May 3, 2007
The People Who Shape Our World Posted by Alexander Burns at 05:20 PM EST It’s that special time of the year again, and Matt Drudge is hysterical. Time has unveiled its list of the “100 men and women whose power, talent or moral example is transforming the world.” Drudge is stunned that George Bush didn’t make the cut. Late last year, there was a discussion on this blog about the Atlantic Monthly’s list of the 100 most influential people in American history. Time’s list is a rather different affair and, in some ways, no less silly. To Time’s credit, some of the entries are rather more creative than they have been in previous years. A few of them inspire further reflections on my and Mr. Gordon’s exchange of the last few days. The first entry in the list’s “Leaders & Revolutionaries” category is Queen Elizabeth II. On a list that does not include the President of the United States, the inclusion of this ceremonial head of state struck me, at first, as fairly laughable. The blurb that accompanies the Queen’s name is somewhat illuminating. The author of Elizabeth’s profile, Catherine Mayer, writes that “the secret of the Queen’s success” is that “she understands the need for reforms, such as slimming the costs of her family to the taxpayer and opening her accounts to public scrutiny, but she has never compromised her identity.” In all fairness to Her Majesty, it is important to acknowledge that her recent reign has indeed seen considerably greater fiscal responsibility from the royal family, despite the still-massive public expenditures on their behalf. If she were not tarred by the sins of her children (and their spouses), I might find her easier to admire. More startling to me, though, than the Queen’s inclusion on this list, was the blurb written for another person’s entry. This remarkable woman, writes guest contributor Nelson Mandela, “overcame almost every obstacle that a person might face. She is an icon to people all over the world because of her commitment to help those who have faced similar obstacles.” Powerful praise indeed, coming from Nelson Mandela. You’d almost think, with his talk of overcoming all conceivable obstacles, that he was describing a female version of himself. So, who is this woman? Some political icon, perhaps? Another Third World leader who rose above her country’s turmoil to promote peace and prosperity? Someone, perhaps, like Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, the president of Liberia? No, Mandela’s high praise is reserved for someone who may come closer than any American to playing the part of Queen: Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey’s charitable work is laudable, and to include her among a list of today’s most influential Americans is probably a good idea. At the same time, there’s something that strikes me as distasteful about a democratic revolutionary and transformative global figure like Mandela inclining his head before this monarch of daytime television. This is certainly a useful reminder that, when one trades in a ceremonial head of state, like Elizabeth Windsor, for a wholly elected one, like George Bush, the search for national idols does not cease. It just turns toward places like Hollywood, and toward institutions like Harpo Productions.
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