Tongiht CNN ran an infomercial special on Time's "Person Of The Year" (hooray, Time Warner synergies!), which basically amounted to one long Time editorial staff meeting intercut with some images and commentary, plus the obligatory "Ask The Bloggers" panel (which included Gawker managing editor Chris Mohney, thus precluding them from having any right to mock it). The result: The 2006 Time "Person Of The Year" is YOU — as in YouTube, YouSpace, YouFacebook, YouTunes, You Everything. Congratulations! Now go buy a copy, it's mirrored and everything so you really feel like you're on the cover. Here's Time managing editor Rick Stengel and Soledad O'Brien in the final, somewhat awkward reveal:
For a second it seems like Soledad really did think it was her. As for the rest of us, well, we know a cop-out when we see one (even The American Soldier is going "What the hell?"). Though we'd guess that "You" is preferable to having George W. Bush again.
As promised, here's Time.com Washington Editor Ana Marie Cox, who had to sit through the unedited version of the Time staff meeting:
Possible thought bubble: "My ring is pretty!"
Here's another "Thing Of The Year" — "The Botched Joke." We're hoping that's what this was here in this snippet from the blogger panel between Soledad and Omar Wasow,executive director of BlackPlanet.com:
We don't exactly know what the joke meant but we're giving her the benefit of the doubt and trying not to think too hard about it.
And finally, you gotta love this choice MySpace screengrab on the part of CNN:
What exactly were you trying to look at there, CNN? You're pervy.
In any case, congratulations to all of you! You're the Person Of The Year! Now go ahead and watch this random guy dance.
