Person of the Year Pyramid

That sound under the earth’s surface is Henry Luce, founder of Time, spinning in his tomb as an Egyptian General, Turkish Prime Minister and Miley Cyrus win his creation’s popular poll for Person of the Year.

In a Twitter coup, the Sphinx roared from the Middle East to outvote the editors’choices, including Pope Francis, President Obama, Ted Cruz, Edward Snowden and a gay rights activist who sued for inheritance rights.

Why not? In a world where notoriety is amok, attention knows no national boundaries, political meaning or moral distinctions. Anyone can be Googled up to the heights of fame.

When he started Time 90 years ago, Luce’s aim was to make sense of “the million little chaoses of raw news.” That time is long gone. Now his inheritors just dive into it and stir the publicity pot.

Miley Cyrus may be the best symbol for our culture after all.