The Worst Person in the World: And 202 Strong Contenders is a book by former MSNBC

MSNBC

MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...

 newscaster-commentator Keith Olbermann

Keith Olbermann

Keith Theodore Olbermann is an American political commentator and writer. He has been the chief news officer of the Current TV network and the host of Current TV's weeknight political commentary program, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, since June 20, 2011...

. Published in September 2006 by John Wiley & Sohns, Inc., it is based on the regular feature of the same title prominent in MSNBC's week-nightly television program Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Countdown with Keith Olbermann

Countdown with Keith Olbermann is an hour-long weeknight news and political commentary program that airs on Current TV, where it began airing on June 20, 2011. The program was broadcast on MSNBC from March 31, 2003, to January 21, 2011. On MSNBC, the show presented five selected news stories of...

, in which Olbermann castigates those whose words or deeds have offended him. The book contains transcripts of the show's "Worst Person " segments from its inception in July 2005 to May 31, 2006, as well as some original "awards," including an "Honorary Worst" to President George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 (later given several regular "worsts" on the program) and a special "Worst in Show" to Olbermann's staple target, rival news commentator Bill O'Reilly

Bill O'Reilly (commentator)

William James "Bill" O'Reilly, Jr. is an American television host, author, syndicated columnist and political commentator. He is the host of the political commentary program The O'Reilly Factor on the Fox News Channel, which is the most watched cable news television program on American television...

.

In the book's introduction Olbermann credits the comedy team of Bob and Ray

Bob and Ray

Bob Elliott and Ray Goulding were an American comedy team whose career spanned five decades. Their format was typically to satirize the medium in which they were performing, such as conducting radio or television interviews, with off-the-wall dialogue presented in a generally deadpan style as...

 for inspiring the segment's title. Their "Worst Person in the World" (W.P.I.T.W. for short) was an "ominous character" who spoke only in "crunching and slurping sound effects" and consumed sandwiches without removing their wax paper covering. According to Olbermann this character was inspired by theater critic John Simon

John Simon (critic)

John Ivan Simon is an American author and literary, theater, and film critic.-Personal life:Simon was born in Subotica, Bačka, County of Bačka, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, later, known as Yugoslavia . He is of Hungarian descent...

 who was unimpressed with Bob and Ray's 1970 Broadway show. When New York Times television critic Alessandra Stanley

Alessandra Stanley

Alessandra Stanley is an American journalist. In 2003 she became the television critic for The New York Times. Stanley was previously co-chief of the paper's Moscow bureau, Rome bureau chief, and as a correspondent for Time. She is the daughter of defense expert Timothy W...

 gave Olbermann's fellow MSNBC commentator Tucker Carlson

Tucker Carlson

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson is an American political news correspondent and conservative commentator for the Fox News Channel...

's show an unfavorable review in June 2005, the Bob and Ray character came to mind and with it the idea for the Countdown segment.