LIFE AFTER 20: Most Fascinating People...

As always, Barbara Walters 10 Most Fascinating People for 2011 list did not disappoint, with Steve Jobbs taking out the number 1 spot. Walters and her US ABC team responsible for the annual television event have maintained the rule that all featured people must be alive. However, when Steve Jobbs, Creative Director and CEO of Apple, retired earlier in the year, Walters knew he would make the cut, but unfortunately their interview never eventuated.

At first, I thought a few of the people chosen for the list were questionable. Katy Perry has had a successful year, but I didn't think she had achieved anything extraordinary? Modern Family is a hilarious show, but it failed to receive the notoriety or fan-fare of shows like Glee. And while Simon Cowell remains an entertainment visionary, he has for decades now been on our television screens judging and identifying raw talent. So what was it, I thought, that made these people so fascinating to Walters in 2011 specifically?

After watching the interviews, I understood her rationale and was impressed with the angle she'd taken with each story. It wasn't the people that were fascinating, but rather their experiences, life story or the unexpected impact they have had on society which to her, and many of us, makes them interesting.

However, not enough can be said about Steve Jobbs. The man is pure genius and has revolutionised the way that we view, use and understand technology. He drafted the idea of the ipad before the technology even existed, and slowly, as society developed new techniques and advanced processes, he was able to unveil the inventions once outlined on paper which now provide a valuable function in today's world.