2006 Entertainer of the Year

We’re winding down 2006 so it’s time to start handing out some hardware. The top ten lists will be out the last week of the year but I’ve decided to go ahead and name my entertainer of the year early since this person has built up such a lead that nobody will be able to catch them down the stretch. First of all let’s meet the runner ups.



Honorable Mention

Britney Spears- Getting rid of K Fed deserves some recognition.

Gnarls Barkley- From their debut album to their “crazy” videos, these guys owned 2006.

Rachel Ray- If only because she seems to be omnipresent.





2nd Runner Up- Tim Gunn

Project Runway continues to grow and succeed and a lot of that is due to everyone’s favorite reality host. Tim overshadows all the judges and most of the contestants. His original and witty comments are reason enough to watch the show. Plus you get the feeling that he actually cares about the contestants in a teacher/student way.



1st Runner Up- Borat (aka Sacha Baron Cohen)

No one had a month like Borat did in November. He premiered his critically acclaimed, commercially successful film. His catch phrases and gestures became part of the pop culture lexicon. Cohen also signed a huge contract to make a film based on his character of fashionista Bruno. Then there were the lawsuits, the protests and the over exposure. Usually it takes a person at least a whole year to pull off that dramatic a swing but Borat managed to do it in 4 weeks.



Entertainer of the Year- Alec Baldwin

In 2006, Alec Baldwin could do no wrong. He turned in critically acclaimed performances in Running With Scissors and The Departed. He’s taken a TV show on his back both on screen and off and run with it. His near record setting performance on Saturday Night Live was a high water mark in the recent resurgence of the show. Pretty much the guy can do no wrong right now. Some will argue that he’s become a caricature of himself but he’s never been the kind of performer that’s gotten too far away from who he really is. If you didn’t enjoy him facing down Conan O’Brien on last week’s 30 Rock then you must have the heart of a black Irish bastard.