the shades are drawn, don't ask me why...

Pete of A Perfectly Cromulent Blog responds to my previous post regarding top-10 lists. He elaborates on his reason for choosing not to post a top-10 list for 2003:

Whether or not I've been "exposed" to all of 2003's offerings doesn't change the reality that the media world annually chokes on its own vomit of top 10 lists without any help from me. Every possible category, from news stories to CDs to annoying blogs, is flogged mercilessly for the last few weeks of the year. The movie lists are the worst, because (with few exceptions) at least 5 or 6 of the top 10 will be identical for every author. I'm not being "contrarian" when I say that most people can probably survive just fine without my own bloviations on the subject.

While this is a valid point, it's completely misplaced in the world of blogging. For what is blogging if not the most narcissistic form of "bloviation"? If people consistently come to read your blog to find out your thoughts on pop culture, movies, music, etc., it would seem borderline sadistic to deny them the yearly recap with which Americans are so enamored. It is irrelevant whether everyone else on the blogosphere has a top-10 list, just like it's irrelevant whether everyone else has a 2004 Movie Preview, or a blog entry about the sexual assault allegations against Kansas State quarterback Ell Roberson. The fact that opinions on a subject are abundant does not in and of itself degrade any particular opinion, especially not those opinions which are actively sought out by our faithful blog readers. That Pete's blog has faithful readers should dispel any fears that he may have of his list disappearing into the blogosphere ether "like so much Skoal juice in a can of Bud Ice."