Media Darlings are the people/stories who delivered some quality of entertainment, a story of love or courage, or an unshakeable memory.
10. Oprah Winfrey
Oprah Winfrey announced that 2011 will be her last season making it a milestone for her daytime talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show. “Twenty- five years feels right,” Oprah said. We agree.
9. Octomom
Nadya Denise Doud-Suleman Gutierrez gave birth to eight babies in January 2009. Public outcry over the procedure (In Vitro Fertilization) and the medical authority that allowed her to be impregnated ensued.
She is the Octomom. A single mother with six other kids, some of whom are not healthy, Octomom is unemployed, living on handouts and on public assistance programs. This mommy was the MILF that definitely wasn’t.
8. Bernard Lawrence "Bernie" Madoff .
Former NASDAQ stock exchange Chairman sits in prison for investment fraud and money laundering that was described as the largest in Wall Street history.
Some of his victims include director Steven Spielberg, actors Kevin Bacon and John Malkovich and over 13,500 other individuals as well as charities. Now he is inmate number #61727-054 sentenced for 150 years. Happy New Year, Madoff!
7. Balloon Boy
What is his real name? Doesn’t matter. Balloon boy was born of parents who were found guilty of staging his disappearance in an unmanned, hot air balloon shaped like a flying saucer which had gotten loose in their backyard. The boy accidentally said in an interview that it was done “for a show”. The parents were later sentenced for small stints in jail.
Balloon Boy did accomplish one amazing trend. He became one of the most hilarious and easily constructed Halloween costumes for 2009: A boy holding a string with a silver helium balloon attached.
6. Michelle Obama
First Lady Michelle Obama became a media darling almost immediately by virtue of being married to the President of the Unites States. Though this year, for all that the First Lady had been doing, it was her own body parts (her arms in particular) that the media made into celebrities.
No surprise then that she has been wearing more gowns and tops that show off her sculptured arms. Michelle Obama is a fashion beauty icon for 2009 and her “guns” comes in #6.
5. Brett Lorenzo Favre
Star NFL American quarterback #4 Brett Favre literally IS the Energizer bunny. He has retired twice but came back both times with star quality. His new home, the Minnesota Vikings, won against the Green Bay Packers, his old home of 16 years.
29.8 million viewers watched as Brett Favre led them to a win. Favre’s story is inspirational: a 40 year-old playing football against all odds—injury, age and sports trading politics.
4. Elena Desserich
A six-year old girl died from brain cancer in August, 2007 though her legacy has been growing this year after her parents published a book called Notes Left Behind. I Love You notes, letters and colorings from Elena have been found long after her death: in books, sock drawers, between CDs and dishes.
Elena had wished to buy and wear a wedding dress before she died. As a flower girl, she wore that dress at a wedding. She asked her daddy for a dance. She danced. She died a few days later.
3. Mother Earth
UN Climate Change conference in Copenhagen 2009 lets Mother Nature down by failing to secure an agreement on what measures, commitments and timeframes to stop her from heating up. Mother Nature remains vulnerable while her leaders are still “deciding”.
2. “Miracle on the Hudson”
On January 15, 2009 pilot Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger lands US Airways flight 1549 saving all 155 passengers and crew. He humbly accepted the notoriety and credited his crew and flight attendants for the rescue. It was a helluva landing, Sully!
1. Barack Obama
Sworn in as the 44th American President on January 20, 2009 Barack Obama made history by becoming the first black American President. He became the voice and symbol of change supported around the world.
By Paige_Me