Betty White voted AP entertainer of the year

The AP reports: What Betty White did in 2010 doesn't usually happen: an 88-year-old actress with more than six decades in Hollywood suddenly became the object of adulation of the Facebook-connected masses, which campaigned for her to host Saturday Night Live, boosting the show's ratings and helping her set ratings records for her own show.

After a year remarkable for a star of any age, White has been voted the Entertainer of the Year by members of The Associated Press.

"It's ridiculous," White says of the honor, in an interview from her home in Los Angeles. "They haven't caught on to me, and I hope they never do."

But more than acclaim, her unlikely, age-defying success resonated deeply with people who saw in her a spirited, hilarious aberration, a woman not dimmed by age but enhanced by it: The genuine article in a pop culture awash in imitators.

There were 102 ballots submitted from U.S. news organizations that make up the AP's membership. Voters were asked to cast their ballots for who had the most influence on the entertainment world and culture in 2010. Previous winners include Taylor Swift, Tina Fey and Stephen Colbert.

The final tally was close: White's 20 votes beat the cast of Glee by only two votes. Tied for third with 13 votes were Conan O'Brien, James Cameron and Apple's iPad. Jon Stewart closely followed with a dozen votes.