# 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:** 2
**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, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/21 "2011-12-06T23:48:46Z")
It really should be Arab Spring Guy. No one else is even close. Think about it. Last year, it was Face Book Guy. This year it’s the guy who put Facebook into action to change the world (or at least a big part of it that needs some major changing). ---
**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, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/22 "2011-12-06T23:48:51Z")
> [@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. Facebook also played a huge role in the Arab Spring, maybe they’ll give it to Zuckerberg again. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2011, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/23 "2011-12-06T23:50:16Z")
I’m thinking this could be my year. They’ve passed me up 50 years straight, but … [crosses fingers.] ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/24 "2011-12-07T00:30:10Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > The Arab Spring Guy’s name is [Mohamed Bouazizi](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohamed_Bouazizi). I think it is definitely this guy. When you think of what has fundamentally changed in the world, or what will have repercussions decades down the line, the Arab Spring is the event of the last year. The Euro crisis is the second major event, but it’s not much of a viable contender for two reasons. The first is that there’s not really a face of the crisis. Perhaps Merkel or Merkel/Sarkosy. The second reason is that the Euro crisis hasn’t come to a resolution. With decent economic growth, the crisis may wind its way down without major change. ---
**Author:** ![Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/left_hand_of_dorkness/32/7156_2.png) [@Left\_Hand\_of\_Dorkness](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Left_Hand_of_Dorkness)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/25 "2011-12-07T00:50:00Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > I’m thinking this could be my year. They’ve passed me up 50 years straight What are you talking about? [No they haven’t](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1570810,00.html). (Awhile ago someone linked to a conspiracy article about Obama’s academic stint. I wanted to find out more about the author, so I poked around and found his “About me” page, on which he listed being Time Magazine’s 2006 person of the year; it told me what I needed to know.) ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 1:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/26 "2011-12-07T01:04:06Z")
> [@Attack\_from\_the\_3rd\_dimension](#): > > If that’s the criterion, I nominate Osama bin Laden. why bin laden or even kaddafi? i nominate friendster. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/27 "2011-12-07T04:13:15Z")
How about the Arab people in general-its not the first time Time has done a collective rather than individuals? ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/28 "2011-12-07T04:17:54Z")
very likely the 99%, or “Occupy”–or the Arab people as Qin said. I’m not convinced it has occurred to them to name Bouazizi. ---
**Author:** ![Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/f04885/32.png) [@Qin\_Shi\_Huangdi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qin_Shi_Huangdi)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/29 "2011-12-07T04:18:55Z")
> [@foolsguinea](#): > > very likely the 99%, or “Occupy” > > I’m not convinced it has occurred to them to name Bouazizi. OWS started fairly late in the year and has yet to influence any major events unlike Arab Spring. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/30 "2011-12-07T04:39:10Z")
What about Egypt’s Facebook Girl? Or Giffords? ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/31 "2011-12-07T04:45:16Z")
It’ll be Steve. It’ll be a post-mortem send-off to Steve and his legacy in forging the face of personal computing as we know it today. ---
**Author:** ![opossum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/2bfe46/32.png) [@opossum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/opossum)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/32 "2011-12-07T04:49:28Z")
> [@CitizenPained](#): > > What about Egypt’s Facebook Girl? > > Or Giffords? I was about to post to guess Mike Krzyzewski, as a way to recognize his accomplishments, with an article that talks about Penn State and Syracuse and The Role of College Sports in American Life. But Gabby Giffords is my guess now too. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/33 "2011-12-07T04:52:07Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > #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. He actually made it to 2011, in a coma. Though the argument for him being picked would stand either way. Though Steve Jobs would probably sell more books, so they’ll go with that. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/34 "2011-12-07T04:55:21Z")
mine is the late colonel mohamar kaddafi. that he had some dream and vision for his country there was little doubt. but many of his actions were terrible. a man who managed to remake himself and came back full circle. from a bloody dictator and terrorist coddler, to a pacifist statesman, and back to being bloody. from an outcast in the global community, then having all economic embargos lifted and gaining a UN security council membership, to suffering NATO airstrikes. from an oil bully to clinching lucrative supply deals with the UK and france. one of the most charistmatic arab leaders being beaten bloody and shot on video. i don’t know about you guys but i felt very, very sorry he came to such an end. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/35 "2011-12-07T05:18:05Z")
> [@mac\_bolan00](#): > > …being beaten bloody and shot on video. i don’t know about you guys but i felt very, very sorry he came to such an end. I felt the same way about poor Adam Rich. ---
**Author:** ![sqweels](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f19dbf/32.png) [@sqweels](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sqweels)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/36 "2011-12-07T05:21:00Z")
The goddamn Kardashians. ---
**Author:** ![mac\_bolan00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b3f665/32.png) [@mac\_bolan00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mac_bolan00)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/37 "2011-12-07T05:25:42Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > I felt the same way about poor Adam Rich. why feel sorry for him? after being a porn star, his is the best job in the world. oh, i thought you meant adam richman. ---
**Author:** ![Farmer\_Jane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Farmer\_Jane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Farmer_Jane)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/38 "2011-12-07T05:31:34Z")
Man of the Year shouldn’t be Obit of the Year. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/39 "2011-12-07T14:24:16Z")
> [@opossum](#): > > I was about to post to guess Mike Krzyzewski, as a way to recognize his accomplishments, with an article that talks about Penn State and Syracuse and The Role of College Sports in American Life. > > But Gabby Giffords is my guess now too. How did getting shot in the head change anything? ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2011, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296/40 "2011-12-07T14:30:55Z")
> [@E-Sabbath](#): > > 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. Times has been kinda cautious with its Man of the Year designation since they got a lot of crap for choosing the Ayatollah in '80. I think they’d shy away from glorifying a guy whose claim to fame was a public and fairly gruesome suicide. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/times-person-of-the-year/605296.md?page=3)