Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” was undeniably the song of the
summer, and it inspired a slew of parody videos. The most memorable is
an earnest, homemade tape of Harvard University’s baseball team
lip-synching to the ditty in a van on a long drive to a game. The
players’ simple, repetitive dance moves and mostly deadpan delivery have
charmed over 16 million YouTube viewers since the video debuted in May.
Initially uploaded as a joke to share with other team members, the
video took off and was eventually featured on SportsCenter and Good Morning America.
Part of its appeal is the sight of alpha-male types rocking out to a
girly song while one teammate dozes off in the backseat. These
good-looking baseball players are also good-hearted: after the parody
began to rise in popularity, they linked it to the charity Friends of
Jaclyn Foundation to bring attention to pediatric brain tumors.
9. Ri Sol Ju
KNS / AFP /Getty ImagesIn
a state as secretive as North Korea, it’s no surprise that the wife of
leader Kim Jong Un would be shrouded in mystery. Thought to be in her
late 20s, Ri Sol Ju was initially identified as a singer when she
appeared with Kim several times this year, before state media confirmed
that she was Kim’s wife. Aside from her modern wardrobe, which is
readily apparent to observers, solid biographical information about her
is spotty at best. Various reports speculate that she has studied music
in China and was previously a cheerleader, and some Korean media have
stated that the couple may already have a child. After making a splash
this summer, Ri was absent from the public eye for several months before
reappearing in late October amid rampant rumors that she was pregnant.
8. Jordyn Wieber
This
17-year-old American gymnast was poised to become the next Mary Lou
Retton or Carly Patterson until her highest hopes for the Olympics were
unceremoniously dashed. As the 2011 world all-around champion, Jordyn
Wieber was considered a strong contender for the individual all-around
gold in London this summer. But in the initial qualifying round, she
placed third among the Americans, behind Gabrielle Douglas and Aly
Raisman, automatically eliminating her from the individual competition.
Though Wieber was devastated, she did share in the team gold with the
other Fab Five. However, her star was quickly eclipsed by the
electrifying Douglas, who went on to win the individual gold and became a
media darling. Post-Olympics, Wieber pointed to a stress fracture in
her leg as a reason for her underwhelming performance. Despite the
disappointment of what could likely be her last Olympics, she joined the
rest of her teammates in the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions
across the country this fall, and plans to complete her senior year of
high school.
7. I’ll Have Another
For several weeks this spring, the thoroughbred racehorse I’ll Have
Another seemed poised to become the next Secretariat. After winning the
Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, he was gunning for the Triple Crown
when a bout of tendinitis forced him to scratch at Belmont and then
pushed him into early retirement. The stallion was promptly sold by his
owner to stand at stud, which he will do at the Big Red Farm in Japan
for the 2013 breeding season. Perhaps he will father … another.
6. Rupert Sanders
This 41-year-old British director had mainly filmed television ads before his first full-length feature, Snow White and the Huntsman, which came out in June. Though it starred Twilight
actress Kristen Stewart and hunk du jour Chris Hemsworth, the
characters’ onscreen romance was soon overshadowed by the director’s
offscreen antics. In July, suggestive photos surfaced of Rupert Sanders
and Stewart, both of whom were otherwise attached — Stewart was dating
actor Robert Pattinson, and Sanders was married to model Liberty Ross,
with whom he has two children. Both parties issued separate public
apologies, with Sanders telling People, “I am utterly distraught
about the pain I have caused my family.” Sanders and Ross have been
spotted around town in Los Angeles, although the status of their
marriage remains cloudy. Meanwhile, Stewart and Pattinson seem to have
reconciled. A rumored sequel to Snow White has prompted speculation about whether Sanders and Stewart will be attached to the project or their partners.
5. Jason Russell
Kony 2012, the video sensation chronicling the search for Ugandan
war criminal Joseph Kony, went viral on YouTube by March with 112
million views in its first week. In the ensuing publicity, Jason
Russell, the video’s director and a co-founder of Invisible Children,
the nonprofit behind the video, landed squarely in the spotlight. But
with sudden success and worldwide exposure came a raft of criticism,
from detractors who questioned the charity’s bookkeeping to those who
wondered if Russell manipulated the facts. Several weeks later, Russell
suffered a painfully public meltdown when he was caught on video
incoherent and running naked around San Diego. He was subsequently
hospitalized for “reactive psychosis,” according to his wife. Russell
recovered and eventually released Kony 2012: Part II, which garnered much less attention.
4. Uggie
The endearing Jack Russell terrier Uggie is not an acting novice — he had parts in Mr. Fix It and Water for Elephants — but he experienced a breakout role in The Artist,
the movie that cleaned up this year at the Oscars. In a true
rags-to-riches story, Uggie was headed for the pound but at the last
minute taken in by trainer Omar von Muller. A true scene stealer, he won
over hearts in the silent film, and later took the stage with cast
members when they accepted the award for Best Picture. The requisite
celebrity memoir, Uggie: My Story, was released in October. He is
effectively retired from starring roles due to health issues, and
stated in his book, “My only hope is that long after my paws no longer
trod this Earth I will still be remembered as a little artist with a big
heart.”
3. Priscilla Chan
When Priscilla Chan married Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in the
backyard of their Palo Alto, Calif., home in May, observers around the
world were left wondering who exactly the lucky girl was. The
medical-school graduate is much more than arm candy for a billionaire
husband. Twenty-seven years old, Chan aims to become a pediatrician, and
perhaps part of her appeal in Zuckerberg’s eyes is that she knew him
before he became one of the richest men alive. She met the future tech
titan at a frat party when they were both at Harvard, but unlike her
hoodie-wearing husband, she actually graduated. Though they split up for
a while when he moved to California, once Chan graduated, she headed
west to join him. Despite her high-profile connection, the Braintree,
Mass., native remains guarded in terms of media exposure. She shuns the
spotlight — even her Claire Pettibone wedding dress was purchased
anonymously — and seems content to lead a low-key life.
