Making A List And Checking It Twice

There's another list out there. This one was made by the friendly folks at TV Land and Entertainment Weekly. They're very fond of this list-making activity. The top two-hundred this and the fifty greatest that, always making with the epitomes. A friend of mine insists that this is a very male thing to do. She suggests that it is a manly thing to rate things on the basis of barely objective criteria. I agree with her, but as a male, I feel compelled to subvert to the dominant paradigm.
That said, here goes: Number One Hundred All-Time Television Icon was Marcia Cross. If you are wondering just what it took to get Ms. Cross on the list, consider the fact that I have yet to memorize the cast list of "Desperate Housewives" (there's your hint). I can only wonder why Teri Hatcher, who I could name without having seen an episode, didn't make the cut.
Most of the people making the list are just that: people. Then there is another odd subgroup that are fictional characters: Charlie Brown, Lassie, Kermit. Pee Wee Herman found his way onto the list, and may help bridge that gap between fact and fiction. There is also a pair of casts, one from "In Living Color" and "The Not Ready For Prime Time Players". That sets up an interesting mathematical query: Blues Brothers are to Wayans Brothers as Jim Carrey is to What?
The list is also skewed somewhat by time. Bob Hope just missed the top fifty, while a relative newcomer like Jon Stewart appears ten spots higher. Even the top ten has a few surprises, such as the yellow-skinned Matt Groening creation Homer Simpson (sans family) coming in at number nine, just ahead of the no-longer ageless wonder Dick Clark. Four of the top ten are women, in ascending order: Mary Tyler Moore, Carol Burnett, Oprah Winfrey, and how could a list of television icons put Lucille Ball second?
Well, I suppose if they chose to put Johnny Carson at number one, then it all makes sense. And when you're finished fuming at the unfairness of it all, go ahead and construct one of your own.