On Time Magazine's Lame Tribute

Ok. Ok. Ok! I give up!

I tried to duck the trend. I tried to stay away from the blog-storm everyone's racing toward.

But I can't. The story just demands more, more, more!

I mean, just look at it!

For those that missed it, Julie D. has the cover:


First, Michelle Malkin exorciated it over at Hot Air.

Next, Jeremy Lott slow roasts it over an open flame in today's Opinion Journal:

there is something uniquely demented about this year's choice. It claims to celebrate You, the reader, the YouTuber, the amateur, the activist. Editor Stengel goes so far as to compare You to Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Paine. So then what does Time choose to highlight as examples of greatness in action?

Leila is a 20-year-old single Muslim woman who lives in Maryland and posts diary videos on YouTube: "She says um and ah a lot. She has been known to drink and blog. Sometimes she doesn't speak at all, just runs words across the screen while melancholy singer-songwriter stuff plays in the background."

Megan Gill is a 22-year-old senior at the University of Portland who just broke up with her boyfriend and changed her status from "dating" to "single" on her Facebook page. She has 708 registered "friends" who check back for regular updates on her site, such as "Megan is so over first semester," "Megan is bummed about the election results," "Megan is tired of letting people down."

Warren Murray and Leanne White are copyeditors at the Guardian who produce their own video podcast, "Crash Test Kitchen." It differs from most cooking shows in that they often screw up the recipes and fight on the air.

Kamini is a black French rapper who grew up in a tiny town in the countryside. He may one day be able to quit his job as part-time nurse with great rhymes like, "I wanted to revolt, except that there, there's nothing to burn./ There's just one bus for the high school, same for the community center,/ Not worth going and burning a neighbor's car,/ Cuz they don't have them, they've all got mopeds." (People who watched the music video on the French version of YouTube were wild about it. Honest.)

So, I've caved. I'm covering it. There.

Michelle Malkin has already profiled how Time managed to miss conservative bloggers. Particularly conservative bloggers that trumped MSM at their own game. Mr. Lott exposes the scathing derision that Time's editors apparently feel toward their person of the year.

So what' s my take?

I'm ready to pee over the keyboard, I'm laughing so hard! Time still doesn't get it. The Internet has allowed we the people to aquire our own information about the world direct from AP, Reuters, International media and beyond--all without their Reasonable spin and editorial selection. They can't full comprehend still just how finished they've become. Unless MSM completely revamps itself into an internet-based media institution of incredible proportions, they're an extinct enterprise within my lifetime.

Bloggers have broken stories, shattered Media circus shows, watchedogged the watchdogs--and each other. And we've passionately run off cliffs together in absurd group-think. We've also united with each other to help out those in need. Think Katrina relief--and information sourcing.
Now, look what the more serious flickrs and you-tubers have accomplished--and continue to! Man of the year? You. Have. No. Idea.

Nor will they. Let them soak the carpet with condescension. We people of the year don't need 'em.

They'll find that out soon enough!