April 29: Singer Lady Gaga, actor Robert Pattinson, artist Banksy, Apple entrepreneur Steve Jobs, Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, talk-show hostess Oprah Winfrey, actor-tweeter Ashton Kutcher, talk show host Conan O’Brien, artist Zaha Hadid, filmmaker James Cameron, and Nelson Mandela’s wife Graça Machel have all been included in Time magazine’s 2010 list of the world’s most influential people.
The “Heroes” section – kept apart from the “Thinkers” section – is particularly eclectic: action film star Jet Li, former US president Bill Clinton, tennis player Serena Williams, World Health Organization’s Goodwill Ambassador Liya Kebede, ChildCount+’s Matt Berg, and Night at the Museum actor Ben Stiller, among others.
Obviously, no one in his or her right mind would take those things seriously. The essays written on each of the Top 100 have been penned by fans of varying degrees of repute and ill-repute, grace and disgrace:
Henry Kissinger drools over Singapore’s Lee Kuan Yew, who is credited for turning the tiny Southeast Asian city-state into a financial powerhouse (no mention, of course, of Lee’s firm belief in stuff such as curbs on personal and media freedom, and “corporal punishment,” i.e., torture); the invariably trustworthy Tony Blair gives kudos to Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad; Michael Moore idealizes Workers’ Party Brazilian president Luiz Inacio da Silva (a.k.a. Lula), while fully ignoring Lula’s thoroughly pro-business policies, his disregard for Brazil’s environment, and the myriad corruption scandals that have plagued his government.
Also, Sarah Palin throws hosannas at fellow far-right, anti-social justice advocate Glenn Beck; Gael Garcia Bernal has some good things to say about Alter Eco’s founder Tristan Leconte, Cyndi Lauper goes all out for Lady Gaga, and Betty White praises this year’s Best Actress Oscar winner and about-to-become-divorcee Sandra Bullock’s determination and physique (but not her newly adopted child; that came later).
Ben Stiller got an essay from Robert De Niro, with whom Stiller starred in Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers – the latter, one of the worst movies ever made.
Robert Pattinson was the topic of The Twilight Saga: New Moon director Chris Weitz (“I love you, Rob! Call me!”). Stephen Daldry wrote about Elton John (“he is also the best friend anyone could possibly hope for”) while John penned the mini-essay about billionaire Ukrainian businessman Victor Pinchuk, who “shows his love of our planet and makes the world a better place to live.”
More from Chris Weitz on Robert Pattinson:
And though I am continually impressed by the aplomb with which he handles the hysteria, I occasionally think he would take it all back if given the chance. Because essentially, Rob, 23, is a reserved, bookish sort of specimen, a guy who’d rather spend the night at the corner table in the pub with friends – a bit of a weirdo, frankly, in the best sense.
It’s been argued elsewhere on this site that “that’s why Pattinson was able to incarnate Edward Cullen, another ‘bit of a weirdo in the best sense,’ so believably.”
Even before I looked at his page, I just knew that Sigourney Weaver had been the one who had written the paean to James Cameron. There could have been no one else.
Here’s a telling remark about the maker of Avatar: “But the truth is — although he has extraordinary abilities, appetite and drive,” Weaver explains, “Jim simply does not recognize human limitations in himself or anyone else. … Please don’t anyone ever cast him in a movie. If he finds out that he can act too, we’ll know for sure the guy is a mutant.”
Missing from Time‘s final “most influential” list: Early popular entry Shah Rukh Khan.
Time magazine ‘100 most influential people’: Like MTV Movie Awards, your vote counts
April 5: Singer Lady Gaga, figure-skater Yu-Na Kim, singer-actor Rain, late-show host Conan O’Brien, American Idol competitor Adam Lambert, cricket batsman Sachin Tendulkar, actor Shah Rukh Khan, actor Robert Pattinson, the Penny Arcade cartoonists, and fighter Dana White. These are the current top names found on Time magazine’s chart of the – so far – 100 most influential people of 2010 in the world of politics, arts, sciences, and technology.
Unfunny late-night jokes help cure insomnia, so that’s a refined form of science. Jay Leno and David Letterman should have been in there as well.
I’m assuming Lady Gaga is on the chart for her technological advances (didn’t she invent Twitter, or was that Ashton Kutcher?).
Robert Pattinson was surely included for being such a consummate politician in the Twilight movies, keeping humans, vampires, and werewolves living in (sort of) harmony. And even reining in his worst instincts for the sake of a (pretty) human being about eight decades younger than him.
Paleface Robert Pattinson
According to Time, Pattinson has been included because “the Twilight saga has been a boon for the British heartthrob, who plays sparkly, sexy vampire Edward Cullen in the hit franchise. The third installment, Eclipse, comes out this summer, ensuring that Pattinson’s face – however pale – will be omnipresent.”
Now, can Robert Pattinson truly end up as one of the “100 most influential people of 2010”? Quite possibly, as Time magazine – like the MTV Movie Awards and the People’s Choice Awards – allows its website visitors to vote for whom they believe is, has been, or will be “influential” this year.
Besides Lady Gaga, Rain, and all the influencers listed above, other potential choices include:
- Banksy.
- Sandra Bullock.
- Nicolas Sarkozy.
- Vivienne Westwood.
- Muammar Gaddafi.
- Preity Zinta.
- Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
- Kaká.
- Beyoncé Knowles.
- Warren Buffett.
- Oprah Winfrey.
- Hugo Chávez.
- Anna Wintour.
- Sarah Palin.
- Arnold Schwarzenegger.
- Rupert Murdoch.
- But where are these influencers?
Shockingly missing from the Time magazine list of potentially “most influential” people on Planet Earth:
- Ricky Martin.
- Osama bin Laden.
- Miley Cyrus.
- Pope Benedict XVI.
- Woody Allen.
- Prince William.
- Anna Paquin.
- Christoph Waltz.
- Silvio Berlusconi.
- Sasha Grey.
- The Jonas Brothers.
- Jesse James.
Emilie de Ravin and Robert Pattinson Remember Me movie image: Myles Aronowitz | Summit Entertainment.
16 comments
definatly will vote robby. i wouldnt pick anyone else
Will definitely vote for Rob. He has much right as the other celebs to be there. Actually more in my opinion. Rob seems so down to earth and unhollywood. He is very talented and smart! He seems like an all around great guy!
ASHTON and ROBERT is very special for me !
Shahrukh Khan has charming personality, He is famous by his acting in bollywood movies.
Wow, congrats Rob!!! luv ya!
There is nothing special about what Lady GaGa does.
Nothing is original, intelligent, or even remotely different about what she does, to everyone else.
Wearing HILARIOUS and RIDICULOUS costumes, does not make you talented.
I give it 12 months before she is laughed at and ridiculed daily on national television.
DanRad is one talented young actor. All the HP actors: Dan, Rupert, and Emma are just absolutely brilliant and they deserve every penny that they’ve earned. They’re careers have gotten off to a magnificent start and I can’t wait to see what they do in the future.
Does something need to be high browed or of profound political or intellectual value to be considered influential?…I think not. The author of this article needs loose the snobbery(not sure that is a word, but you get my drift) Pop culture has been influential for a long time. I do not follow the Twilight culture, but I am an avid Adam Lambert fan, the author should listen to his music, he is sure to be iconic, and I just plain enjoy listening to it-you should try doing something just for the sheer enjoyment-it works, makes you happy, or sad, or whatever emotion you want to feel at the time..thanks for listening.
When my husband told me about some of the people on the list this morning I said “are you sure it is not a pop culture list of some kind?” I couldn’t care less about Lady Gag Me. Neither she, nor Adam Lambart, some skater from the Olympics, or even Robert Pattinson (who I like) have influenced me to do anything. This is ridiculous.
shahrukh khan is the best no one can beat him
my voice goes only to srk shahrukh khan because he is the most influenial others are only trash or immoral personalities except the korean kim
vote for shahrukh khan
Shahrukh Khan (Hindi: ??????? ????, Urdu: ??? ??? ???; born 2 November 1965), sometimes credited as Shah Rukh Khan, is an Indian actor and a prominent Bollywood figure, as well as a film producer and television host. Khan began his career appearing in several television serials in the late 1980s. He made his film debut in Deewana (1992). Since then, he has been part of numerous commercially successful films and has earned critical acclaim for many of his performances. Khan has won thirteen Filmfare Awards for his work in Indian films, seven of which are in the Best Actor category.
I agree my votes go to Robert Pattinson. I think he is very talented and different – unhollywood – picky about his new roles and down to earth. Really like him.
Let me guess, you have never watched the twilight movies nor read the twilight books. Otherwise you would know that it is Kristen Stewart’s character Bella Swan who unites humans, vampires and wolves. The men from each species fall for her and the vampires and wolves later unite to protect her. So sounds like she should be on the list and not Robert Pattinson. Your information is simply wrong. Like the person above mentioned why write an article about things you have no knowledge about. Someone on this website must have a teenage daughter that you could have phoned for help.
I agree, Pattinson gets my vote. Guy’s got talent and is pretty darn fascinating too.
Patterson? How about the guy from Harry Potter?
If you don’t know who some of the people are then you are not following pop culture,which does in fact have a huge impact on society. Lady GaGa has introduced a whole new artform to pop music. Her music is unique and she is a performance artist as well as singer. Something that has been lacking.
Adam Lambert is America’s first mainstream gay singer. A man who “came” out well before his debut CD dropped. By the way that is a first for America. The very few who have come out wait until they are well established in their career and usually because they were “caught”. He is changing the way people perceive gay men. He is an overtly sexual man by nature. Women in pop music have been sexual in nature and context for decades. He is the first sexaul gay male. He was brought up in a family that taught him to be proud of who he is. Think of having someone like that as a role model for the teens out their struggling with their sexual identity in a non-nuturing family (believe me there are plenty). A role model to show you it’s ok to like yourself and be proud of who you are.
It is not so much Robert Patterson but the whole “vampire, Twilight” hysteria that has gripped the world of late that gives this one an impact. Although perhaps not as big an impact on culture as the previous too a huge hit amongst teens and preteens.
I could go on and on but I will spare you. Before one knocks something and turns one nose up perhaps some research is needed