10. The purple tie.
Sartorially speaking, purple is a hue usually left to royals, school mascots, and wrestler Ric Flair. Not this year. For media types and talking heads pressed to prove their political neutrality, purple -- and its less magisterial cousin, lavender -- became the new beige. A happy (and bipartisan) medium between red and blue, purple ties have been the accessory of choice this season, marking one of the few commonalities between Keith Olbermann (left) and Bill O'Reilly. At right, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.