Time's Person of the Year Always Drives Me Nuts

Started by Innocent Smith, December 11, 2018, 05:54:26 PM

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Innocent Smith

Is there a better bellwether of the mass stupidity of those on planet earth than this yearly announcement?

First off who gives a hoot what the editorial board of this rag happens to think? All this happens to be is brand identity. Like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese in a styrofoam box. Yet people seem to think something, or someone, as important as God has spoken.

I'm not going to even mention who was named as it is immaterial to my point. It was something like Guardians of the Galaxy.

Here are some choice, and I mean choice, comments from the first 10 I looked at from the Yahoo story.

QuoteWe all have our own opinions of who the person/persons of the year should be. Personally, I would rather see a "person of the year" be someone who has overcome hardship, who has been a good role model, someone who has made an advancement in the treatment of medical science etc.

Thanks for letting us know, Bam.

QuoteTime magazine has also named Adolf Hitler (1938), Joseph Stalin (1939 and 1942), Nikita Khrushchev (1957) and Ayatollah Khomeini (1979) to the title.

This is said in the spirit of negating the award. Is it an award? Actually, naming these individuals at least worked according to the so-called criteria. To name the most newsworthy person of the year.

QuoteThank God for freedom of the press, whether I agree with views or not.

Where to begin?

QuoteFreedom of the press is one of the keystones of democracy. One should remember the fortune of living the in the US.

Holy cow is that syrupy. This clown probably graduated from the Ivy League.
I am going to hold a pistol to the head of the modern man. But I shall not use it to kill him, only to bring him to life.

Quaremerepulisti

Quote from: Innocent Smith on December 11, 2018, 05:54:26 PM
Is there a better bellwether of the mass stupidity of those on planet earth than this yearly announcement?

You started with an a priori presupposition of the mass stupidity of those on planet earth, then searched for evidence in support.  So no big surprise you found it.

Of course, you're different, not as stupid as everyone else, right?

The Harlequin King

TIME's "Person of the Year" does its job: it sells magazines and generates discussion. After all, we are talking about it here.

As you said, the title is given to the most newsworthy person or group of people of the preceding year. It's not meant to be an honorific.

Prayerful

Many of its past choices were not exactly morally good men or women, but really did make the weather. Time these days is surely more of an historical curiosity, a sort of relic.
Padre Pio: Pray, hope, and don't worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your prayer.

Optatus

I think it's actually important. It shows us who thew oligarchs are interested in giving their stamp of approval, and for that reason it shows us who we need to be careful of. It's actually quite helpful, IMO.