[David]

Originally Posted by irishgrl

Thank GAWD it isnt Bush or Osama...sometimes I wonder what criteria that magazine uses? At least the current honorees are humanitarians....

that comment about 70k a year being a requisite for front cover status...

I essentially said that Time never puts middle-class-level humanitarians & philanthropists -- Joe Nobodys -- on the cover. Instead, it's always an extremely wealthy person, typically an entertainer or an entrepreneur. However, I don't know the roster of recipients well. I think Mother Teresa was named Person Of The Year awhile back.

I have mixed feelings about that idea....on the one hand I agree, they should elevate a "regular joe" who has done amazing things (why not Cindy Sheehan? Rosa Parks?) but in the case of humanitarianism, it takes mega bucks to even be able to DO good works.....thus the fact that the Gates and Bono are pictured makes sense in that regard.

That was essentially my point, except in one regard: In order to give away millions of dollars, you have to have millions of dollars. But in principle, giving away millions if you have millions more isn't any more noble or worthy of singling out than a Joe or Jane Nobody giving away thousands (if all they have is thousands to begin with).

I think Time should consider who give less because they have less -- but who nevertheless give mightily of their time & money -- for Person Of The Year. Of course, then all the Bono & U2 fans wouldn't rush out to buy the stupid magazine.

Time hasn't been worth my following it since it named Jacques Barzun Intellectual Of The Year back in 1950 or so. That was the magazine's high point.