The Big Ideas of 2009

Person of the Year

The Person of the Year award is given to an individual who wields a massive social, environmental and economic impact.

The Person of the Year award is given to an individual who wields a massive social, environmental and economic impact. This year's recipient is none other than the first-world consumer, whose fantastic disregard for his surroundings is wreaking planetary havoc.

he might be potbellied or lean, his flat screen television holds no prejudice. He guzzles fossil fuels without giving it a thought – driving fantastic feats of automotive mastery four blocks to the liquor store.

numbskull stimulation comes easy to this fellow – he loads up on UFC matches, Mariah Carey and Maury Povich. This might be forgivable, if not for the copious amounts of energy he uses – some 40 times more than anyone in the developing world.

this person of the year loves the hamburgers. Loves ‘em. He’s a hog of epic proportions, often needing two chairs to support his girth. Should the current obesity epidemic continue, squadrons of gastropods in motorized carts will be rolling around local food courts.

ten million people starve to death around the world every year. Does the Person of the Year care? Perhaps, but as only as a passing notion, a fleeting sympathy sparked by an article in Reader’s Digest, which is then quelled by taking a warm bath.

this person ignores standard methods of contraception, spawning generations in his likeness and spoiling the gene pool for years to come. Kudos, Person of the Year, and good luck to you. You’re probably going to need it.

126 comments on the article “Person of the Year”

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Anonymous

Most people here, it would seem, think this article is lacking - some. I once heard this comment "True democracy is constant vigilance: not thinking the way you're meant to think and keeping your eyes WIDE OPEN at all times." That's great but who has that much energy all the time? Maybe a bit like myself Adbusters has just run out of steam. I hope not!

Anonymous

Most people here, it would seem, think this article is lacking - some. I once heard this comment "True democracy is constant vigilance: not thinking the way you're meant to think and keeping your eyes WIDE OPEN at all times." That's great but who has that much energy all the time? Maybe a bit like myself Adbusters has just run out of steam. I hope not!

Anonymous

2009's Person of the Year will be the Third World activist. 2010's Person of the Year will be the First World radical.

Anonymous

2009's Person of the Year will be the Third World activist. 2010's Person of the Year will be the First World radical.

Shawn Michel de...

Is making signs to hang over freeway overpasses as effective as blogging? I have serious doubts. Some reality for y'all: you're always preaching to the choir. Deal with it. The population you want to change will not, regardless of your actions, your rants, your cash, your rage. Deal with that, too. True change comes from within. All education is self-education. The word education comes from the verb to educe, "to lead forth from within." From within, not without, people. Time to put your oh-so-effective freeway signs down and drive back to reality. You want change? Change yourself. Remove the beam from your own eye. If your brother has a moat in his, no amount of bitching about it or picking at him is going to get it out of there. He'll have to do that for himself. The Tao te Ching tells us that "He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know." There's a reason for that. Think of it before you go shrieking your outrage at the world.

Shawn Michel de...

Is making signs to hang over freeway overpasses as effective as blogging? I have serious doubts. Some reality for y'all: you're always preaching to the choir. Deal with it. The population you want to change will not, regardless of your actions, your rants, your cash, your rage. Deal with that, too. True change comes from within. All education is self-education. The word education comes from the verb to educe, "to lead forth from within." From within, not without, people. Time to put your oh-so-effective freeway signs down and drive back to reality. You want change? Change yourself. Remove the beam from your own eye. If your brother has a moat in his, no amount of bitching about it or picking at him is going to get it out of there. He'll have to do that for himself. The Tao te Ching tells us that "He who knows does not speak; he who speaks does not know." There's a reason for that. Think of it before you go shrieking your outrage at the world.

Anonymous

I will choose optimism over your pessimistic introduction. True change comes from within obviously, so I have changed who I was. Now, I choose to let me voice be heard and exercise my rights. I choose to make a change in the world, however small and inconsequential anyone thinks it is. Taoists are known paradox masters. Yoda was way cooler and I wasn't really angry, just trying to be heard :)

Anonymous

I will choose optimism over your pessimistic introduction. True change comes from within obviously, so I have changed who I was. Now, I choose to let me voice be heard and exercise my rights. I choose to make a change in the world, however small and inconsequential anyone thinks it is. Taoists are known paradox masters. Yoda was way cooler and I wasn't really angry, just trying to be heard :)

Anonymous

Mr. de Montaigne (Really?), are you speaking to Adbusters, or the one who have made comments on this worthless article?

Anonymous

Mr. de Montaigne (Really?), are you speaking to Adbusters, or the one who have made comments on this worthless article?

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