“I don’t want to hear any debate about who is the 2011 Newsmaker of the Year or Person of the Year,” Jon Friedman writes for MarketWatch. “It is Steve Jobs. Hands down. End of discussion.”
“Time offers the most high-profile award. The magazine loves to be controversial and, of course, revels in getting massive cheap publicity (like, for instance, this column),” Friedman writes. “Time seems to figure the more provocative it is, the more people will talk and write about it.”
“I lost a lot of respect for Time’s award based on its decision a decade ago when it named New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani instead of Osama bin Laden, in the wake of the 9/11 terror attacks on America,” Friedman writes. “I wrote in this space that Time had showed no guts because, clearly, bin Laden affected our lives more profoundly than the so-called ‘America’s Mayor’ that year. Maybe Time, which had cited evildoers from Hitler to Stalin over the years, didn’t want to cite the world’s No. 1 terrorist. Bottom line: Time dropped the ball that year.”
Friedman writes, “Jobs would appear to be a popular choice. It’s hard to quibble with his importance. Amazingly, he has never won the award by himself and this is the last time that Time could give him the designation.”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Fred Mertz” for the heads up.]
I’d vote for Steve….for what it is worth.
Why would Jobs be man of the year??? He didn’t do anything this year. Actually he should never have been considered since all he’s ever been is a businessman.
Boy, that’s a shortsighted comment.
Thank you for that comment– it illustrates the evil that is pervasive to this day.
A man who has improved hundreds of millions of lives “shouldn’t be considered since all he’s ever been is a businessman.”
Obviously written by a scumbag who wants all humans living under the heel of government.
You sir, are the epitome of evil.
Like the opposite of business is government? You can’t be for or against them both? You don’t have a high opinion of business so you must want to live under the heel of government. Talk about jumping to conclusions.
No, he just lumps everything he hates under the Obama-liberal umbrella. If it’s worth hating, blame Obama.
Why can’t a “businessman” who’s also changed the world as a visionary be “Person of the Year?” Even in death, Steve Jobs’ passing alone elevated the discussion and thus made an impact, another dent in the universe.
Steve “didn’t do anything” this year. Yeah? How about the iPad being widely adopted in hospitals to help Doctors to treat and cure people? How about the use of the iPad for kids with Autism, to help them deal with their problem. How about the iPad going into a number of schools because of the learning it provokes. Accusing Steve Jobs of just being a businessman indicates that you cannot read about Jobs and his sensitivity to art, fonts, and design. Get back to us Greg M, when you do anything that needs to be recognized.
Yes for Steve Jobs!
He is definately not going to win father of the year…
Father of the year–he should be why not?
He fathered Reed who entered Stanford Medical School to find ways to cure cancer, he fathered Lisa, whom SJ named one of his first computers, and spent money to educate her in Harvard, and all of his other high-achieving, highly accomplished children! He never divorced too, and had a great relationship with wife Laurene for 20 years!
I don’t think SJ would care if he won or not. These awards are for people to argue about.
If there is one ultimate award Humankind can think of… it should go to Steve Jobs ! He changed the world !!!!
“Here’s to the crazy ones. The rebels. The troublemakers. The ones who see things differently. While some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do.” And here’s to Steve Jobs. He absolutely gets my vote for person of the year!