2008 Entertainers of the Year: 1) Tina Fey

Well, kiddies, we made it to #1 on my countdown for Entertainer of the Year. Comedian/leading actress/writer Tina Fey beat out Twilight, the Beijing Olympics, Britney Spears, and Robert Downey Jr. for the title. The Associated Press actually stole my thunder last week when they announced her as their pick for Entertainer of the Year. And with good reason! In 2008 alone, Tina won an Emmy, continued producing/writing/acting on 30 Rock, was a leading voice in the Writer's Strike, proved she had star power to open a Hollywood movie, and, who can forget, turned in one of the most memorable impressions EVER as Alaskan governor Sarah Palin.

Let's see just how awesome 2008 was to Tina. In April her first starring role in a film was released, and Baby Mama went on to gross over $60 million at the box office. At the Emmy Awards in September, she won her first acting Emmy for 30 Rock, effectively squashing talk that she's just not that great of an actress. 30 Rock, a show she executive produces and writes for as well, went on to win for Best Writing and Best Comedy Series. And to prove that she has star power- earlier this year, she talked about wanting Oprah to guest star on 30 Rock, and well, it totally happened. In addition, she became $5 million richer, with a sweet little book deal.

But really, even without all of the stuff I listed, she would've taken home the Entertainer of the Year title for one of the greatest political impressions of all time- her take on Sarah "You Betcha!" Palin. Her cameos on Saturday Night Live (where she was the first female head writer until she left in 2006) gave the show some of its best ratings in a LONG time, as well as helping 30 Rock's ratings in return. In a year that could be defined by the exciting presidential race, Fey's Palin impression made political sketches and impressions as relevant as the real-life candidates themselves. It's hard to be simultaneously entertaining while giving people something to really think about, and that is what Tina Fey's Sarah Palin was. I love her because she is more than just a pretty face. She is smart, she is a writer, she is a nerd, she is Entertainer of the Year.