It feels like this  year, more than most, the matchups have been really, really intense starting at the Sweet Sixteen level — even if the ultimate vote count doesn’t reflect it. Just for fun, if you want to wander down memory lane, here is a History of Fug Madness page that details each year’s winner, runner-up, and vote tally, plus links to the video (early ones are really grainy; we are trying to update them where we can) and completed brackets. I had completely forgotten certain tidbits — like, that the person who lost the last round to Bai Ling in 2008 was Posh, or that SWINTON came within two percent of beating 2009’s winner Aubrey O’Day. Enjoy!

And here is this year’s final group, all of whom will face off on Thursday because we realized we like having each poll open for the same amount of time. The final will be Monday.

 

(1) RITA ORA vs. (2) KIM KARDASHIAN

Just think — we ALL once said “Why is she even famous?” about both of these ladies, and now they’ve won their brackets and are battling for a spot in the finals.

Rita elbowed past play-in winner Adrienne Bailon and her vagkin, last year’s champ Vanessa Hudgens, a crazily clad Jessie J, and most recently, glum upstart Zosia Mamet, whom she defeated handily with 59 percent of the vote. Kimbo Slice put away Liberty Ross, Emma Roberts, Carly Rae Jepsen, and top seed Kristen Stewart, who — despite wearing some of the worst outfits of the YEAR — could only scrape together 29 percent of the vote against the Kardashian juggernaut. (And, based on the comments, I need to note that we’e not giving her pregnancy gear a pass — it’s just that most of it is not eligible this year. Remember, each Fug Madness term is essentially Oscars to Oscars and not beyond.)

The clash of these two WILL BE INSANE. I am very much looking forward to this slideshow, although my eyeballs disagree with that.

(1) JUSTIN BIEBER vs (1) RIHANNA

You know the Biebs is thinking, “Can we come together for REALS? I’ll bring the cough syrup.”

Lindsay Lohan looked poised to reach her second Final Four in two years, possibly en route to claiming the title that eluded her last year by less than 100 votes. But then she got Biebed. Justin’s road to the Final Four has been lopsided: He steamrolled Christina Ricci with 97 percent of the vote, Julianne Moore with 95 percent, Lady Gaga with 87 percent, and then Lohan with 64 percent — the best challenge he’s faced, but still a bar he didn’t need to hike up his pants to clear.

I secretly thought Heidi Klum was going to upset both Rihanna AND Bieber, but she fell to RiRi in the Elite Eight with only 29 percent of the vote. Rihanna also surged past Kirsten Dunst with 97 percent, Stella McCartney with 60 percent, and Elle Fanning with 77 percent. Not a super tough road, but not as breezy as Bieber’s.

Can Rihanna make him WORK for a spot in the finals? Will she kick him back down to the minors, or will he sweep her aside? TIME WILL TELL.

And here is your updated bracket:

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