered by campus police while heckling Sen. John Kerry. Meyer may have done it just to get the attention because it's hard to believe anyone can get that worked up about anything Kerry has said or done.

7. Marie Osmond's fall: Osmond didn't win "Dancing With the Stars," but she may have gained the most of any contestant. From her fainting spell to her weight loss to her near victory, she created the most drama. She got her career back, and have you gotten your Dancing Marie Doll yet?

6. Here comes da judge: It seems like eons ago that people were haggling over the corpse of Anna Nicole Smith. But how can we forget crazy Broward County Judge Larry Seidlin? The former New York cabbie and wanna-be actor presided over a custody hearing on Smith's remains. He lectured. He mugged for the cameras. He waxed philosophic. He cried. It was some audition.

5. "The Sopranos" finale: One of the greatest drama series in the history of television came to an end with a "whaddayamean they didn't get whacked?" Tony and his family wound up in a diner, eating onion rings and waiting for ... for ... for ... well, fans are still wondering.

4. Jordin Sparks wins "American Idol": The former plus-sized model became the youngest winner ever. She was 17 when she took the prize in May. Thank God and America's voters, her victory spared us from having Blake Lewis as the sixth Idol.

3. Bob Barker says goodbye: After 35 years, the 83-year-old Barker left "The Price Is Right" while still young enough to enjoy his golden years.

2. All things Rosie: Rosie O'Donnell just couldn't keep her mouth shut this year, picking fights with Donald Trump and Elisabeth Hasselbeck. She was bumped from "The View" and did not go quietly into the night.

1. Get that girl a map: Miss Teen South Carolina contestant Caitlin Upton, 18, lived up to the stereotype of dumb-blond beauty queens.

Why does she think a fifth of Americans can't locate the United States on a world map? "Because, um, some people out there in our nation don't have maps, and, uh, I believe that our, uh, education like such as, uh, South Africa and, uh, the Iraq and everywhere like such as, and I believe that they should, uh, our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. ..."

Oh, yeah, I love this job.

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