The 2011 Time 100

The 2011 Time 100 list is officially out and as expected, it's full of politicians, activists, newsmakers, and artists. Since I talk about TV and movies a lot, let's quickly take a look at those TV/movie people who made the list this year and briefly talk about why they were chosen.


It's obvious why Oscar winner Colin Firth made the shortlist as he reaped awards and rave reviews for his portrayal of King George IV in the Best Picture winner The King's Speech. What's more interesting to note is that his presumably more popular fellow Oscar winners Natalie Portman and Christian Bale didn't make the list. My guess? Everyone loves Firth, probably even the Queen herself while not the same could be said about the other two. So then we get to Mark Wahlberg who seems out of place in a list like this, but many forget that not only is he an actor, but he is also an accomplished producer. In fact he was recently Oscar nominated as part of the producing team of The Fighter when it was nominated for Best Picture. Matt Damon is also on the list, but less about his work as an actor and more about his partnership with Gary White to create Water.org. The last film person on the list is newcomer Mia Wasikowska who starred in one of the biggest film's last year (Alice in Wonderland) as well as one of the best film's last year (The Kids Are All Right). I don't particularly disagree with this choice, but I wonder why she was chosen over Hailee Steinfeld, Jennifer Lawrence, and Emma Stone who all made a far biggest splash last year.

In the TV side of things, Oprah Winfrey is of course on the list and it's pretty much a no-brainer seeing as her show is ending AND she is already one of the biggest names not only in TV, but in the world in general. There's also Amy Poehler who is absolutely delightful in Parks & Recreation, probably the best sitcom out right now and since I watch way too much TV, that's actually saying something. And though she's appeared in this list before, why not include Poehler's one-time SNL cast mate Tina Fey who just released a bestseller book as well as receive the Mark Twain Prize for Humor only a few months ago? Breakout teen star and Golden Globe winner Chris Colfer is another person on the list and you know what I'm so very happy for him. His show, or even his character Kurt, may not be everyone's cup of tea, but Chris as a young and proud gay actor playing a young and proud gay character on TV is an inspiration to many especially in light of the increasing spotlight on gay teen suicides and bullying. Finally, we have Blake Lively, star of Gossip Girl and this summer's Green Lantern. I have no idea why she is on this list. I could probably name a dozen or more young actors and actresses deserving of a spot on this list. Someone please explain this choice for me.

Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner, Pixar grandmaster John Lasseter, superstar producer Scott Rudin, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and PBS Masterpiece producer Rebecca Eaton round out the list of TV/movie industry folk.

Finally, since I also talk about tennis from time to time, I want to give a shout out to 4-time Grand Slam champion Kim Clijsters who also makes the list. While I personally think someone like Rafael Nadal (achieved career Grand Slam last year) or even Novak Djokovic (undefeated so far this year) would've made a better choice, I can't complain about her inclusion especially from all of what she's achieved since she came back to the game.