The List: What's In and Out
The List: What's In and Out is a U.S. pop culture list published annually by The Washington Post newspaper, on or near New Year's Day in the Style section. It was started by the paper's fashion editor, Nina Hyde, in 1977, and tended to by various former and current Post writers after Hyde's death in 1990, including Martha Sherrill, Cathy Horyn and Robin Givhan. From 2003 to 2009 The List was written by staff writer Hank Stuever. In 2010, Washington Post staff writers Monica Hesse and Dan Zak co-authored The List, which itemizes people, places, things, and even IDeaS-and rates them as either "out" (not popular, not fun, not recommended) or "in" (popular, fun, and recommended).
The list has been criticized for being mostly or completely subjective. Sometimes a person has been considered both "Out" and "In" (for example, Madonna in 1985 and Al Gore in 2007). At other times, the list makes indirect references to people; also in 2007, listed as "Out" is "Wrestling-coach voice" (this is a veiled reference to out-going Republican House Speaker Dennis Hastert) while listed as "In" is "Mother-of-five voice" (a veiled reference to in-coming Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi).
"Out" and "In" for 2007
The following is a partial list of things "Out" and "In" for 2007:
Out |
In |
|---|---|
"America's Next Top Model" |
"Ugly Betty" |
OxyContin |
Oxytocin |
Hugh Jackman |
Daniel Craig |
Al Gore |
Al Gore |
"Seinfeld" reruns |
"How I Met Your Mother" |
Anderson Cooper |
Keith Olbermann |
Wrestling-coach voice |
Mother-of-five voice |
Jim Gaffigan |
Dane Cook |
Led Zeppelin |
"Danity Kane" |
Monica Lewinsky, pizza girl |
Monica Lewinsky, economist |
Penn State |
Purdue |
Driving drunk |
Driving [...] |
"Out" and "In" for 2008
The following is a partial list of things "Out" and "In" for 2008:
Out |
In |
|---|---|
Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer |
Heath Ledger as the Joker |
[...] |
Naps |
AP Calculus |
Latin Class |
Jason Bourne |
Indiana Jones |
HBO |
Showtime |
Marc Jacobs |
Marc Jacob's clothes |
Cheetah Girls |
JOnAS Brothers |
Sudoku |
Scrabulous |
Pomegranates |
Persimmons |
Hannah Montana tickets for your daughter |
529 fund for your daughter |
Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart |
Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock |
Meerkats |
Squirrels |
"Out" and "In" for 2009
The following is a partial list of things "Out" and "In" for 2009:
Out |
In |
|---|---|
Claymates |
Twihards |
[...] rights |
Vampire rights |
Twittering |
Slow blogging |
Hot dudes from Gossip Girl |
Hot dudes from Star Trek |
Waco |
Waikiki |
Wolverine |
Watchmen |
Oscar de la Renta |
Jason Wu |
Goth |
Steampunk |
Momma Mia! |
Slumdog Millionaire |
Governors |
Senators |
Voting like Oprah |
Eating like Oprah |
Kings of Leon |
Fleet Foxes |
"Out" and "In" for 2010
The following is a partial list of things "Out" and "In" for 2010:
Out |
In |
|---|---|
Twihards |
Randroids |
Jonas Brothers |
Justin Bieber |
Gilbert Arenas |
Earl Boykins |
Peanut allergies |
Celiac disease |
Liz Cheney |
Beau Biden |
Group hugs |
Groupons |
Journey |
Hall & Oates |
Emily Blunt |
Rosamund Pike |
Drug tests |
Gender tests |
Dark matter |
Super-Earths |
Chateau Marmont |
The Sunset Tower |
Sexting |
[...] |
"Out" and "In" for 2011
The following is a partial list of things "Out" and "In" for 2011:
Out |
In |
|---|---|
Internet Trolling |
Internet Hacktivism |
Scott Brown |
Marco Rubio |
Brussels sprouts |
Sauerkraut |
King Tut |
Cleopatra |
Death |
Taxes |
Relying on 'the Pill' |
Revisiting the Rhythm Method |
Betty White |
Anne Meara |
World War II |
World War I |
Mark Zuckerberg |
Ethan Zuckerman |
Mamie Gummer |
Lily Rabe |
Ruby Tuesday |
IHOP |
True Blood |
True Grit |
"Out" and "In" for 2012
The following is a partial list of things "Out" and "In" for 2012:
Out |
In |
|---|---|
Apps |
Naps |
Ryan Gosling |
Michael Fassbender |
Portland, Oregon |
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
Hyperbole |
Pragmatism |
Tebowing |
Hunting the God particle |
Groupons |
Coupons |
Bryce Dallas Howard |
Jessica Chastain |
Alex Ovechkin |
Lamont Peterson |
Justin Bieber |
Christopher Plummer |
Don't remake Footloose |
Don't remake Flashdance |
Reviving Oklahoma! |
Reviving Ant Farm |
Reagan |
Thatcher |