Big moment for Australian relevance yesterday: Anthony Albanese was one of Time Magazine's 100 Most Influential People. I was genuinely shocked when I saw it. Is our daggy dad Prime Minister... cool? Does this... matter? Jury is still out on the first question. The answer to the second is surprisingly yes, but not in a good way. I'll explain...

First thing we need to get clear on: the TIME100 list is above all a marketing exercise for TIME. This is true of every media outlet that has an annual honours list: GQ Men of the Year 'awards', People Magazine Sexiest Man/Woman Alive, Marie Claire Australia's Women of the Year. The strategy is to generate as much publicity and conversation as possible for the media brand by 'honouring' people who already have lots of social or cultural hype.

Scan the full list for two seconds and it's obvious that every single name currently has way more power and influence than TIME. Do you think Angela Bassett, Lionel Messi, Disney CEO Bob Iger or the actual fucking King Charles give a shit? It's not like, winning a Nobel Prize. TIME needs the publicity of releasing the list, more than the people on the list need TIME's stamp of approval. So, for these reasons: no, being on this list doesn't really change anything for Albanese.

But for the marketing strategy to work, they have to choose individuals who the global public will agree with. Even though it's totally arbitrary, it still has to feel correct and meaningful otherwise it looks like TIME does not get the cultural zeitgeist. It's like reputational Inception.

That's why it's interesting our Down Under PM made the cut, because based on their own criteria it's undeserved.

TIME bigwigs have previously said they "look for people whose ideas, whose example, whose talent, whose discoveries transform the world we live in." A good example is former NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who made the 2019 list for the compassion she showed after the Christchurch shooting. The striking image of her wearing a hijab will be remembered for generations. In that moment, she clearly meets the criteria of the list. It's a huge endorsement for Albanese that TIME thinks his achievement (so far, winning one election) is as important to global culture as Ardern was at Christchurch.

In the profile writeup, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau wrote that "[Albanese's] government supports those who need it most", framing the win as a symbol of hope for progressives around the world. TIME Editor-in-Chief Edward Felsenthal wrote that climate action was a central theme of this year's list, and that Albanese was specifically included as a "defender of the environment... elected on a wave of pro-climate sentiment."

As an Australian progressive, these are wild claims to read!

Look, Albanese and the Labor government might still go on to have a hugely positive impact, changing Australia and the world for the better, but they haven't done it yet. At best, they are acting on promises that could soon create positive change, but haven't yet - like the Voice to Parliament referendum. At worst, they are talking about progress while actively working against the greater good – like legislating a net-zero target, while continuing to approve new fossil fuel plants.

The TIME100 list itself doesn't really matter, but it has given us an important glimpse at how the world views Australia. What does it say about us that this level of half-assing it is enough to qualify as influential? That a centrist, lifelong politician is the beacon of hope for progressives? What does it say about our contributions to the climate crisis that a Prime Minister who utters the words 'Net Zero' can be branded a climate defender while his government approves new coal?

Australia has such a bad reputation that the world really thinks we're stoked with this half-step from the right to the centre. It's a wake up call. We're going to have to push hard to make this country a fair, just and thriving place, because clearly the bare minimum looks like huge progress when compared to our recent history.

I really do think that's possible. This govt does seem more interested than the last in listening to the public, an opportunity I urge everyone to take. So Albo, if you're reading this: congrats on TIME100, but I'm really gonna need to see more.

– CrystalFounder & Chief of Everything at Zee FeedFollow me on Instagram or TikTok

Good stuff on Zee Feed rn:

"When I say 'I’m religious' to a new friend, their cultural reference points paint only one picture: that I’m being held against my will, forced by my parents to attend Gurdwara or a Mandar (Hindu temple) as I await my arranged marriage. It’s important that we deconstruct those preconceived notions before writing off anyone ‘dumb enough’ to follow a religion." CLICK HERE TO READ.

Smart stuff on the Internet 💭

All the stuff I found on the web that made me think, smile, or have an ‘aha!’ moment. Spend your Sunday reading them – you'll be better off for it:

In Defence Of Bad Vibes on Refinery29Emphatically nodding my head at just about every line of this piece. "The insinuation that the sole purpose of life is to accumulate good feelings and experiences fits neatly into a culture of hyper-consumerism thereby de-prioritising community, virtue and health." 

My Ugly Bathroom on The Paris ReviewThematically similar to the bad vibes piece: "I get so sick of everyone thinking that everything they use has to be nice. Can’t some stuff just be crappy? Why do we have to get rid of perfectly functional stuff just so that every corner of our vision can twinkle with magic and possibility?"

Two twitter threads on the Chanel Contos funding controversyMy jaw dropped reading this News.com.au revelation that $8million in funding given to Chanel Contos' 'Teach Us Consent' campaign by the Morrison govt was a) granted to her over a coffee with no application process, and b) never actually received. Read the article if you want, but I think more important is what Nina Funnell had to say about young activists making expensive mistakes (click to read) and Sharna Bremner's notes on why we shouldn't demand advocacy to be done cheaply (click to read).

Tefi's breakdown of the entire Fleetwood Mac story on TikTokSorry, but Daisy Jones & The Six could never be more interesting, dramatic or devastating than the real life story of Fleetwood Mac, no matter how hard the writers tried. I stand by this. Tefi Pessoa aka hellotefi does the best pop culture breakdowns so make time for this 16-part series ok? It starts here.

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