The Wattage Meter 2011: Who shone brightest, and who burned out
It was Kim Kardashian's year, proving some stars can't be stopped even if they only have a talent for being tawdry
THE WINNER: KIM KARDASHIAN 100 WATTS No other person generated more celebrity gossip coverage this year than Kim Kardashian. From her engagement announcement in May to the dissolution of her marriage just 72 days after saying “I do,” the 31-year-old reality television star proved that you don’t need talent or any particular skill to be the world’s most famous celebrity. She may have been voted the most annoying celebrity alive this year, but her fame is proof there’s no longer a difference between what the world loves to hate and what it hates to love.The Associated Press
BREAKOUT STAR: MICHAEL FASSBENDER 80 WATTS The world was introduced to the new Big Important Actor this year. His name is Michael Fassbender. Armie Hammer and Alexander Skarsgard may have been in the race for the title of “breakout star,” but they were both a far second compared to Fassbender. The 34-year-old Irish-German actor went from success to success, whether it was big budget summer movies (X-Men: First Class), moody period pieces (Jane Eyre) or art-house films (A Dangerous Method, Shame).The Associated Press
DISAPPOINTMENT: AMANDA SEYFRIED 20 WATTS Heralded as one of the hottest up-and-coming actresses in Hollywood, Seyfried’s heat never burned as brightly as anticipated this year. Her leap in to the fantasy flick that was supposed to easily feed off a Twilight fan base, Red Riding Hood, fizzled at the box office, and the sci-fi movie In Time proved to be even more of a dud. She didn’t fall hard, but nor did she ascend to the heights she was hyped to reach.The Associated Press
THE LOSER: LINDSAY LOHAN 0 WATTS Plenty of celebs saw their careers implode this year – Charlie Sheen, anyone? – but no one hit the gutter harder or more frequently than Lindsay Lohan. While under probation for a DUI charge, she was accused of shoplifting a necklace in February, had to do community service at the L.A. county morgue in October, and then signed up to go nude for Playboy, a last-ditch attempt to make herself relevant again. If redemption is in her future, it’s a long, long way off.