Odd Jobs

By Josh Tyrangiel

Best Lounge Act Rene Risque and the Art Lovers Rene Risque from Paris (actually Andy Boose, center, from New Jersey) is a free-range id, belting Latin love songs and Air Supply-style light-rock weepies, all with one thing in mind: seduction

Talk-Show Guest Bill Murray Forget movie plugs. Murray treats talk shows as postmodern vaudeville, using stream-of-consciousness rants and energetic cover tunes--like a recent Late Show performance of She Bangs--to keep audiences awake

Unemployable Actor Crispin Glover Periodically, a film role comes along that requires psychopathic energy and spooky nervous tics played for laughs. Very periodically. Glover owns those roles

Wrestling Personality Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley Her dad, WWF kingpin Vince, had her "kidnapped." She returned to be women's "champion." Part Joan Collins, part Patty Hearst--and tougher than both

TV Idiot Johnny Knoxville Whether he is getting shot with a Taser, flipped in a Port-O-San or just clubbed by a pro boxer, it's comforting to know that no matter how bad your day was, his was significantly worse

Puppeteer Basil Twist In his Symphonie Fantastique, he dunked pieces of cloth in a giant aquarium and made them dance to Berlioz. Were it not for mimes, he would get beaten up daily

For more photos, music samples and video of America's Best, go to: time.com/americas best