Most fascinating people? Really?

I wonder if Barbara Walters has complete control over choosing her 10 most interesting people of the year, an annual special that aired 9 p.m. tonight (Wednesday) on ABC. If so, maybe ol' Babs is becoming a little out of touch.

Barbara's List: Tyler Perry, Kate Gosselin, Lady Gaga, Michelle Obama (she was the secret No. 1), Michael Jackson's kids, Wife of Mark Sanford Jenny Sandford, Adam Lambert, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin and Brett Favre.

Dumb ones: Wife of Mark Sanford, Michael Jackson's kids, Tyler Perry

Glaring omissions: Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Susan Boyle

First of all, let me just say I'm not a fan of Taylor Swift. However, given the incredible year she's had, sweeping every awards show, hosting SNL and writing her own monologue which hilariously poked fun at this crazy year of success, she should have been damn close to the top of this list.

Did I miss something where Susan Boyle would be overlooked? Is Barbara unaware of YouTube? Does she not watch her own network? Is she unaware that Boyle's album sold a bajillion copies and it was just released? A small-town spinster from England proved to the world she had incredible talent. I was thinking Boyle or Swift would be No. 1. Michelle Obama deserved to be on the list, but certainly the election year would have been more appropriate for her to be in the No. 1 slot.

Lastly, the Rihanna story was huge. When a pop star is beaten, with photos leaked to the press, and she takes her attacker back before realizing she is worth so much more than the way he is treating her -- that's a very public and fascinating story, especially when said attacker is also a very famous musician.

As for the people on the list who shouldn't have been there: Michael Jackson's kids was a cheap way to get around the rule of only putting living people on the list. Nobody knows anything about those kids. They are not fascinating. This was about their dad.

Perhaps Babs doesn't realize that the Madea movies have been coming out for years and that Perry signed on to "Precious" after it was already made. Oh, and also that he sucks.

And I honestly don't know what to say about Jenny Sandford. I didn't even remember what her first name was. If you were going to choose anyone in that situation, why wouldn't it be the person who made the news: Her husband, the strange senator who chose to go completely overboard and declare to the press he was cheating on his wife with his "soulmate."

Anyway, a few odd choices there, Barbara. But I'll be watching next year.