Michelle Cottle in The New Republic:
The media loves year-in-review stories. This is, in part, because such wrap-ups provide the perfect opportunity to exploit the public’s unquenchable lust for lists. The Top Ten News Stories of the Year, The Ten Most Fascinating People, The Ten Biggest Business Blunders, The Ten Best Films/Books/Songs/Stocks/Celebrity Trials/Sex Scandals/Asinine Statements Uttered by Don Rumsfeld About the Mess He Helped to Create in Iraq. Whatever the category of information, it is always more appealing when presented in cheesy list form.
More silly lists here.