Five phenomena that made a lasting impression on pop culture in 2008:

Tina Upstages Sarah: Sarah Palin via Tina Fey: Fight it though she tried, Fey's spot-on impressions of the Alaskan governor who would have been vice president made the "30 Rock" star a media darling and, at least temporarily, the saving grace of "Saturday Night Live." But nothing that good lasts forever. Even if McCain and Palin had won, Fey was eager to turn in the updos and lipstick. "If (Palin) wins, I'm done," she said. "I can't do that for four years. And by 'I'm done,' I mean I'm leaving Earth."

Teen Vampire Love: Author Stephenie Meyer's fangless, Volvo-driving dreamboat of a vampire Edward had teen girls everywhere crying "Jonas who?" well before the big-screen adaptation of her novel "Twilight" made a nifty $70 million in its opening weekend. Makes you wonder if Meyer regrets wrapping up the best-selling saga in just four books.

The Mystery of Michael Phelps: Is he half man, half amphibian? A sort of 6-foot-4, 200-pound aquatic mammal? The world pondered for two weeks straight while watching 23-year-old Baltimore native Phelps swim to a record eight gold medals during the Beijing Games.

Prestige Blockbusters: Two of the year's biggest movie moneymakers, "The Dark Knight" and "Wall-E," were also among its most heralded. Christopher Nolan's cloaked hero and Pixar's accidental one stormed the hearts of critics and audiences alike, and both have got awards season pundits buzzing. Who says smart movies aren't good business?

Britney's Comeback, Take 2: It worked out a lot better than 2007's botched VMA performance. This year, Spears avoided the crotch shots, road rage and umbrellas-turned-weapons of destruction and instead gave us a sobering MTV documentary in which she admitted that, yeah, she made some pretty bad decisions. The response? Fans sent the singer's new album, "Circus," to the top of the charts. Well played.