A Necessary Name Change

When the full list of this year’s TIME 100 Most Influential People was released, I was among many who were surprised by several of the entries on the list. Perhaps most surprising is the inclusion of several members of young Hollywood, newcomers to fame let alone power over people. I have never paid much attention to this superlative before, but after considering whom TIME selects for the honor ever year it seems like the list is due for a name change. Influential implies that these 100 people sway us to change our lives or ways of thinking, which many of the listed do not necessarily do. Rather than calling it the 100 Most Influential People, it would be more appropriate to call it the 100 Most Reflective People.

Now, reflective is not intended to describe the mental activities of the entrants; “most reflective” is not to insinuate that they are the most pensive people who have spent a year pondering the universe and all that has happened in it. Rather, instead of influential, what many of the controversial listees are is reflective of the moment in time that is 2011. They hold up a mirror, flattering or otherwise, to our culture, politics, and beliefs as they are at a specific moment in time and show what matters to us.

Blake Lively, sandwiched in between talk show host Joe Scarborough and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was by far the most baffling person on the list. The 23 year old actress is most notable for her current role as rich free-spirit Serena van der Woodsen on Gossip Girl and her upcoming role as aerospace heiress Carol Ferris in Green Lantern, she does not belong on a list that includes those whose “ideas spark dialogue and dissent and sometimes even revolution;” it is doubtful that her opinion on North African politics inspired any of the rioters in Gadafi’s streets or even the Tweeters flooding them with support. But Blake Lively is highly reflective of what is going on in 2011. As Serena van der Woodsen, she reflects the larger controversy over the decadent, hypersexual, hard-partying depictions of teens in pop culture that are becoming more common as real-life teens are pushing the boundaries of debauchery and self-indulgence. As Carol Ferris, she reflects the resurgence of Golden Age superheroes and their gritty origin stories in 21st century Hollywood and greater pop culture. Blake Lively may not influence anyone to take political action or spark debate over anything more than her ever-changing hair color, but she is most definitely a mirror of our current cultural climate.

Less controversial but still surprising was the inclusion of 20-year-old Chris Colfer, known exclusively for his portrayal of Kurt Hummel on the television show Glee. Colfer won the 2011 Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor in his role on a television show that draws in upwards of 20 million viewers weekly, but that is not why he is reflective or even influential of this moment in time. It is his portrayal of his openly gay character who endures vicious bullying with true-to-life vulnerability, fear, pride, and resilient spirit that makes him almost universally relatable—across age, gender, sexual orientation, whatever—that makes Chris Colfer important. The respect with which Colfer treats the role he has been given, a role that he himself lived, makes him not only a great actor but a great public voice against the epidemics of gay-bashing, cyber-bullying, and teen suicide sweeping his show’s key demographics. He accepts the position of role model as easily as he accepted the role of Kurt Hummel, and he fulfills both duties skillfully. Chris Colfer is a mirror for the slowly opening issues of teen sexuality and violence, issues that were previously brushed under the rug rather than addressed publicly and healthily. He is certainly influential, as many teens have written to him expressing their gratitude that his character inspired them and saved their life, but more than that Chris Colfer is reflective of the world we live in now.

Others on the list who are more reflective than influential are British actor Colin Firth, fashion designer/director Tom Ford, Canadian singer Justin Bieber, Korean singer Rain, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, First Lady Michelle Obama, and Speaker of the House John Boehner. Whether it is the growing American emphasis on education, the concerning rise of far-right politics, or the globalization of pop culture, they are all representative of the year 2011 as much, if not more so, as they are affective in it. Thus, should TIME continue to select such a varied list of artists, politicians, and media darlings of all kinds, it should adapt the title of its list to show what it really enumerates: mirrors of our time, those who reflect who we are and what we care about it.