Appearing exclusively on NBC’s Today show Wednesday morning, Time magazine editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal announced the liberal publication’s Person of the Year would be radical teenage climate crusader Greta Thunberg. The network hosts were predictably thrilled by the pick as they proclaimed that Thunberg “embodies student activism.”
During the 7:30 a.m. ET half hour, Felsenthal eagerly announced the pick: “It’s Greta Thunberg. She became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year, coming from essentially nowhere to lead a worldwide movement.” He further claimed that Thunberg “represents a broader generational shift in the culture” and compared her to the Hong Kong protesters (who were on the short list) and anti-gun student activists from Parkland, Florida.
He happily proclaimed that Thunberg was another example “where young people are demanding change and urgently.”
Co-host Craig Melvin chimed in: “She embodies student activism.” Felsenthal agreed: “She does. She embodies youth activism. Youngest person ever to be Person of the Year.” Fellow co-host Hoda Kotb chimed in to declare that was “pretty cool.”
Felsenthal continued his adulation for the left-wing hero: “I mean, her rise in influence has been really extraordinary. She was a solo protester with a hand-painted sign 14 months ago. She’s now led millions of people around the world, 150 countries, to act on behalf of the planet...”
Kotb went on to portray Thunberg as role model:
Well, she’s a unique individual. Folks who don’t know her well should probably watch her TED talk. She talks about the fact that she has Asperger’s, that she’s different but she stands out in front. And I’m sure there are parents whose children, you know, have something like that who are probably looking at this young girl and are saying, like, you know (claps),way to go.
Missing from the discussion was any mention of Thunberg’s extreme beliefs, like her assertion that eating meat is the equivalent of “stealing her generation’s future” or shaming anyone who travels on an airplane.
On Monday and Tuesday, the Today show previewed Time’s short list for Person of the Year, which included other prominent liberal figures like Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the anonymous whistleblower who sparked the impeachment inquiry against President Trump, and the gun-grabbing Prime Minister of New Zealand, Jacinda Ardern.
Here is a transcript of the December 11 segment:
7:43 AM ET
HODA KOTB: Alright, so we’re going to get to it. Here to reveal Time’s 2019 Person of the Year is editor-in-chief Edward Felsenthal. Edward, we should point out that none of the five know who the actual recipient will be. So you’re about to announce it this second. Alright, so tell us who it is.
EDWARD FELSENTHAL [TIME EDITOR-IN-CHIEF]: It’s Greta Thunberg. She became the biggest voice on the biggest issue facing the planet this year, coming from essentially nowhere to lead a worldwide movement. And she also represents a broader generational shift in the culture that we’re seeing from the campuses of Hong Kong to the protests in Chile to Parkland, Florida, where the students marched against gun violence, where young people are demanding change and urgently.
MELVIN: She embodies student activism.
FELSENTHAL: She does. She embodies youth activism. Youngest person ever to be Person of the Year.
KOTB: Oh, pretty cool.
MELVIN: As you know, Greta said a couple months ago that she was not going to accept this particular award at an environmental conference, saying the climate movement does not need any more awards. What do you think her response is going to be –
KOTB: When you call her up!
FELSENTHAL: I don’t know, but I think what she has done is – I mean, her rise in influence has been really extraordinary. She was a solo protester with a hand-painted sign 14 months ago. She’s now led millions of people around the world, 150 countries, to act on behalf of the planet and she’s taken this issue, and been really the key driver this year, taking this issue from back stage to center.
KOTB: Well, she’s a unique individual. Folks who don’t know her well should probably watch her TED talk. She talks about the fact that she has Asperger’s, that she’s different but she stands out in front. And I’m sure there are parents whose children, you know, have something like that who are probably looking at this young girl and are saying, like, you know (claps),way to go.
(...)
