TIME ‘Person of the Year’ is: You
Steve Safran December 16th, 2006
Finally! I get to say I was named TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year.” So do you. So does anyone who collaborated, contributed, blogged, vlogged, wiki’d, flickr’d, YouTubed, posted, commented or participated at all in the web. From TIME: “(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.” While I believe this choice adds to the wussification of TIME’s choices in recent years (you can’t get much safer than naming all of us “People of the Year,”) at least it’s the right idea. TIME doesn’t make controversial choices anymore. I wanted the YouTube guys to win it, but I guess TIME was thinking YouTube wouldn’t have been YouTube without… you. So congrats. You win. Who’s buying the beers? You?
7 Comments Add your own
1. Darrien | December 17th, 2006 at 12:15 am
Note the Chrysler, who is sponsoring Person of the Year, tagline, “You may not be Person of the Year…”
2. Everett W. | December 17th, 2006 at 12:17 am
The ego-tripping is going to be out of control in this one.
3. Frank Catalano | December 17th, 2006 at 7:25 am
This indeed it wussificiation, to Safranize it. It would have been much harder — and more appropriate — to pick a single individual who had driven this (perhaps a founder of YouTube, as much as that may make some say ick).
It’s like giving the Nobel Peace Price to a continent.
4. thedetroitchannel | December 17th, 2006 at 7:50 am
“wussification” is right; their REAL choice was AhmedineJIHAD.
i guess there was some tension within the admin to this choice since they are planning to bomb the crap out of this guy’s country soon.
too bad for TIME; i have no reason to buy this month’s magazine which touts “me” as person of the year… i know all about me already.
5. gordon | December 17th, 2006 at 8:38 am
you like me…you really like me….
6. Nick Geidner | December 17th, 2006 at 9:56 am
So now mainstream media is finally getting it. The importance of the individiual in media is going to change everything for both the good and bad. I think we really need to start talking about both the positives and negatives of this kind of communication. Yes, the Internet can be used to expand the users knowledge and experience of other cultures, but it can also be user to divide and segregate the user from other cultures. I am just saying both sides need to be look at.
I wrote about this topic in an entitled “The Rise of the Individual and the Dichotomy of Modern Media” in the October issue of Review of Communication.
7. Photog on Fire | December 18th, 2006 at 1:50 pm
“I like you. Do you like me?”
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