# Time's Person of the Year **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 6, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296 "2011-12-06T20:59:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/1 "2011-12-06T20:59:50Z")
Another year has gone by and soon Time magazine will be picking one individual as the most newsworthy person of the year. Of course, they’ve often copped out and picked a movement or a group or even a planet, but this year there seems to be a plethora of possibilities, so I doubt they’ll got that route. Among the obvious choices that I would list: [ul] [li]Someone from the Republic Presidential field. An obvious contender because they’ve been in the news so much. On the other hand, no one was able to hold a lead in the polls for more than a few weeks. Perhaps the four joke candidates (Palin, Trump, Bachmann, and Cain) could be featured for their efforts in erasing the last dividing lines between politics and entertainment.[/li][li]Someone related to the Arab Spring. Another obvious contender, but on the downside America has stopped paying attention in the past few months. The only individual I can think of is the guy from Tunisia who set himself on fire. (What was his name again?)[/li][li]John Boehner, for creating and more or less winning two budget showdowns with the President.[/li][li]Someone or something relating to Occupy Wall Street.[/li][li]Steve Jobs. He got a done of press. On the other hand, people related to business or tech have won for two years in a row, so I’m doubtful that Time will go that route.[/li][li]Somebody involved with the whole European debt disaster.[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/2 "2011-12-06T22:08:41Z")
#1 choice: The Arab Spring guy. The guy who burned himself to death and started the whole thing. He actually died last year, but his legacy came to fruition this year. #2 choice: Steve Jobs. iPhone, iPad and the next level of connectivity. It’s not going to be any of the Republicans or any of the Occupiers. None has done anything substantial. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/3 "2011-12-06T22:21:47Z")
What has Steve Jobs done this year? Besides dying, I mean. ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/4 "2011-12-06T22:24:42Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > #2 choice: Steve Jobs. iPhone, iPad and the next level of connectivity. But the most significant thing he did this year was die. Yes there was lots of news about him but if he was going to be man of the year it should have been when his legacy was being built, not when it was being discussed. I’d suggest that Norquist might be a possibility given that his pledge basically brought the government to near default. ---
**Author:** ![Skammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skammer/32/143_2.png) [@Skammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skammer)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/5 "2011-12-06T22:27:59Z")
- The Arab Spring immolation guy - The Euro - Watson Norquist is not a bad guess either. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/6 "2011-12-06T22:28:24Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > What has Steve Jobs done this year? Besides dying, I mean. This is really the year when the iPhone and iPad took off. The smart phone is every bit as revolutionary\* as the PC was. \*Well, not really but almost It’s not going to be Norquist. The PotY is not supposed to be so America-centric. ---
**Author:** ![Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b38774/32.png) [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Attack_from_the_3rd_dimension)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/7 "2011-12-06T22:28:39Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > What has Steve Jobs done this year? Besides dying, I mean. If that’s the criterion, I nominate Osama bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/8 "2011-12-06T22:34:00Z")
The Arab Spring Guy’s name is [Mohamed Bouazizi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi). He’s a good choice, but I think it’ll be Steve Jobs, since he’d sell more magazines. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/9 "2011-12-06T22:37:21Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > The Arab Spring Guy’s name is [Mohamed Bouazizi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi). > > He’s a good choice, but I think it’ll be Steve Jobs, since he’d sell more magazines. Lady Gaga would sell more magazines. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/10 "2011-12-06T22:37:40Z")
Merneith: > [@](#): > > He’s a good choice, but I think it’ll be Steve Jobs, since he’d sell more magazines. I’m not against cynicism about the media, but Time Magazine has frequently picked out-of-left-field “Persons of the Year” that have no mass appeal. I definitely think the Arab Spring guy could be it. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/11 "2011-12-06T22:52:32Z")
We’ll see. Lady Gaga would not get my vote but I could write a defensible case for naming her person of the year based on her anti-bullying work. Time hasn’t picked anyone really out of left field since 1996 and 1997, when they chose David Ho and Andrew Grove (well, except for that whole “You” incident.) Even the Whistleblowers Year had people who were in the news that year, unlike Grove. Here’s the list, btw: > **[Person of the Year](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_the_year)** > > Person of the Year or Man of the Year is an award given to an individual by any type of organization. Most often, it is given by a newspaper or other news outlet to annually recognize a public person. Such awards have typically been awarded to one person, near or after the end of a calendar year. The awardee is usually someone widely known via a news media's audience. A local newspaper typically gives a Person of the Year award to a local individual. However, prominent Person of the Year awards h... In 1998 they picked Bill Clinton AND Ken Starr. In 200 AND 2004 they picked George Bush. In 2003 they picked “The American Soldier”. Last year, they picked the guy played by Jesse Eisenberg in that hugely popular movie. The Man of the Year choice has been a commercial choice for years now. ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/12 "2011-12-06T22:56:29Z")
I’d bet on it being an American. According to that Wikipedia list linked to above, 18 of the 22 people since 1990 have a little American flag next to them. ---
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/13 "2011-12-06T23:04:15Z")
OK, just had a flash. Time’s 2011 Person of the year: The Predator Drone. You read it here first. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/14 "2011-12-06T23:07:21Z")
Christine Lagarde, managing director of the IMF. ---
**Author:** ![drewtwo99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d07c76/32.png) [@drewtwo99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewtwo99)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/15 "2011-12-06T23:22:29Z")
They might go for Obama again just because he’s been so polarizing and newsworthy. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/16 "2011-12-06T23:28:07Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > OK, just had a flash. Time’s 2011 Person of the year: The Predator Drone. > > You read it here first. I was thinking SEAL Team 6. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/17 "2011-12-06T23:36:15Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I was thinking SEAL Team 6. There is no Seal Team 6. Do you want them showing up at your house tonight!!! ---
**Author:** ![E-Sabbath](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e19adc/32.png) [@E-Sabbath](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/E-Sabbath)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/18 "2011-12-06T23:40:58Z")
There is no question it has to be Bouazizi. He’s changing the face of the world, and it’s something that’s going to ripple into China and Russia. It’s already bounced off the US a bit. ---
**Author:** ![emacknight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/3ec8ea/32.png) [@emacknight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/emacknight)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/19 "2011-12-06T23:41:26Z")
Considering the trend of it being “You,” “The Whistleblowers,” and “The Good Samaritans,” my guess is a tribute to the 99%. Or the 1% Which ever sells more. Face it, it’s going to be Steve Jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/20 "2011-12-06T23:46:16Z")
My left-field bet? Nikolas Sarkozy. Or possibly the tag team of Sarkozy and Merkel. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296.md?page=2)