Bono- Time Magazine Person Of The Year?

[MrsSpringsteen]

Katrina May Be 'Person of the Year'

By DEEPTI HAJELA, Associated Press Write

Time magazine's 2005 Person of the Year may not be a person after all. A panel of notables made a strong case on Monday for awarding the distinction this year to Hurricane Katrina.

"Katrina gets you to Iraq. It gets you to petroleum. It gets you to presidential politics," NBC anchor Brian Williams said Monday. "It has laid bare so many cracks and fissures in our system."

Williams was part of a six-member panel invited to make suggestions to the magazine about who or what it should choose as its Person of the Year.

He was joined by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, who with Williams traveled to the Gulf Coast to cover Katrina, which hit on Aug. 29. Other members included Time reporter Matthew Cooper, Democratic political consultant Donna Brazile, conservative activist Grover Norquist and Cynthia Cooper, named a Person of the Year by the magazine in 2002 for her role as a WorldCom whistleblower.

Monday's panel also suggested Bono , U2's lead singer and activist; the Iraqi people, or Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the Jordanian-born leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, as possibilities.

Jim Kelly, Time's managing editor, said the magazine's staff was considering four or five possibilities. The magazine's Person of the Year issue will come out sometime next month.

 

[david]

I was hoping it would be Dr Phil

 

[longingforBono]

Hmmm, terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as person of the year?

"We commend you on such a great job of killing innocent people."

That one I don't get.

 

[onebloodonelife]

Hmmm, terrorist Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as person of the year?

"We commend you on such a great job of killing innocent people."

That one I don't get.

They've picked President Bush as well I think the only qualification you need is to be influencing others, it could be good or bad.

 

[catlhere]

A natural disaster might get Person of the Year?

Why wasn't it the tsunami then.

Oh well, I'm really stupid with this kinda stuff. -backs away slowly from the topic-

 

[onebloodonelife]

A natural disaster might get Person of the Year?

Why wasn't it the tsunami then.

Oh well, I'm really stupid with this kinda stuff. -backs away slowly from the topic-

Ahh, because we Americans don't really care about when bad stuff happens to other countries, just our own. And no, it doesn't make sense for a natural disaster to win PERSON of the year.

 

[MrsSpringsteen]

Wasn't it Bin Laden once? I believe the criteria involves affecting the world for good or for evil.. I think that's how Time explained choosing him.

 

[onebloodonelife]

I think you're right Mrs. Springsteen, but I still don't think that a natural disaster should be person of the year...

 

[corianderstem]

They've picked President Bush as well I think the only qualification you need is to be influencing others, it could be good or bad.

I believe that's correct; didn't they pick Hitler way back when?

 

[Axver]

I believe that's correct; didn't they pick Hitler way back when?

Yes. The person of the year award has nothing to do with how 'good' a person is, as 'good' is a subjective opinion. It's based on their influence and media presence.

 

[indra]

Ahh, because we Americans don't really care about when bad stuff happens to other countries, just our own. And no, it doesn't make sense for a natural disaster to win PERSON of the year.

Also, because the tsunami occurred Dec. 26 the "person" of the year story had most likely been already decided for last year...and of course it happened last year, so it would be out for this year.

I actually think the hurricane could be a good pick, but I do think they should consider changing the name of the issue. It's not so much that the storm itself was so much more horrid than any other natural disaster in the world...but it's astonishing how fucking incompetent everyone -- local, state, federal -- was (and in many cases, still is) in dealing with the aftermath. It could make for a very interesting story.

 

[Liesje]

Picking a disaster as "person of the year" seems like a cop-out to me, like they don't have time or the brains to acutally research what person it should be. If they're going to use a natural disaster, I could go backwards and pick one for each year that should've been "person of the year" instead of the human being chosen.

 

[biff]

Mother Nature?

 

[AtomicBono]

Mother Nature?

There ya go. Mother Nature's been kind of a bitch lately. Tsunami, hurricane (well numerous hurricanes actually), earthquake, tornado... if they're going to completely change the meaning of Person of the Year then I think they should give it to Mother Nature, not just Hurricane Katrina. But I think Person of the Year should be just that: a person.

 

[Irvine511]

i'd love to see bono get it, and i think in the world of arts/pop culture, he does not currently have an equal, in terms of cultural, political, and artistic influence. what's been so nice is that it seems that, finally, they are getting the props from their peers and their children (the killers, the bravery, etc.) that they have so long deserved. 2005 will be, i think, the year that U2 finally cemented themselves as the only band that could compete with the beatles and the stones in their heyday -- they've surpassed the who, zepplin, floyd, and even springsteen in virtually every measurable category ... and much of that has to do with bono's awe-inspiring ambition, his ability to keep writing great songs, to keep his voice among the most distinct in rock, and his growing ability to ignite every arena, every stadium they play.

but, hurricane katrina exposed two massive, paradigm-shifting problems: the grotesque divide between the haves and the have-nots, and just how incompetent government at all levels has become over the past 5 years (or perhaps even longer).

so, give it to the literal force of nature, not the metaphoric force of nature.

 

[blueeyedgirl]

2005 will be, i think, the year that U2 finally cemented themselves as the only band that could compete with the beatles and the stones in their heyday -- they've surpassed the who, zepplin, floyd, and even springsteen in virtually every measurable category ... and much of that has to do with bono's awe-inspiring ambition, his ability to keep writing great songs, to keep his voice among the most distinct in rock, and his growing ability to ignite every arena, every stadium they play.

Woah, let's not go overboard! As much as I love U2, I will never rate them higher than the Beatles. They changed the world.

 

[Irvine511]

Woah, let's not go overboard! As much as I love U2, I will never rate them higher than the Beatles. They changed the world.

oh, i agree. but i think *musically* they are on par.

no band -- perhaps no one else -- will ever have the cultural impact of the Beatles.

they are like Shakespeare when it comes to popular culture.

but that doesn't mean that there haven't been writers who have equalled Shakespeare in quality of writing, if not in influence.

 

[SunBloc]

Ridiculous!! IF THEY START AWARDING HURRICANES AS PEOPLE OF THE YEAR, THEY MIGHT OUGHT TO CONSIDER THE GLOBAL WARMING PATTERN!!

 

[coemgen]

VOTE FOR BONO HERE!!!!!
www.time.com/time/personoftheyear/2005/walkup/

 

[XHendrix24]

How is J.K. Rowling winning?

Isn't that the Harry Potter lady?

I mean, sure, she wrote a few pretty good books, but do people really think she affected the news and our lives all that much? I mean, besides a few crazies burning the books in protest, I don't see the big deal.


Bono's in second, though.

 

[mobvok]

Kind of predictable. U2 fans started voting en mass for Bono (he was actually first for a while), and it looks like Harry Potter fans have taken up the slack by voting for J.K Rowling.

But at least Bono's done something this year for the world. What has J.K Rowling done besides write an (admittedly very popular) series of children's books?

 

[GibsonGirl]

But at least Bono's done something this year for the world. What has J.K Rowling done besides write an (admittedly very popular) series of children's books?

Indeed. And JK Rowling's latest book wasn't even all that groundbreaking (oh, it broke a lot of sales records, but that doesn't mean anything...) in terms of literary quality. To be quite frank, it read more like a work of fan fiction to me.

 

[Lila64]

it's not like Rowling has even been in the news, except for the release of the last book, but then there is the new movie coming out shortly. But "Person Of The Year'? I don't think so. Yes, I'm biased towards Bono, but we've all seen what he has accomplished, and continues to strive for. Now, how many times can I vote

 

[corianderstem]

People, people, people. Calm down. It's what happens when you have an internet poll. Fandoms start voting en masse.

I guarantee that tomorrow, Clay Aiken will be in the lead.

 

[onebloodonelife]

People, people, people. Calm down. It's what happens when you have an internet poll. Fandoms start voting en masse.

I guarantee that tomorrow, Clay Aiken will be in the lead.

Did you know that in Minneapolis Clay Aiken is asking over $70 for some of his tickets? I laughed so hard when I saw the listing in the paper.

 

[Axver]

People have no fucking taste in literature.

None.

The fact 60% of people who voted on that poll voted for that incompetent hack proves my point vividly.

 

[corianderstem]

Axver, really. You should learn to form an opinion someday.

... and then please learn to state that opinion without making look like a snobby put-down of anyone who might disagree with you.

Axver: arbiter of good taste in music and literature since 1987.

 

[wenda]

JK Rowling is winning...Bono, uhhh, isn't...

I love Harry Potter though...but I love Bono...

 

[Shawn Bonneau]

Bono is in second place.... Just far behind the fuckin' Harry Potter

SMB

 

[Lemonfix]

People have no fucking taste in literature.

None.

The fact 60% of people who voted on that poll voted for that incompetent hack proves my point vividly.

Harry Potter books are children's stories. Children's stories that have turned on children (and adults) to reading and, in turn, probably great literature as well.

Would you rather Dan Brown be winning?