A blog about television by TIME’s TV critic James Poniewozik.

Dead Tree Alert: ...And This Is Me On Top 10 Lists

This week's print TIME includes a special section of Top 10 lists for 2007, which is pretty much the same as the ones you've already seen online, except:

10. Fewer lists
9. Fewer words
8. On paper
7. You have to pay money to read them
6. You can take them to the bathroom
5. More risk of paper cuts
4. Less exposure to computer radiation
3. Prettier ads
2. Can roll them up and use them to swat houseflies
1. Includes this column by me, on the eternal popularity of top 10 lists:

There's something magical about distilling wisdom into a single gleaming digit, which may be why so many religions use lists, from the Eightfold Path to the 95 Theses to the show-offy 613 laws of the Torah.

Behold, the miracle of paper!

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  • 1

    I would remove number 6. With laptops, Iphones and Blackberrys I can very easily take this website with me to the bathroom if I so desired.

  • 2

    I would remove number 6. With laptops, Iphones and Blackberrys I can very easily take this website with me to the bathroom if I so desired.

    if Joe Klein was writing this column, the obvious joke would be irresistable.

    (but seriously -- Time put the Alberto Gonzales/DoJ scandals were put into the "Top 10 Scandals" under "Pop Culture", rather than under
    "Top 10 News Stories"? Hasn't Stengel gotten over his embarrasment over that whole thing yet?)

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