Elon Musk may have been named TIME Magazine‘s Person of the Year for 2021, but not everyone is in agreement that Musk deserved the honor. After TIME made the announced on Monday, Dec. 13, social media erupted in discourse, with many slamming the decision and declaring that country music icon Dolly Parton was far more deserving of the award.
While Musk received the honor for “creating solutions to an existential crisis, for embodying the possibilities and the perils of the age of tech titans, for driving society’s most daring and disruptive transformations,” according to Time editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal, many couldn’t help but note the numerous contributions Parton has made over the past year. In addition to continuing to be a music legend, Parton has continued to run her Dolly’s Imagination Library, which gifts free books to children from birth until they begin school. Perhaps even more notable, though, was Parton’s involvement in the COVID-19 vaccine. In 2020, the “9 to 5” singer donated $1 million to fund research for the Modern vaccine, and in March 2021, she helped encourage others to roll up her sleeve by sharing a “Jolene” parody as she received her first Moderna dose.
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Despite her numerous contributions and cultural impact, however, Parton was not named TIME Magazine‘s Person of the Year for 2021. The magazine did not release a shortlist of nominees this year, so it is unclear if Parton was up for consideration. Person of the Year dates back decades and recognizes individuals for their impact on the world. Keep scrolling to see what social media had to say about Parton following the Monday reveal.
Parton is ‘more deserving’ than Musk
“Kinda feel the need to remind everyone that while a couple of rich dudes were doing space tourism in a pandemic, Dolly Parton was funding vaccine research with her money,” tweeted one person. “The only reason Dolly isnt richer than those wankers is that she keeps giving her money away.”
Parton should be ‘Person of the Year every year’
“Of course Dolly Parton should have been Time‘s Person of the Year. This year, she funded research that led to the Covid vaccine. But every year, she gives millions of free books to kids around the world. Over 100 MILLION books so far,” wrote another person. “She should be Person of the Year every year.”
Parton was the ‘obvious pick’
“I mean, the way everyone has been talking about her this past year, I feel like Dolly Parton was the obvious pick for person of the year, but whatever,” commented somebody else. “That would give off hope and we know TIME don’t want that.”
Parton ‘saved millions of lives’
“Dolly Parton saved millions of lives this year,” noted another person. “But let’s platform some dude who doesn’t pay taxes, exploits workers, and tries to pass off an El Camino as a ‘Cyber Truck.’”
‘Terrible mistake’
“Dolly Parton financing vaccine development, thus saving millions of lives,” tweeted somebody else. “Perhaps a far wiser choice for TPotY?”
Parton is ‘the real person of the year’
“Again, the only reason Dolly Parton is NOT a billionaire is because of all her charity work, highlighted by the countless books she has donated to children. Oh yeah, and she also helped FUND DEVELOPMENT OF THE COVID VACCINE,” shared one person.
Parton being exclused should ‘be something that enrages us all’
“So you’re telling me the billionaire who doesn’t pay taxes and his cars keep blowing up is Person of the Year? not Dolly Parton who helped FUND the Moderna vaccine??? …or literally anyone else lol” asked another.
