You’d be excused for thinking Barbara Walters’ list of 2011′s “most fascinating people” is some sort of bizarre joke.

Her headliners include Donald Trump, Simon Cowell and the Kardashians — not to mention other pop-culture aristocrats like Katy Perry, Derek Jeter and Pippa Middleton. Walters’ trump card, the year’s single “most fascinating” figure, won’t be announced until Dec. 14. But on the basis of the stars whose names have been released, things aren’t looking particularly timely.

Walters’ celebs may “fascinate” in the sense that they continually hijack our attention — crowding magazine covers, newspaper headlines and TV screens. But in a year of profound social and economic turmoil — for individuals and whole continents alike — are they really the sort of cultural idols we need to pretend are interesting?

This year has seen some of the most spirited revolutions and impassioned public protests of the new millennium. Citizens in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Syria have given their lives to change those of their countrymen. The remarkable movement that began as a camp-out in New York City’s Zuccotti Park has inspired deep soul-searching in America and further protests worldwide. Stories of individual perseverance — like Rep. Gabby Giffords’, D-Ariz., efforts to recover from a horrific assassination attempt — have inspired us. Not to mention that we’ve witnessed stunning successes in film, music, television and literature (Walters nods to this with her nomination of “Modern Family’s” Eric Stonestreet and Jesse Tyler Ferguson). Where are the movers and shakers behind all of these truly fascinating political, social and cultural developments? Their accomplishments are miles more relevant than those of affluent reality TV stars or British socialites.

Of course, it’s not unusual for Walters to favor pop-culture mojo in her year-end specials; last year, the cast of “Jersey Shore” joined overall winner David Petraeus. An ABC press release says the 2011 list seeks to “[highlight] some of the year’s most prominent names in entertainment, sports and popular culture” — which it certainly does, especially if you gauge prominence by mentions in Us Weekly. But to sum up a year of spectacular social unrest and heady history-making by trotting out the Kardashians one more time is more than unimaginative: It’s out of touch.

The U.S. Census Bureau has estimated that just over 16 percent of the population — nearly 50 million individuals — lacked health insurance in 2010. For people who are uninsured, the financial impact of a single illness or emergency room visit can be disastrous.

That’s one reason why the luxury services available at a number of hospitals across the country — lavishly detailed in a New York Times feature over the weekend — seem so misguided. While lesser mortals face sometimes hellish emergency room circumstances that they often can’t afford, wealthy patients can shell out thousands of dollars a night for “bed linens … by Frette, Italian purveyors of high-thread-count sheets to popes and princes” — not to mention “polished marble” bathrooms, multi-course menus and “Ciao Bella gelato … available on demand.”

Airline travel is littered with indignities. Long lines, screaming children, cramped quarters, insane fees. Most ridiculous of all, however, are the tiny red carpets installed at boarding gates for “priority” passengers: the rich, the famous, the holders of frequent-flier cards.

What purpose do these gaudy, petty pieces of fabric — awash in a larger sea of airport gray — actually serve? It’s one thing to board priority passengers first; they have likely paid through the nose for that particular privilege. But is it really necessary to physically separate them from their flight mates, herding them into a distinct but adjacent line — and making them cross a brightly colored rug on their way out of the terminal?

“Taking a bath is a luxuary [sic] nowadays,” writes designer Lori Gardner on the website for her showy Diamond Bathtub, a symbol of all that is over-the-top. And soon, the daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z will have one of her own.

“The Diamond Bathtub makes it easy to relax, unwind, and bask in the glow of a true indulgence” — allowing you to loosen up in the presence of more than 45,000 “precious imported crystals,” Gardner boasts. Sure, it might make some bathers nervous to “unwind” in a tub worth enough to feed a small army — but how could you say no to something that “brings new meaning to indulgent ‘me’ time reserved for leisurely soaking in the tub”? And what baby doesn’t need some me time after a long day of napping?

“Most Americans can’t afford a $1,000 emergency expense,” a recent CNNMoney headline proclaimed. But according to RadarOnline, Reese Witherspoon has been spotted carrying a python-skin handbag worth nearly $4,000.

It’s not just the item’s price tag that’s raising eyebrows. A PETA spokeswoman expressed her frustration about the snakeskin accessory (the sale of which is illegal in California, where the star was spotted with her tote), telling the Mail Online: “No matter how much Reese paid for that bag, the animals paid a much higher price. … These days, it’s easy to have a look that kills without killing.”

Not only would fake snakeskin be more humane — it would also be a whole lot cheaper!

Seen something that’s Out Of Touch? Send us a tip: outoftouch@salon.com.

The rumors weren’t so crazy after all. It turns out that Kim Kardashian and Kris Humphries — whose August wedding was a black hole for money and media attention — really are done.

The Kardashians and their pervasive public narrative are fueled by nothing if not the power of conspicuous consumption. (Kim herself makes no secret of the fact that she’s a “business woman” — in fact, it’s first of the four adjectives she uses to describe herself on Twitter.) Here are 10 of the most shameful numbers related to the couple’s dizzyingly short-lived union: