# 2021 Time Person of the Year **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 26, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250 "2021-10-26T19:54:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/1 "2021-10-26T19:54:34Z")
This year’s Person of the Year is supposed to be named in a month or so, so I guess it’s time to discuss it. I think it goes to “The Essential Worker,” especially as they were left off last year in favor of the traditional Presidential election year choice of “whoever was elected President.” My #2 guess: Dr. Fauci, if they want to select a “face” of COVID-19, the way that Rudy Giuliani was “the face” of 9/11 and its aftermath in 2001. If Time does go with The Essential Worker, who do they consider essential enough to be on the cover? Doctors and nurses, certainly, but then who? A teacher? A grocery store clerk? A truck driver? ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/2 "2021-10-26T20:30:21Z")
What Fauci did in 2021 does even begin to compare to what he did in 2020, so I don’t think he’s in the running. My vote is for “The Space Tourist”. On the one hand, I concede that the many recent space tourists didn’t actually do any of the research and development themselves - they merely benefitted from it all. But seriously, did anyone dream a year ago that there would be a 4-person flight (admittedly suborbital) without ANY professional astronauts aboard? [(Wikipedia: List of space tourism trips)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tourism#List_of_space_tourism_trips) ---
**Author:** ![Boycott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boycott/32/6741_2.png) [@Boycott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boycott)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/3 "2021-10-26T20:37:54Z")
I can see it being “essential workers” to make up for last year. No chance it will be Dr Fauci now there is so much political backlash he has been dragged in. But more likely I think it will be a theme based on scientists who worked on the vaccine. Almost half of the world’s population has received at least one dose. It’s remarkable the speed they worked at and the facilitation of the roll out in the face of anti-intellectual conspiracies and hate. A long shot possibility I can see is Marcus Rashford - the England and Manchester United star footballer who used his platform to make the UK government perform a u-turn in providing school meals for children and tackling child poverty. Edit: Merkel already won it in 2015 ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/4 "2021-10-26T21:50:38Z")
> [@Keeve](#): > > My vote is for “The Space Tourist”. On the one hand, I concede that the many recent space tourists didn’t actually do any of the research and development themselves - they merely benefitted from it all. But seriously, did anyone dream a year ago that there would be a 4-person flight (admittedly suborbital) without ANY professional astronauts aboard? [(Wikipedia: List of space tourism trips)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_tourism#List_of_space_tourism_trips) The problem here is, there seems to be a considerable amount of backlash against private space tourism (“If Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson can afford to send people into space, then obviously they’re not being taxed enough”). I can see Elon Musk getting it in 2022 if SpaceX continues at its current pace; maybe 2023, if the Republicans don’t get both the House and Senate back (otherwise I think one or more Republicans will get it, the way Newt Gingrich did in 1995). ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/5 "2021-10-26T22:11:23Z")
Doctors, nurses, first responders - Book it! ---
**Author:** ![Author\_Balk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Author\_Balk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Author_Balk)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/6 "2021-10-26T22:26:58Z")
January 6th, Election Audits, Voter Suppression laws, “freedom” over mandates. Could Donald Trump be considered? ---
**Author:** ![Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/do_not_taunt/32/2968_2.png) [@Do\_Not\_Taunt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Do_Not_Taunt)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/7 "2021-10-26T22:28:22Z")
> [@Author\_Balk](#): > > Could Donald Trump be considered? Ever since Time went with Giuliani over Osama bin Laden in 2001, it’s been obvious they’re not interested in ‘rewarding’ villains. So, no, I don’t think it would be Trump. ---
**Author:** ![not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/not_what_you_d_expect/32/3246_2.png) [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/not_what_you_d_expect)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/8 "2021-10-26T22:35:19Z")
I might go with Capitol Police Officers, but I doubt they will. They should be in the running, IMO. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2021, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/9 "2021-10-26T23:26:36Z")
Greta Thunderberg perhaps. (Or was she all 2020?) ---
**Author:** ![Mallard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Mallard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mallard)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/10 "2021-10-27T01:08:02Z")
Sure glad Adolf hitler is dead. 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/11 "2021-10-27T02:04:44Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > Greta Thunderberg perhaps. (Or was she all 2020?) 2019…which is when she was named Person of the Year. > [@Mallard](#): > > Sure glad Adolf hitler is dead. 🤨 Guess what? 1938. He wasn’t the only “villain” to win; Ayatollah Khomeini won in 1979. In fact, so many people complained about the choice in 1979 that I am convinced that was the main reason they didn’t give it to Osama bin Laden in 2001. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/12 "2021-10-27T06:44:24Z")
I guess it’s too late for Baby Yoda… ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/13 "2021-10-27T12:51:28Z")
> [@That\_Don\_Guy](#): > > Guess what? 1938. He wasn’t the only “villain” to win; Ayatollah Khomeini won in 1979. In fact, so many people complained about the choice in 1979 that I am convinced that was the main reason they didn’t give it to Osama bin Laden in 2001. A lot of awful people have won it. Stalin won it twice, Guiliani, Trump, Zuckerberg, Putin, Nixon, Bezos, Bush. I can’t imagine that I would enjoy having a beer with any of that lot. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/14 "2021-10-27T14:37:38Z")
> [@not\_what\_you\_d\_expect](#): > > I might go with Capitol Police Officers, but I doubt they will. > > They should be in the running, IMO. There’s usually a list of “finalists” (a “shortlist”) that is released just before the winner is announced, although I am pretty sure they have a very good idea of who the winner will be when the list is created. Here’s a possible shortlist: Essential Workers Capitol Police / “January 6 Defenders” (the problem is, the “Stop the Steal” types may co-opt the latter as saying they were “defending the true result of the election”) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez / “The Progressives” for that matter, “Kingmaker” Joe Manchin Elon Musk (SpaceX), Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic), Jeff Bezos/William Shatner (Blue Origin) ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/15 "2021-10-27T18:50:46Z")
I don’t care, as long as it is awarded to a singular real person, and not a group, concept, idea etc. If they aren’t going to name a particular person, they should relabel it. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/16 "2021-10-27T18:54:05Z")
I don’t know who the particular person is, but whoever is most responsible for the culmination of streaming TV. Without that distraction, half of the world would have gone mad over the last year and a half. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/17 "2021-10-27T19:02:26Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > A lot of awful people have won it. Stalin won it twice, Guiliani, Trump, Zuckerberg, Putin, Nixon, Bezos, Bush. I can’t imagine that I would enjoy having a beer with any of that lot. I think his point is that while bad people have won it, no outright “villains” have won in quite some time. ---
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/18 "2021-10-27T20:52:49Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > I don’t care, as long as it is awarded to a singular real person, and not a group, concept, idea etc. If they aren’t going to name a particular person, they should relabel it. Actually, for the most part, Time does. Even before 1979, when it was changed to “Person of the Year,” Time’s Man of the Year was changed to Woman, Men, or Women as appropriate. There has even been a “Machine of the Year” (the PC) and the “Planet of the Year” (Earth). The only exceptions are when they choose an “anonymous” person to represent a group (e.g. The Hungarian Freedom Fighter; The American Soldier; “You”). ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2021, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/19 "2021-10-27T21:14:39Z")
I can’t see them picking ‘The Essential Worker’ since there’s such a backlash with them fighting vaccine mandates. I could see ‘The Changing Worker’ since return to office backlash and worker labor shortages have been such a huge story all year. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2021, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250/20 "2021-10-28T01:15:20Z")
Ever since Time chose the personal computer as person of the year (1982), I’ve decided the whole thing is bullshit. Then instead of choosing individuals they started choosing classes of people. The original stated criterion was _the person_ who did most to influence the news that year. It was not supposed to be “the person we love the most” or “this year’s hero.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/2021-time-person-of-the-year/953250.md?page=2)