1. Latina beauty Salma Hayek, for directing the music video for Prince’s “Te Amo Corazon” from his upcoming album, 3121. The video, shot in Marrakech, Morocco, features Mia Maestro, who appeared in Hayek‘s acclaimed film Frida.
2. The George Clooney starrer Syriana, for helping America’s oil crisis. The film, which barely touches on the ethical effects of the oil crisis, is being used by environmentalists to persuade the country to reduce their use of oil.
3. Former Dallas star Victoria Principal, for being the first female passenger on Sir Richard Branson‘s commercial space flights in 2008. The 59-year-old star, who paid $207,000 to blast off 70 miles above the Earth, will join William Shatner, Morgan Freeman, Stephen Hawking and Paris Hilton, who have also signed up for the first flights into space.
4. The Special Olympics, for giving the green light to filmmaking duo Farrelly brothers spoof The Ringer. Special Olympics chairman Tim Shriver is convinced the movie will change the public’s view of those with special needs. The controversial comedy stars Johnny Knoxville as a man who pretends to be mentally disabled in order to triumph at the games.
5. Michael Jackson‘s “Thriller,” for being voted the most memorable music video ever by viewers of MTV show The Box. The video beat out Eminem‘s “Stan” and Madonna’s “Like a Prayer,” which came in second and third respectively.
6. The four minutes and 30 seconds of silence from 1962 screen epic Lawrence of Arabia, for being the most requested movie sound effect ever. Britain’s Cinesound Library has called the track Silence Is Golden because the money it has raked in.
7. Screen car Herbie, for topping a new poll as the vehicle movie-loving motorists would most like to drive. The white Volkswagen Beetle, known as “The Love Bug,” stole the hearts of drivers who voted in an Italian magazine survey.
8. Brokeback Mountain, The Producers, Match Point, and Good Night, and Good Luck, for topping this week’s Golden Globe Award Nominations.
9. Match Point star Scarlett Johansson, for having a good reason to leave Los Angeles for New York. “I love L.A., it’s very beautiful, the weather is beautiful. But I just got sick of being photographed buying tampons so I had to move. It was awful.”
10. Late soul legend Ray Charles, for topping Christmas wish lists. According to a recent VH1 telephone poll, Charles’ Genius and Friends tops music listeners’ wish lists this holiday season–for the second year in a row.
