In her Wall Street Journal column Peggy Noonan names her pick for person of the year:
Miss Taylor Swift is the Person of the Year. She is the best thing that has happened in America in all of 2023. This fact makes her a suitably international choice because when something good happens in America, boy is it worldwide news.
I just saw a NYT column saying pretty much the same thing.
They may be right. That’s what I find sad. I’m not singling Ms. Swift out. In the past Time Persons of the Year have been political, business, scientific, and religious leaders. They have been protesters, groups, things, and abstract concepts. To the best of my knowledge a popular entertainer has never been named person of the year.
Well, they cant name any politician for fear of losing sales. Half the country thinks scientists do nothing but perpetuate hoaxes. Is there a religious leader that is not divisive? Besides, football is an actual religion for many people, much more than their claimed christian faith and now that she goes to games and is dating one of the most popular players in the league how can you go wrong. Also, celebrity culture still is important in the US.
I thought it might be one of the AI folks but with the recent drama that may have undercut that.
Steve
Chickening out and naming AI person of the year would probably be the right as well as most politic choice.