And the Winner of TIME’s Person of the Year Reader Poll Is…(Kim Jong Un, can't make this up)

Time ^ | 12/13/2012 | Kelly Conniff

[Beave Meister]

Kim Jong Un is having a good year. After taking over the leadership of North Korea from his late father Kim Jong Il, at the end of 2011, he’s solidified his control over the country, appeared on TIME’s cover and he was even named ‘Sexiest Man Alive.’ (OK, that honor was actually bestowed as a spoof in the satirical newspaper, The Onion, but a Chinese news service mistook the Onion piece for real news and the story went global.)

Now, he’s gotten the most votes in TIME’s completely unscientific reader Person of the Year Poll with 5.6 million votes. Not bad for a man who didn’t make an official public appearance until 2010.

This doesn’t mean Kim is TIME’s Person of the Year. That choice is made by the editors of TIME and will be revealed Dec. 19 on the Today show, on TIME.com and via TIME’s Twitter handle. The poll allows readers to weigh in on the people—and things (Hello, Curiosity Rover!)—whom they think influenced the news, for better or worse, in 2012.

[Beave Meister]

Does this really surprise anyone anymore.....Is their anyone at Time over the age of 16 who is in charge of making decisions. They wonder why their subscription base has dwindled to rock bottom levels.

[silverleaf]

D’Oh! Maybe they all though he was that “Psy” guy
Oppan Gangnam Style!

Or maybe Time readers appreciate his family’s tradition of gulags to keep progressives in power

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Is this the same Kim Jong Un who was voted the sexiest man alive by The Onion recently?

[BitWielder1]

Okay, who "Freeped" that poll?

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Time’s up.

[John W]

This is the reader-and I use that term loosely-poll. The actual winner picked by Time will probably be even more disappointing, Obama.

[Texas Eagle]

TIME is still being published???

[Eagle of Liberty]

"The Daily Show’ funny man Jon Stewart, Undocumented Immigrants, Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas and Burmese leaders Aung San Suu Kyi and Thein Sein, Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie all made it into the top ten. However, some of the highest vote tallies got a boost from members of Internet forums like 4Chan who launched a campaign to manipulate the results pushing North Korea’s supreme leader to the top of the list.

The largest number of ”no way” votes went to Egyptian President Mohammad Morsi. Despite his unfavorable ranking, his inclusion on the poll has elicited a flurry of passionate responses on social media, as did TIME’s recent exclusive interview and cover story.

Other notable inclusions prompted plenty of online chatter, even if it didn’t result in a top ranking: Pakistani schoolgirl and girls’ education advocate Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by a Taliban gunman for her outspoken activism, placed 15th; Korean rapper Psy, creator of the ‘Gangnam Style’-sensation and the most-watched video in YouTube history, placed 17th.

[Flycatcher]

TIME’s completely unscientific reader Person of the Year Poll

What do you mean, "unscientific"?

This frivolous poll probably has more real scientific backing than any global-warming model of the last ten years.

[Conscience of a Conservative]

Time’s “Person of the Year” is not an honor. It doesn’t mean “Best Person of the Year,” it means (essentially) “Most Significant Person of the Year.” So, if a terrible person happens to have a tremendous influence on world events (e.g., when Hitler was “Person of the Year” back during WWII), they may be named “Person of the Year”, but they are not being “honored” as such.

Not, saying that Kim Jong Un is the right pick, just pointing out that getting offended about the Person of the Year thing is misplaced (and silly - really, who cares?)

[muawiyah]

Un is beating out Fluke ~ sending her a message Fur Shur.

[Arthur McGowan]

I think it should be the Georgetown Slut herself. Reminder: Hitler was Man of the Year at least once. She turned out to be a huge influence on Obama’s base of sluts and slugs.

[Boogieman]

No, they’re going to pick Sandra Fluke. They’ve been telegraphing that for a while.

[NonValueAdded]

No wonder we haven't heard much from the new Deal Leader ... he was the one busy freeping the Time poll.

[John W]

Now THAT would be insane.

[Fiji Hill]

They should pick Candy Crowley, who saved Obama’s presidency when she kibitzed in the debate.

[Oztrich Boy]

Your reading comprehension would make the Baby Jesus cry.