Time Magazine Person of the Year: You

By Jeralyn, Section Media
Posted on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 01:55:00 AM EST
Tags: Person of the Year (all tags)

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Nobody got named person of the year by Time because they named everybody.

The annual honor for 2006 went to each and every one of us, as Time cited the shift from institutions to individuals citizens of the new digital democracy, as the magazine put it. The winners this year were anyone using or creating content on the World Wide Web.

"If you choose an individual, you have to justify how that person affected millions of people," said Richard Stengel, who took over as Time's managing editor earlier this year. "But if you choose millions of people, you don't have to justify it to anyone."

It's really not us, of course, it's the web. But I guess saying it's us personalizes it a bit.

Seriously, who actually sits down after a long day at work and says, I'm not going to watch Lost tonight. I'm going to turn on my computer and make a movie starring my pet iguana? I'm going to mash up 50 Cent's vocals with Queen's instrumentals? I'm going to blog about my state of mind or the state of the nation or the steak-frites at the new bistro down the street? Who has that time and that energy and that passion?

The answer is, you do. And for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you.

I guess we've arrived. (sarcasm) In the accompanying article describing 15 online personalities, see if there's one you care about.

Who would I have picked? The lawyers representing the Guantanamo detainees. In defending the rights of those most demonized and persecuted, they are defending the rights of all of us.

Others unimpressed: Captain's Quarters; Tom Maguire; August Pollack;Crooks and Liars.

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Time Magazine Person of the Year: You | 8 comments (8 topical)

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An open letter to Time Magazine (5.00 / 2) (#8)
by yudel on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 07:48:27 PM EST

Dear Henry Luce,

Thank you for bestowing me with my third-time Time Man of the Year award. This time, however, I must regretfully decline the honor.

As a longtime blogger, I have nothing against self-expression. I'm for it.

But to take a prize this year for effectiveness?

I'm afraid not.

I blogged on behalf of the Constitution. But that didn't stop my Democratic congressman from voting to shred it along with Habeas Corpus.

I expressed outrage against the mendacity and incompetence of the Bush Administration and the Press. But even though I, like tens of millions of other Americans, voted to out the Republican regime in Congress, neither the President nor the media have seemed to paid any mind.

So I'm returning the prize. You may keep it for yourself; or perhaps you might want to share it with John Yoo and Jose Padilla: The latter the victim of our post-Constitutional America; Yoo the legal architect of the new regime; and you, the press, for enabling it.

: What a great post (none / 0) (#9)
by Jeralyn on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 07:58:03 PM EST

Thank you Yudel, that was terrific.

The web (none / 0) (#1)
by Che's Lounge on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 01:54:35 AM EST

is what we make it. But shaping the future is an interesting pastime, no?

We must remain ever vigilant, however, against the aristocracy, who need to restrict us to control us. My prediction is that they will use the guise of "terrorists using the web" to control us. Fear is still their best weapon.

Stay alert. Stay away from Fox.

Time takes a dive (none / 0) (#3)
by Zeno on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 01:13:03 PM EST

I was wondering how they would find a way to duck the obvious choice of Nancy Pelosi, the leader of the Democratic resurgence and the first woman ever to achieve the top spot in one of the houses of congress.

Of course, this way I guess they did include her, sort of.

a lame punt by Time (none / 0) (#4)
by scribe on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 02:06:16 PM EST

Fact is, if Time was going to show some integrity (A big ask, I know), they would have to have selected one of these:
Bush - like it or not, like some of those late '30s covers selecting Hitler, he's still the guy who made the puppets jump.

Cheney - the puppeteer who made Bush jump.

The Saudi Royal Family - the puppeteers who make Cheney jump, and in whose service American soldiers die in Iraq.

Muqtada al-Sadr - ditto like Bush, but more like a "Stalin" cover from the '40s or '50s - The Great Adversary Whose Every Move We Have To React To....

Pelosi - for obvious reasons.

further down the list (all for pretty obvious reasons)

Howard Dean
Abramoff
Kos and the Dem netroots folks

Time, Inc. couldn't come clean and choose any of these, because doing so is like pulling that loose thread which will unravel the whole cloak of baloney covering this War and the destruction of America and its Constitution. (and, TL's got one of the really good choices, too....)

So, they pick Lonelygirl15 and teenybopper YouTubers. Frivolous waste of electrons, that.

: Punt (none / 0) (#5)
by squeaky on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 02:23:51 PM EST

They had to punt, as you point out, it is too loaded a time to take a position. A less obvious way to do it would have been to name an entertainer or movie star, like Jonny Deep or Leonardo DiCaprio
for instance. When the kitchen is too hot there is always disney.
Although, they could have followed Merriam-Webster's lead and picked Colbert. Don't most wingers still think he is on their side?

Easy to sell out with no integrity at all. (none / 0) (#6)
by Bill Arnett on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 03:04:41 PM EST

PINK (none / 0) (#7)
by Edger on Sun Dec 17, 2006 at 03:15:25 PM EST

For Dear Mr. President:

What do you feel when you look in the mirror
...
Can you even look me in the eye?
Lyrics